SECOND SUNDAY EASTER
SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER – John 20:19 5:30 PM 2008
It was a hot Saturday morning. Because there was no air conditioning, the doors and windows were all open in the church to bring in a bit of air. Some worshipers out of courtesy gathered for the funeral service of an old man who had no family. They could also hear the auctioneer’s voice from the next building almost as clearly as they could hear their own minister.
The service came to an end. “Lord, may thy servant depart in peace,” said the minister. Through the window came the words, “going once, going twice, gone!”
This is the experience the disciples are having. As far as they are concerned, Jesus is gone.
The disciples are hiding out in the upper room. They’re hiding from the Jewish authorities. But even more so, with transparent predictability they’re hiding from their own fear. What will become of us now? they muttered to one another. We should never have followed him, one of the disciples says with more anguish than anger.
Their emotions are running the gamut: from uneasiness to worry to dread to fear and then to turmoil. The mood is like a tornado swirling before it hits its peak of destruction. Finally one of the disciples ties this mix of emotions together like stitching the final thread into a multicolored quilt. I miss him, she says with fierce modesty, I feel so lonely. He filled my every day with his presence and now there is nothing but a void. When he was with us, everything seemed possible. Now nothing seems attainable.
As if directed by a cantor, they all break out in a chorus of response that, yes, it is loneliness that is cutting through their hearts like the nails that pierced Jesus’ hands and feet.
What the disciples are experiencing is this disconnectedness from Jesus. Anyone who has had a relationship that disintegrated knows this feeling with all its nail-piercing hurt and agonizing pain all too well.
But then there is the good news that is refreshingly devoid of wishful thinking. Unlike human relationships that break up, Jesus maintains his relationship by coming and standing in the midst of his disciples. And with the keen insight of divine wisdom, Jesus knows the turmoil of his disciples’ emotions. So he says to them, “Peace be with you.”
It’s not the kind of peace described in Steve Shagan’s novel, The Circle, as the peace that comes from selling and buying of arms to maintain the appearance of harmony. It’s not the world’s peace which is the absence of conflict rather it is the peace of Jesus which is the presence of collaboration.
Jesus’ peace scatters the gloom of loneliness like sunlight dispels darkness.
John Powell says in his book , Happiness Is An Inside Job, For those who accept themselves, being alone is peaceful solitude; for those who don’t accept themselves, solitude is painful loneliness. How essential accepting yourself is if you are suffering from loneliness even within marriage.
If you believe that Jesus is not only risen out of death but is alive within you, living in you, first, you will never be lonely, no matter what disasters strike down your relationships with others. And secondly, you will always be at peace, no matter how many people try to disrupt your life, your plans, your dreams, your joys.
But you must believe that Jesus the resurrected Christ is living in you. You must believe this with your whole heart and mind and soul and with all the strength of your faith.
If you do believe that Jesus the resurrected Lord is living within you, then you, like the first disciples, will go out to others. You will bring to them the loving good news that says to everyone around you, I can raise you up to a new life. A new life of faith, hope, optimism, joy, courage, love, resiliency but most of all peace. Never again will you doubt your faith in cringing loneliness, as Thomas did, because you will believe with unctuous passion that Jesus, who is your Peace, is alive within you.
HUMOR: A salesman was in the country visiting clients and over a couple of days he had to drive down the same dusty road.
Each time he drove down the road he noticed that farmer on one farm was standing in his field with his hands in his pockets looking up at the sky. The salesman did not think much of it the first time, but every time he went down the road, the farmer was always there. Eventually his curiosity got the better of him so he pulled into the farm to find out what was going on.
As he got out of the car he was met by the farmer’s wife.
“Ma’am,” began the salesman, “our country is in dire economic straits and our farmers need to be working hard. But this past few days I have noticed the farmer standing around in his field doing nothing. Can you please explain to me what is going on?”
“Well”, replied the farmer’s wife, “the man in the field is my husband.”
“Yes, but why is he not working?” demanded the salesman.
“He wants to get himself a Nobel Peace Prize” came the reply.
“A Nobel Peace Prize?!!” exclaimed the salesman.
“Yes.” replied the farmer’s wife. “The other day on the news they said that were going to give a Nobel Peace Prize to some one outstanding in his field!”
THOUGHT: Always choose to be peacemakers.
