Sunday, April 19, 2009

2 Easter B - April 19, 2009

2 Easter B - 19 April 2009
Acts 4:32-35; 1 John 1:1-2:1; John 20:19-31
Marie Butterbaugh

The other day, standing outside Christ Chapel at the Seminary, I found myself watching as the Texas winds buffet the nearby tree limbs. Swaying hither and thither, the new green leaves swirl as they scatter about. Looking closely, one tree especially catches my eye. In its’ branches rests a rather large bird’s nest. Watching this nest swinging back and forth as the wind’s tempest continues, I begin to think about faith. Surely it is faith that initiates the building of such a nest. The faith that winter will turn to spring. The faith that believes from the depths of despair experienced on Good Friday comes new life through Jesus’ resurrection. I think about the faith of Thomas.

From the Easter narrative, we know that John, the other disciple, comes to tomb. He sees the linen cloths rolled up. Jesus is not there. He believes. Mary Magdalene hears the angels’ question, “Woman why are you weeping?” She encounters the risen Lord and at first she doesn’t recognize Him. Jesus speaks. Mary believes. She does as Jesus instructs. She goes to tell the disciples.

Today we have the gospel writer’s account of two more of our Lord’s resurrection appearances. Night has come. The disciples gather together in a small room. They are confused. They don’t fully understand the events of the past few days. John tells us that they are afraid. Seemingly there world is collapsing around them. Now they face a world full of uncertainty and fear. Fear of their opponents rather than the reality of Jesus resurrection; hold them in its grip. Just as Jesus comes into a darkened world to free it from the bondage of sin, Jesus comes into this darkened room.

Jesus speaks to the disciples offering words of reconciliation and forgiveness, “Shalom.” “Peace be with you.” With these words Jesus offers forgiveness to this very group who just days before had deserted Him at His crucifixion. “Peace be with you.” Jesus extends His hands. They see the nail prints. He shows them His side. They see the mark of the spear. The disciples rejoice as Jesus once again repeats His message of love and reconciliation, “Peace be with you.”

God creates humankind, adam and adamah, from the dust of the earth, the soil. God breathes into humanity the breath of life. Jesus is God incarnate, crucified and risen, and now breathes on them. In this act, recalling the very creation of Adam, the new Adam, Jesus breathes on the disciples the breath of new life. This very breath gives life to the Church. “Receive the Holy Spirit” says Jesus. “The Father has sent me and now I am sending you.” Jesus reminds them, “You not going alone. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit is going with you, helping you, strengthening you, teaching you everything that you need to know.

In this resurrection appearance, Jesus empowers a new community to bear witnesses to His Living Word and His saving power that gives new Life. To this group of fearful, confused and rag tag disciples, Jesus gives the gift of inner peace and wellbeing. Filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, they go into the world as emissaries of the Father. They go forth to proclaim the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The fledgling church as reflected in today’s New Testament reading from the 1st Epistle of John begins to bud and grow. The writer in 1st John declares that what is being passed on has been seen with their own eyes, heard with their own ears and touched with their own hands from the beginning. This is the revealed word God, Jesus Christ,

But wait! What about Thomas? He is missing this evening. Thomas rejoins the disciples to hear the amazing news, “Jesus is raised from the dead! He was standing in this very room.” “Jesus, here?” asks Thomas. “I want to believe, I am longing to believe,” says a tentative Thomas. “If I could only touch Him, touch His hands, His side, and then I can believe.”

Thomas wants to put his hands in the nail marks of Jesus’ hands. He wants to put his hand in Jesus’ wounded side. A week later Jesus again comes to His disciples and Thomas gets his chance. Fully aware of Thomas’s request, Jesus in love and compassion extends His hands and shows Thomas His wounded side. “Thomas,” says Jesus, “It’s really is me. Reach out your hands, touch me. Don’t doubt, just believe.” The need for proof dissipates and the cloud of disbelief which has encircled Thomas is gone for that moment in time, that day, that week. Thomas’ disbelief is transformed into belief as he personal experiences the risen Jesus, the very reality of God.

Author Amy Hunter writes in The Christian Century, “Thomas holds out for an experience of Jesus on his own terms until he finds his terms made foolish by the reality of seeing Jesus. Thomas has to make this personal connection with Jesus himself. Mary could not experience the resurrected Jesus for the disciples and the disciples can’t experience Jesus for Thomas. It is faith not doubt that holds out for one’s own experience.”

Like many people, Thomas wants proof. Perhaps many of us at one time or another in our spiritual journeys’ want proof of God’s loving presence in this world. Perhaps many of us at one time or another in our spiritual journeys’ want proof of God’s loving presence in our lives. When the winds buffet the tree that I call my life, tossing the branches scattering the leaves seemingly without form or purpose, I like Thomas doubt. However, my faith remains. Even in the midst of doubt, faith remains. It is anchored, like that unshakable bird’s nest in the tree. My faith is anchored in God’s deep and abiding love for you, for me, for all people as shown through His only Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Later today, Audrey Craig comes to be baptized into the family of Christ. Later this morning Audrey, through her parents and sponsors, will renounce the sinful desires of this world, and will make a vow to place her trust in God’s grace and love. Through the waters of baptism Audrey will share in Christ’s death and resurrection. Her forehead will be marked with the sign of the cross. She will be sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked as Christ’s own forever. That Spirit, the same Spirit that empowered the disciples centuries ago will now empower her for her Christian journey. The Holy Spirit will equip her for the work of ministry, bringing about the kingdom of God. As a community and as Audrey’s family in Christ we will promise to uphold her and support her in her new life in Christ. We will be here to support her in those times when her faith is strong and unshakable. We will also be there to stand with her when life’s storms loom large on the horizon.

As the baptismal ceremony concludes, her baptismal candle will be lighted from the Paschal candle, a candle itself that is lighted from the new fire of Easter. This candle represents Christ light shining into a darkened world. Today she is incorporated into that mystery, that Paschal Passion mystery.

And so, with Audrey we remember that, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. What has come into being in him is life, and the life is the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it.” We remember our call and our empowering by the Spirit to “walk in the light” of Christ’s love. And we invite Audrey to walk there with us. We remember that Christ’s light now shines through us, and we invite the newly baptized to shine here with us. Together we seek and serve Christ in all persons. We serve the least of our brothers and sisters, known to us and unknown. We stand for justice, we pray for peace among all people. Together with God’s help we do these simple acts of kindness, we offer these kind words, and we extend these hands to help, to hold.

Jesus stands with you and me. Even in the midst of your doubts or mine, about God’s Love for us, about our own Love for God, Jesus stands with us. Jesus speaks to us the Peace of God that passes all our understanding. When we are unable to rest easy, Jesus does. When we are unable to reach his hands, the marks of his sacrifice for our sake, his hands still hold us; he still is at our side.

I now stop to look each day as I go to chapel. I see that lovely tree. The nest is still there, although it is now made nearly invisible by the new green leaves that springtime brings. I wonder if it isn’t awaiting the arrival of some as yet unknown inhabitants, a new tenant, and I look forward to seeing fledglings fly. Winter becomes spring and Lent is followed by Easter as surely as death is followed by life eternal.

Thanks be to God.
© 2009, Marie Butterbaugh

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