It had been a busy first day of the week for the disciples… an empty tomb, angels, a report from Mary Magdalene that she had seen Jesus alive… and still, as they gathered together behind a locked door, they were afraid… maybe the reports of Jesus being alive scared them, maybe they were afraid that they would be in danger if the authorities found them… who knows why they were afraid… and then… Jesus appears to them even though their door is locked. I have always imagined this story as Jesus showing up and grinning at them as if to say “I told you so”… but that’s not important… It had been a busy first day of the week for the disciples… an empty tomb, angels, a report from Mary Magdalene that she had seen Jesus alive… and still, as they gathered together behind a locked door, they were afraid… maybe the reports of Jesus being alive scared them, maybe they were afraid that they would be in danger if the authorities found them… who knows why they were afraid… and then… Jesus appears to them even though their door is locked. I have always imagined this story as Jesus showing up and grinning at them as if to say “I told you so”… but that’s not important…
He appears to them and says, “Peace be with you”. He repeats the greeting later and says that as he was sent by the Father, he now sends them… and here, is where I think I would register some fear. What does it mean to be sent by the Father?
Well, if we look at the ministry of Jesus, we get some insight into what that means… Discipleship is not an easy or risk free existence. Jesus went into the world to heal and comfort those who were separated from God and from each other; Jesus confronted the powerful ones who kept others oppressed; he was sent to raise the dead; to teach in the synagogues… Being sent as Jesus was sent is a pretty tall order… NOW the disciples have something to be afraid of, because it won’t just be their association with Jesus that will get them in trouble; it will be the fact that they will preach the gospel in word and in deed that will get them into trouble.
Beloved, the call to be sent into the world as Jesus was sent is also the call that we have been given. Discipleship isn’t easy; sometimes it can pit us against those in authority, and honestly, it probably should… rarely do the ideals of discipleship and power match; that’s why Jesus was always in trouble and why the authorities killed him… perfect love threatened the status quo…
Now, there is nothing that the authorities can do to Jesus… even death could not hold him; and now because death could not hold him; in fact even the locked door couldn’t stop him, their fear couldn’t stop him… being sent by God the Father is a constant state of breaking down the barriers that others have set up; nothing can keep him out, nothing can stop him from uniting humanity to God… I cannot even imagine the surprise the disciple felt when they saw him alive again; and the joy of knowing that he was exactly who he said he was…
The disciples had a locked door; Thomas had his doubt; Jesus got past both; in Thomas’ case, Jesus gave him what he needed to believe, because no obstacle is too great… all Thomas had to do was ask.
I wonder what barriers you and I erect to keep Jesus out of our lives? Even when we say we believe, even when we say we are Christians, are there parts of our lives that we think are off limits to Jesus? No matter what part of our lives we try to hide, he is there… no matter what part of our lives we try to live without him… his is there… no matter what sin we commit, he is there, offering us healing and wholeness… So, disciples, are we ready to be sent as Jesus was? Where might those places be where the light of the gospel needs to shine? I pray that we can go forth into the world in peace and hope, bringing the light of Christ wherever we go… and that we will ask Jesus for what we need to believe in him more fully, knowing there is nothing of us that is not his… we are his… completely… may we rejoice, for this is truly good news. May our lives be good news as well, gifts given back to Jesus, our Lord and our God.