Sermons

April 2002 (click here to return to "April 2002 Sermons" page)

2nd Sunday of Easter (April 7, 2002)

"Have You Seen the Risen Christ?" Phyllis Danhof Speck

Texts: John 20:19-31, Acts 2:14a, 22-32, I Peter 1:3-9

SERMON

(Sermon Sentence: We experience indescribable and glorious joy, as the apostles did, as we see the risen Christ through the gift of faith by identifying and participating in the pain, grief, distress, sorrow and sadness of the world Christ came to save.)

Believe it or not, Easter is not over. For us who follow the church calendar Easter Sunday, one week ago, began a 7-week period of sustained reflection and celebration concerning Jesus’ resurrection and the implications of the resurrection for the human community. You will notice that our bulletin doesn’t say, “The Second Sunday after Easter. Rather, it says The Second Sunday of Easter. This 7-week period of Easter ends on the Day of Pentecost when we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, the folks who only attend church on Easter Sunday, and who think Easter is over, will miss the major part of the church’s Easter celebration.

The gospel reading for today begins on Easter Sunday evening. We find ten of the twelve disciples in the house where they were meeting. It is Easter Sunday evening. Judas Iscariot of course had died, and Thomas was not with them. The doors were locked, and the disciples were cowering in fear. The disciples were afraid of the Jewish authorities, perhaps because the disciples believed that they would be accused of making off with the body of Jesus. Of the ten disciples there, only John, the writer of this gospel, believed the report of Mary Magdalene and the other women that Jesus had risen from the dead. John believed when he saw the empty tomb.

Even though the doors were locked, Jesus miraculously stood among them and said, “Peace be with you,” a greeting Jesus often used and appears three times in our short gospel reading. When Jesus showed the disciples his hands and his side, they recognized him and they rejoiced. Jesus has serious business to conduct. He breathed on the disciples the power of the Holy Spirit, and commissioned them as apostles of God the Father. John indicated that the power of Jesus to forgive or retain sins was extended to the church as part of being sent out as an apostle.

There are several curiosities in this gospel writing. First of all, there are two Greek verbs used here that translate as “see” in English. In Greek, one of the verbs to see means to understand, or to discern clearly mentally. Our word Eureka, used by successful gold prospectors, came from that verb. The other Greek verb to see means to see with the eyes. So, as we mentioned, when the disciples recognized Jesus when he appeared before them the first time, they saw Jesus with their eyes. But when later the disciples saw Thomas and told him, “We have seen the Lord,” the first Greek verb applies, “Eureka, can you believe it? Guess what we found! We have not only seen the Lord with our eyes, but we now understand and firmly believe that the risen Jesus is the Messiah.”

Thomas would have none of this, Greek verbs or no Greek verbs. Thomas’ reply to their message was, “Unless I see with my eyes 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.”

Thomas’ 2,000 year old reputation as a doubter always reminds me of a maid our family had when we lived in Atlanta. Mary was a jewel, not very well read, but she was a real treasure. Often when I came home from work I would share with Mary a bit of sensational news I heard on the car radio. When I finished, Mary would stare at me in disbelief. She would straighten up, put her hands on her hips, and repeat in a higher than usual voice, “Ma’am, yo jes hesh yo mouf. Yo jes hesh yo mouf.

Now our Thomas was not a bad disciple. In fact, in an earlier passage, Thomas showed considerable courage when Jesus was telling the disciples that their friend Lazarus had died and that he was going to awaken him. Thomas reply was, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” And on another occasion Thomas displayed considerable theological curiosity. In John 14, Jesus says these words that are so familiar to us, “In my Father’s house are many mansion….where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”

John continues his chapter with the appearances of the risen Christ. John is the only gospel writer who wrote about Thomas’ initial disbelief of the resurrection. But, the week after Jesus’ first appearance to the ten disciples, the disciples were again in the house. This time Thomas was with them. Again the doors were shut and Jesus made a second appearance. He scientifically unexplainably stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Jesus then addressed Thomas directly and invited Thomas to touch Jesus hands and his side. The English translation of Jesus’ words to Thomas that we have grown up with is misleading. English translations say that Jesus said to Thomas, “Do not doubt but believe.” The original Greek does not say anything about ‘doubt.” Jesus’ words in the original language are clear, “Do not be faithless, but faithful.” In response to Jesus’ invitation to Thomas to touch the wounds, Thomas responded with one of the most passionate testimonies found in the New Testament. Thomas answered , “My Lord and my God!” If we may use the Greek verbs instead of the English words, Jesus then said to Thomas, “Have you believed because you have discerned or understood me? Blessed are those who have not seen with their eyes and yet have come to believe.”