It was a hot Saturday morning. Because there was no air conditioning, the doors and windows were all open in the church to bring in a bit of air. Some worshipers out of courtesy gathered for the funeral service of an old man who had no family. They could also hear the auctioneer’s voice from the next building almost as clearly as they could hear their own minister.
The service came to an end. “Lord, may thy servant depart in peace,” said the minister. Through the window came the words, “going once, going twice, gone!”
This is the experience the disciples are having. As far as they are concerned, Jesus is gone.
The disciples are hiding out in the upper room. They’re hiding from the Jewish authorities. But even more so, with transparent predictability they’re hiding from their own fear. What will become of us now? they muttered to one another. We should never have followed him, one of the disciples says with more anguish than anger.
Their emotions are running the gamut: from uneasiness to worry to dread to fear and then to turmoil. The mood is like a tornado swirling before it hits its peak of destruction. Finally one of the disciples ties this mix of emotions together like stitching the final thread into a multicolored quilt. I miss him, she says with fierce modesty, I feel so lonely. He filled my every day with his presence and now there is nothing but a void. When he was with us, everything seemed possible. Now nothing seems attainable.
As if directed by a cantor, they all break out in a chorus of response that, yes, it is loneliness that is cutting through their hearts like the nails that pierced Jesus’ hands and feet.
What the disciples are experiencing is this disconnectedness from Jesus. Anyone who has had a relationship that disintegrated knows this feeling with all its nail-piercing hurt and agonizing pain all too well.
But then there is the good news that is refreshingly devoid of wishful thinking. Unlike human relationships that break up, Jesus maintains his relationship by coming and standing in the midst of his disciples. And with the keen insight of divine wisdom, Jesus knows the turmoil of his disciples’ emotions. So he says to them, “Peace be with you.”
It’s not the kind of peace described in Steve Shagan’s novel, The Circle, as the peace that comes from selling and buying of arms to maintain the appearance of harmony. It’s not the world’s peace which is the absence of conflict rather it is the peace of Jesus which is the presence of collaboration.
Jesus’ peace scatters the gloom of loneliness like sunlight dispels darkness.
John Powell says in his book , Happiness Is An Inside Job, For those who accept themselves, being alone is peaceful solitude; for those who don’t accept themselves, solitude is painful loneliness. How essential accepting yourself is if you are suffering from loneliness even within marriage.
If you believe that Jesus is not only risen out of death but is alive within you, living in you, first, you will never be lonely, no matter what disasters strike down your relationships with others. And secondly, you will always be at peace, no matter how many people try to disrupt your life, your plans, your dreams, your joys.
But you must believe that Jesus the resurrected Christ is living in you. You must believe this with your whole heart and mind and soul and with all the strength of your faith.
If you do believe that Jesus the resurrected Lord is living within you, then you, like the first disciples, will go out to others. You will bring to them the loving good news that says to everyone around you, I can raise you up to a new life. A new life of faith, hope, optimism, joy, courage, love, resiliency but most of all peace. Never again will you doubt your faith in cringing loneliness, as Thomas did, because you will believe with unctuous passion that Jesus, who is your Peace, is alive within you.
HUMOR: A salesman was in the country visiting clients and over a couple of days he had to drive down the same dusty road.
Each time he drove down the road he noticed that farmer on one farm was standing in his field with his hands in his pockets looking up at the sky. The salesman did not think much of it the first time, but every time he went down the road, the farmer was always there. Eventually his curiosity got the better of him so he pulled into the farm to find out what was going on.
As he got out of the car he was met by the farmer’s wife.
“Ma’am,” began the salesman, “our country is in dire economic straits and our farmers need to be working hard. But this past few days I have noticed the farmer standing around in his field doing nothing. Can you please explain to me what is going on?”
“Well”, replied the farmer’s wife, “the man in the field is my husband.”
“Yes, but why is he not working?” demanded the salesman.
“He wants to get himself a Nobel Peace Prize” came the reply.
“A Nobel Peace Prize?!!” exclaimed the salesman.
“Yes.” replied the farmer’s wife. “The other day on the news they said that were going to give a Nobel Peace Prize to some one outstanding in his field!”
THOUGHT: Always choose to be peacemakers.
posted by The Ronald | 2:20 PM
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