Easter II                                                    Seminarian David Dill John 20:19-31                                            April 15, 2007

                                                                Solemn Mass 

If you've been living out the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus and been on the long journey of Lent to Easter

then you are tired!

 

Even if you have traveled the stations of the cross year after year

and celebrated the Easter vigil

or the beautiful celebration of Easter that we had here last Sunday

Even if you know how this story turns out

you are tired.

 

the continuation of the text this Sunday from last weeks lectionary has to be one of the great cliffhangers of the church year:

 

the stone has been rolled away!

Jesus is risen and has appeared to Mary Magdalene!

alleluia!

 

the same evening,

the disciples are huddled and fearful as the sun goes down

Mary Magdalene has already come and announced that

the she had seen the Lord.

 

the news Mary Magdalene brings is the center of the Christian story

this is the dying and rising of Jesus Christ.

A risen Christ who returns and moves among the disciples

so that they can see Jesus

in the flesh, and believe

the Easter story is the story of Christ's incredible victory over death,

but when we return to visit the disciples as the sun goes down

on the first day of the week, Sunday

they are more petrified than ever.

 

the disciples respond to Mary's news by circling the wagons,

bolting the doors

pulling up the ladder

for fear that they might be connected with this troublemaking Jesus.

They had to think

they might be next to be crucified.

 

imagine being in that room huddled with your friends

they are scared

and grieving.

unlike us - they didn't know how this was going to turn out.

 

they've got guilt and shame.

already dealing with the first bits of regret

that they abandoned their Master, Jesus at the point of death.

They acted just like he predicted they would.

 

They saw Jesus do eight miracles

and get killed on a cross.

now they hear that he is alive again.

 

no wonder they locked the door.

 

Jesus knows just where to find them

hiding.

 

Thomas wasn't even there.

 

when Jesus (the flesh and blood risen Christ) appears in the house

Thomas misses it.

 

how could he miss it?

John's gospel doesn't tell us why so we are left to wonder…

 

maybe he was off grieving by himself.

just because Jesus has risen from the dead.

doesn't change the fact that it meant goodbye.

 

In the midst of the joy of the triumph over death

There is real grief.

maybe Jesus feels it too.

 

The disciples grieve because its not going to be the same,

They know that now they are going to have to stand on their own two feet.

take over the business

of healing and reconciling-

the same way

Jesus had always done it.

 

they have to learn to listen now

to remember what Jesus said

and what Jesus did

they have to remember to pray

and take care of their life with god

without the hand holding.

 

You can almost hear them saying,

now what was that prayer that he taught us to say….

 

Thomas loved Jesus.

and now Jesus is gone.

 

In his grief, he says, “unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

 

I would have inched by chair closer to Thomas right then.

I would have so admired his courage, his honesty.

I am glad there is a Thomas in this story.

 

We give Thomas gets a bad rap

we call him a doubter but the Gospel doesn't.

it isn't that Thomas is really anymore

of a doubter than any of the rest of the disciples

it is just that he wasn't there the first time!

Everyone else got to see Jesus appear.

 

Maybe Thomas was just someone with an intense hunger to see god.

Who knows where Thomas was

and how he must have felt afterward

to miss it, when Jesus appeared…

 

maybe Thomas was off doing what we are all so good at:

looking for the living among the dead

 

we scan and study boxes full of bones marked Jesus

that just might poke a permanent hole in this resurrection business.

 

we do DNA tests for traces of the risen lord.

to prove that Jesus just died like everyone else.

 

We are all descendants of Thomas

we want answers

and we look for them

in a world haunted by demons of our own making.

 

we want a sign from somewhere of God

and we ignore the signs from everywhere of God.

 

we are so thirsty to see God's face

but we look among the dead.

we argue with each other about what Jesus must have meant

 

in the midst of the very real pain and brokenness of our lives

and our communities

of our churches

we turn and argue

with each other.

 

we stay up nights

worrying

about whatever crucifixions

we can dream up

 

instead of telling resurrection stories

instead of seeing the resurrection

right before our eyes.

 

hear the grace of Jesus Christ:

even when we lock our doors and huddle together

afraid still still

even with the doors locked

Jesus - suddenly breaks into the room and declares “peace be with you”

 

Jesus reveals the truth - the flesh and blood truth

of the victory of life over death

at the moment of no more hope

at the moment of sheer exhaustion

Jesus moves among us

and shows us the very wounds of his hands and side

incredibly

there is new beginning.

 

what are your resurrection stories?

you may not have one

you may have only one

you may be dying to have just one

 

tell your own story of dying

tell your own story of rising

 

and listen to the resurrection stories of others

see the risen Christ in those who are huddled around you

 

if you have ever been a griever,

then you know that a week is a long time.

A week is a long time to miss someone who is gone.

And Jesus appears again on the next Sunday.

comes and offers Thomas the chance to see for himself.

 

Christ draws us out - invites us to participate in the dying and rising.

how do you respond to the invitation to new life?

can you believe it?

how much resurrection can you stand?

 

tell of your moments in the brief and blinding light of the resurrection

 

maybe you don't feel like you've gotten any

maybe you didn't know to look!

maybe you feel like you've missed something - like Thomas

 

we come back week after week

to huddle together

and remind each other of this story that we find so hard to believe.

the story

of this Jesus who rose

and who even offers to come over and let us put our hands on the reality of his wounded body.

we need to remind one another of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

 

The temptation after Easter is to let the darkness close back in over us.

To return to business as usual.

On this rainy Sunday after the great festival of Easter

we are all huddled together after the great events of the passion

and we are tired

and wondering what's next?

and if we can really believe what we saw?

if we can really believe the rich inheritance that has been given to us.

 

after the blinding flash of the Resurrection

there is Jesus willing to offer Thomas another look if that is what he needs.

another proof of the physical reality of Jesus'death and resurrection,

he shows Thomas -

more than anything else, Jesus wants these beloved to believe.

He is risen and he shows himself.

 

Jesus comes to us

again and again

something about our human selves

need to get told over and over

the old story

 

we need to get reminded

again and again

He is Risen!

Come and see!

 

Thomas - do you still not believe?

Jesus does not dismiss him -