Some stories are just really hard to believe, especially ones that seem too good to be true. As the Artemis moon orbiter splashed down on Friday evening, I found myself wondering if conspiracy theories would be concocted about this space flight as they were about the moon landing. Would photos emerge of Hollywood studio sets and secret filming sessions because it was simply too hard to believe that people had safely left Earth’s atmosphere, traveled to the moon, landed, walked and rode a vehicle on the moon’s surface, and got back in their rocketship, flown back to Earth, fallen to the Earth and safely stepped out into regular life again. Now that I say it, it does sound pretty hard to believe and incredible, unless you consider all the brilliant people who came together with math, science, and a dream to make it happen.
Easter morning, something too good to be true is starting to dawn on the Disciples as they are locked up in fear in the upper room together disbelieving what the women have told them. And Thomas for one week gets to represent all of us who have not seen and waiver between doubt and faith and often experience a combination of the two.
Jesus’ resurrection too has felt for many too good to be true or too difficult to believe, especially because we cannot see for ourselves, touch Jesus’ hands and feet or see his wounded side. That Jesus would be tried, condemned, beaten, and crucified, pierced, placed in a tomb, gone to depths to claim those who have died, the raised and appearing, breathing, eating, blessing, and sharing his Holy Spirit, can be hard for us to do, unless we remember who is the one doing this work, God the Creator, with power and the will and the dream to reunite heaven and earth and give us new life.
It is not clear to the disciples what is happening. They are afraid for a lot of reasons. They are afraid of the Jewish authorities, that they might hand them over like they did Jesus, but also because the disciples are proclaiming Jesus the Messiah, they are expecting to be thrown out of the synagogues and kept from the Temple. They will be disconnected from their families and their faith.
The disciples are also afraid because it would be reasonable to expect Jesus to be angry with them for denying him and abandoning him at his lowest point. Certainly they would expect to be taken to task for that. They might also be afraid because this is a lot of power that Jesus has to have risen from the dead—it's scary when something so unexpected and unsettling happens.
These disciples they are still in the fear and grief of the cross. This story really is a continuation of the story of the last supper and the washing of the feet. When Jesus appears to them, he says, “As God sent me, so I send you.” This is picking up the conversation from before. Jesus is sending them for what, to where? He has answered this in his washing of feet. He is sending them to wash the feet of each other and those who are poor and in need.
Then Jesus breathes on them and gives them the Holy Spirit. Some of the Gospels wait 50 days until Pentecost to give the Holy Spirit, but for John it doesn't wait. The disciples need this power now. How will they go out and wash feet, by what authority and power? What will help them overcome their fear? The Holy Spirit will empower them to do what they need to do and say what they need to say.
If we weren't sure this story was a continuation of the one before, we have the evidence of the crucifixion in Jesus' hands and side. Jesus' wounds remain. His flesh is torn. He's not all prettied up. He still has holes in his body from what was done to him.
Unlike Thomas, we don’t see Jesus hands and side, but we get to witness people’s scars, the evidence of the violence of this world, the proof of the battles people have fought, the proof of vulnerability that people carry, and proof of their resilience. We don’t go into the world to present a perfect image or be our Easter best, but we go out, hurting and flawed, marked by our lives so far, to bear witness to the world’s pain and woundedness, to see Jesus in our neighbors and to bring the blessing of Jesus and receive the blessing of Jesus.
Today is the second Sunday of Easter. Easter continues. It is the continuation of what has come before, Jesus’ ministry, God’s love making an impact on people who need it most. The disciples are holding the fear from all the scary and surprising things that have happened and they hold it together with joy, because now they are back with Jesus again, and not only has their friend returned, he wishes them peace, he asks them to forgive as he forgives, he empowers them to do the work that he has been doing and he sends them out.
Something about forgiveness, Jesus tells them “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any they are retained.” Jesus has just literally taught them the Lord’s prayer that says, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” a plea to God that we would treat others how God has treated us, with forgiveness. Now Jesus stands before those who have betrayed and denied him and offers them his peace, twice. He is forgiving them even as he tells them that their forgiveness or lack there of to others has a lasting impact. Really, there is no retaining sins, since Jesus does not retain their sins in this moment. Because Jesus can forgive even these sins that the disciples have committed leading to Jesus’ death, and we are given the Holy Spirit, forgiving is at least part of the work we are sent out to do. Forgiveness is the only option.
I also want to highlight the mix of emotions. The disciples are fearful and joyful at the same time. They are hurting and they are receiving peace. I’m still reeling from our losses at Trinity since Christmas, several dear pillars have died, people who worshipped and served God at Trinity for a great many years, people who volunteered weekly, answered phones, attended Bible Study, made beautiful music to God, bumped Koni’s arm on the way up to communion. Then add to that several close family of our Trinity friends have also died, mothers, brothers, uncles, cousins, and good friends. We are carrying a lot of loss and we have a lot of feelings around that. Life is different without these friends and family, co-workers with us in the Kingdom of God. We may be sad, fearful, frustrated, or numb. And at the same time, we carry this joy. We know that Christ Is Raised and dies no more. We know the end of the story is that Jesus’ love wins the day. Sometimes I can’t believe the complexity of emotions. I’m watching pictures of the earth setting on the moon and feeling awe at the same time bombs are dropping on Lebanon and people are dying. We hold all these complex realities together including our own questioning whether we are doing enough in the face of all that is wrong with our world.
Wherever we are stuck, Jesus breaks down walls and doors and comes to us. He doesn’t let us stay there, but sends us out. He doesn’t let us avert our eyes, but shows us his wounds and asks us to tend to the wounds of the world. Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit that we can take all these emotions we carry and still carry the dream of God of forgiveness and nonviolence, and reconciliation and love. People have just this week orbited the moon and God this week has brought resurrection new life. Now we all find ourselves blessed and ready to do the work ahead.
And as for all the things that Jesus has done after he rose from the dead. The scriptures simply say many other things were done that were not written in this book. So we get to look around for signs of Jesus’ resurrection and we do see them in nature, in each other, in people forgiving each other, in people being humble, in leaders putting the needs of the poor ahead of their own ambitions, even in the sound of running feet at church. We know God is with us, that God is powerful and merciful, and we know that blessing first hand that Jesus offers which is what brings us here to praise God’s name and to go out empowered to see and witness to the resurrection everywhere around us.
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