Debbie
Cato
John
20:19-31
Church
of the Indian Fellowship
April
8, 2018 - 2nd Sunday of Easter
Peace Be With You
Just a week ago, we celebrated Easter –
the resurrection of our Lord. Mary
Magdalene went to the tomb early that Sunday morning to mourn the death of
Jesus. Her grief deepens and she becomes
greatly disturbed to find the stone removed from the opening of the tomb. Mary followed Jesus all the way to the
cross. She witnessed His
crucifixion. She saw him suffer and die
on the cross. And now his tomb was
empty. Where was his body?
The disciples, John the Beloved and Peter
dare to look inside the tomb and find no proof of tomb robbing. Rather, they find everything calm and orderly. Jesus' grave clothes are folded and left
behind. Puzzled and frightened, John and
Peter run away. They go back to the
others. Back to the room where everyone
is huddled together; behind locked doors.
But Mary stays behind. And though she heard Jesus explain about his
suffering; explain about his death and resurrection, she did not understand;
she did not believe. That is until the risen Christ appeared and spoke to her;
until he called her name. With the sound
of her name that morning, she recognizes her Lord’s voice. Mary runs and filled with joy, she shares the
good news with the other disciples! “I
have seen the Lord!” she tells them. “I
have seen the Lord!” But, they dismiss
her words as foolishness. How can it
be?! They have not seen for themselves
and, after all, she is just an hysterical woman. They stay locked in a room, hiding.
It's easy for us to question their
faith. Three times Jesus’ told them what
was going to happen in Jerusalem. Yet,
scared and confused they lock themselves in a room. It’s easy to criticize them for not getting
it! But, think about it. The Roman government was powerful. The disciples saw first-hand the harsh
crudeness of the punishment they handed out.
They were traumatized. Their leader
had just suffered unimaginable pain and suffering. Their teacher had been crucified. The man they believed was the Messiah, died
on the cross. They were recognized as
his followers. Were soldiers looking for them too? Would the soldiers find them and torture and
crucify them too? You bet they were
scared.
The depth to which the disciples’ spirits
must have fallen is easy to understate.
But I think they also felt guilty.
They knew that Judas was not the only one who had betrayed Jesus. Three times, Peter denied that he even knew Jesus. The rest of the disciples had run away when
Jesus needed them. Only John stood near
the cross with the women. The others
watched from a distance – where no one would see
them. They must have felt like cowards;
like traitors.
Adam Hamilton, a United Methodist pastor
said, “Fear and guilt weren’t the only emotions weighing heavy on the hearts of
the disciples. They left everything
to follow Jesus. They believed that He
was the Messiah. They believed that
he would restore Israel. They believed
that God was with him in powerful ways.
They felt in their hearts that he had the “Words of Life.” Their hopes and dreams, even their faith, was
crucified with Jesus. They must have
sunk into utter despair.”[1]
We know about utter despair, don't
we? Those dark times that paralyze us.
Those times when fear overtakes reality.
Those times we feel completely isolated and hopeless. Those times we want to hide behind locked
doors.
Have you ever been paralyzed by bad
news? Perhaps it’s a lay-off notice from
a job. Or maybe it’s the news that your
partner no longer loves you. Or perhaps
it’s a medical diagnosis. Or a child
who’s in trouble and you don’t know what to do.
I don’t know about you, but I find the
world we live in pretty overwhelming these days. Mass shootings, children being killed. Racism.
Deportations and splitting families apart makes my soul hurt. People losing healthcare. The roll-back of important
environmental laws. The fast pace of
rising housing costs resulting in an increase in homelessness in our
communities. The incredible increase in
hate crimes. Ineffective government ….. O.K., I need to stop now! My blood pressure is rising!
Do you feel overwhelmed like I do? Fearful?
Do you sink into despair? Do you
feel hopeless at times? Do you want to
lock your doors and draw your blinds and hide?
Friends, it is into through these closed
doors that the risen Christ enters.
To his frightened disciples, paralyzed in
utter despair, Jesus says, “Peace
be with you.”
To those stunned and scared, holding a
lay-off notice, Jesus says, “Peace
be with you.”
To those reeling from a break-up or
devastated by a divorce, Jesus steps into your heart and says, “Peace be with you.”
As you sit in a doctor’s office hearing
the dreaded word “cancer”, Jesus is there.
“Peace be with you.”
And in the midst of what seems like a
violent, hate-filled, backwards- moving world, stands Jesus. “Peace be with you,” he
says. Peace be with you.
Smack, dab in the middle of our despair;
in the middle of our confusion and our fear; in the middle of our hopelessness,
stands our risen Lord and Savior. Peace be with you.
These are the same words Jesus’ spoke to
his disciples the night of His arrest; as they shared supper together.
27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace
I give you.” Jesus told them.
“I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
“I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as
the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
And now, after all the drama; after all
the pain and suffering; after all the confusion and all the darkness; after all
the anger and guilt; after all the fear and grief; Jesus offers his weary band
of followers His perfect peace.
Can it be? Is the Lord really alive? Can we believe it? These disillusioned, frightened disciples
finally rejoice when Jesus’ proves it with his hands and his side. These
followers of Jesus’ see for themselves, and then they believe. It's true!
I believe! The Lord is
risen! The Lord is risen, indeed!
What is really amazing, is that The One
offering the words of peace to the ones locked behind closed doors, is the very
One who endured the brutality of the chaos and hatred. Jesus was arrested and mocked and beaten and
nailed to a cross, dying naked in plain sight.
Jesus stands among them knowing what it means to suffer; knowing what it
means to be humiliated; knowing what it means to be falsely accused. “Peace be with you,” He
says.
Jesus offers peace that comes from the personal
knowledge that, in spite of all the hurt and harm the world inflicts; in spite
of all the darkness we walk through, God’s compassion and care is Jesus
constant presence. His peace is with us always in all things. It applies at every point where we fear that
God’s plan for the world’s well-being is out of touch with the chaos and hatred
of everyday life.
Jesus does not promise that we will not
suffer. He does not say that bad things
will not happen. He does not promise we
will always be happy. What he does
promise is that His peace will always be with us. Always with you.
If you are the one holding that lay-off
notice, not knowing how you are going to put food on the table for your family,
Jesus says to you, “Peace
be with you. Do not let your heart be troubled
and do not be afraid.”
To those trying to figure out how you can
go on after the love of your life is gone, Jesus is there. “I am with you. Do not be
afraid. I am with you,” He whispers.
When you stop breathing after hearing
that horrible diagnosis and yet somehow, mysteriously, you feel a deep stillness,
that’s Jesus. “Do not be afraid. I am with you. My perfect peace is right
here.”
And when you feel the world spinning out
of control, remember what Jesus said to his closest friends the night of His
arrest, knowing that He was going to be arrested, beaten, and then
crucified. “Peace I leave with you; my peace
I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled
and do not be afraid.”
May
the Peace of Christ Be with You! Amen.
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