2nd Sunday of Easter April 11-12, 2015

On the evening of the day when Jesus rose from the dead… He went to his disciples who were gathered behind locked doors and said to them, “Peace be with you.” Jesus’ first priority after appearing to his disciples was to forgive them. He did so by combining a conventional greeting (peace be with you) along with God’s unconditional love. He forgave them: even though he was betrayed by Judas, even though Peter denied knowing him 3x, and even though all but one of the remaining disciples abandoned him as he hung on the cross. He forgave them because God’s peace is always and everywhere an act of love that will blossom into an incredible journey of faith for those who accept his grace.

Yet it's ironic - that many of the religious people of Christ's time were unable to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. Primary among them were the Pharisees who were very devoted to their prayers and the rules of their religion. But over the years, their outward observances had become so important that the real meaning of their prayers had been lost. Their hearts were far from God, and as a result, they had no relationship with him.

Following the crucifixion of Jesus - and the scattering of the disciples -, the words of Isaiah in chapter 53 must have weighed heavily on their hearts. For Isaiah prophesied, “We all went away like sheep, - yet ours were the sufferings he bore, ours were the sorrows he carried. On him lies a punishment that brings us peace, and through his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:46)

As I reflected on these scriptures I discovered that within each of us belief and unbelief are interwoven. Our journey of faith is, and will always be, a work in progress. We all need to draw near to Jesus and consequently we all need to be attentive to the demons that prevent us from doing so. Our journey is a no--holds barred endeavor where we must first wipe away any line -- that we may have drawn in the sand – which is intended to indicate just how far we are willing to go.

While in the Upper Room, Jesus knew that doubt was still crippling the faith of his disciples. So he showed them the scars of his Passion. He revealed his wounds to them, the very wounds that opened the door for our salvation. Upon seeing the wounds, the disciples were miraculously freed from their fear and were able TO SEE and TO BELIEVE. Their unhindered sight became the catalyst which helped them turn despair into joy, doubt into faith, and heartache into abiding love.

Jesus remained in the Upper Room just long enough to offer a second prayer. Once again it began with, “Peace be with you.” This time, however, the prayer was followed by a commissioning. “As the Father has sent me I now send you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit whose sins you forgive are forgiven them and whose sins you retain are retained."

I find it amazing that Jesus saw in this group of believers - ordinary men and women who would become his ambassadors of love. He knew they couldn’t accomplish that mission on their own so he breathed on them and gave them new life in the Spirit. Any fear or shame or doubt that may have burdened them was replaced with the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit. They became spiritually equipped to go out and administer God’s divine peace and consolation to all who are burdened by the miseries that accompany life.

But where was Thomas? It had only been three days since the crucifixion. Did he have someplace better to be? Did he need to take some time off in order to clear his head? Or did he need some time alone in order to discern if he would ever return as a disciple? No one really knows for sure.

We do know that Thomas was not set-up to be shamed because of his absence from the Upper Room, nor was his demand to see and touch the wounds of Jesus unreasonable. After all, during the first visit to the Upper room Jesus readily showed his wounds to those who were gathered. Why shouldn’t Thomas have been afforded the same opportunity?

In Scripture, we know there is a parable about a Good Sheperd who left his flock in order to rescue and bring home a lost sheep. We all know that Jesus is that Good Shepherd.
We all understand that he knows his flock and his flock knows him.

So when he returned to the Upper Room, on the 8 ^th day following Easter Sunday, it was no surprise that he did so with the single purpose of addressing the spiritual needs of one particular sheep: that being Thomas. Once Thomas encountered the Lord he knew without a shadow of a doubt Jesus’s true identity – and out of deep reverence he exclaimed, “MY Lord and My God.”

Thomas immediately realized that it wasn’t the signs that Jesus performed that stirred his faith. Rather his faith was fanned into a flame once he recognized that Jesus is the true son of God. Today’s readings open a myriad of questions for each of us.

• What do YOU need to see before you can fully believe?
• What burdens do you carry that need to be lifted before you will see more clearly?
• What secrets are you keeping hidden in the - darkness and the shadows of life, that prevent you from walking in the light off Christ.?

Whatever they are, I can assure you that Jesus desires to release them from us. For he desires that each of us recognize his true identity so that we can also exclaim “My Lord and My God.”