Another curiosity in John Chapter 20 is the occurrence of doubles or twos. In the first part of the chapter that narrates last Sunday’s Easter Morning story, there are two narratives: First, the story of how Peter and John rushed to the empty tomb after Mary Magdalene discovered that the body of Jesus was missing. The second story relates how Mary Magdalene through her tears didn’t recognize Jesus in the garden. She thought Jesus was the gardener, until Jesus called her name, “Mary!” In our gospel reading for today, there are also two stories: Jesus first appearance before the ten disciples, and Jesus second appearance before the ten disciples and Thomas. Another “two” in this passage is Thomas himself, who was a twin. Thomas was called Thomas Didymus, which means Thomas the Twin. The Bible doesn’t tells us the name of the other twin

It is interesting the way John’s stories tell four different ways in which people came to recognize Jesus as the risen Messiah:

1. On Easter Morning, John believed when he saw the empty tomb. Peter was with John, but there is no mention of Peter’s reaction.

2. Mary Magdalene recognized Jesus when he called her name, “Mary.”

3. The ten disciples believed in the locked room during Jesus’ first appearance when he showed them and they saw with their eyes his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced and later told Thomas, “Eureka! We have seen, or discerned, or found the Lord.”

4. Thomas believed when Jesus invited Thomas to touch and see the wounds. Thomas answered, “My Lord and my God!”

All this rejoicing about the risen Messiah would be a good way to conclude this morning. But we cannot ignore the other scripture readings for today. Peter affirms that we rejoice and we do have a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. But he adds that in this life the genuineness of our faith is strengthened as we have to “suffer various trials.” The resurrection means that with the apostles we experience a totally new life that is laced with joy, as well as with sorrow, distress, pain, and sadness. Peter says that in spite of this downside, our faith “may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

The Psalmist warns that to choose another god, with a small “g,” may multiply our sorrows, but in God’s presence, with a capital “G”, there is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore.

Have you seen the risen Christ? Where have you seen him? At the empty tomb? When he called your name in baptism and sent you into the world as an apostle: Anna, JoAnne, Beverly, Charles, Tom, Beans? Was it when Jesus showed you the sufferings of the world he endured, as it is written in scripture? Do you see Jesus the Messiah when he shows you the distresses and suffering of the world you see around you in the year 2002?

Let me tell you a little more about my maid Mary. It was in 1975. Mary worked by the day for those eight families of us that lived on a cul-de-sac of 5 bedroom houses with three car garages and swimming pools in the backyards. My neighbor bought a new Cadillac everytime the battery died on the older one. In 1975 the U.S. Congress that passed a law that opened up the Social Security program to maids who worked independently in private homes. Some of my neighbors were outraged. They were suffering and distressed. The new legislation meant that we employers of Mary would have to contribute 5.5% of Mary’s quarterly wages to the SSA. It also meant that Mary would have to contribute a like amount to the SSA, and thus reduce her meager take home pay. Of course, the plus side was that for the first time, Mary and other maids would be able to collect monthly Social Security benefits when they were too old to work. My immediate neighbor with the three Cadillacs parked in her driveway (one with a dead battery), called a meeting of those who lived on the cul-de-sac. “We need to band together,” she said. For heaven’s sake, don’t tell Mary that she is eligible to participate in Social Security. I absolutely refuse to pay any attention to the new law! How many of you are with me?” Well, all of the cul-de-sac matrons raised their hands in support of ignoring the new law, except Helen and me. I was the youngest in the neighborhood, and I was squirming in my chair. Gathering up a little nerve, I assumed my usual role of legalistic Pharisee Phyllis, and said quietly, “I intend to obey the law. I will pay the employer’s 5.5% to the SSA.” I then proceeded to smugly lean back in my chair. After a little pause, Helen spoke. Helen was the mousey lady who lived in the ninth smaller, older house where our cul-de-sac joined the through street. Her house face the through street. She didn’t have a swimming pool. Helen’s words were barely audible but firm, “I have decided to pay the entire 11% to the SSA to cover my part and Mary’s part.” Now, here’s a quiz question for you. Who was it that experienced the most joy of Easter? Was it those who ignored the law, was it Pharisee Phyllis who obeyed the letter of the law, or was it Helen who laid herself aside for the sake of another?

We know it was Jesus Christ who suffered, died, arose, and sends us out as his apostles to proclaim the joy of Easter through word and deed to a suffering world. Maybe each of us can assume the role of the Apostle Thomas’s unnamed twin. It is true, that the joy of Easter includes some temporary suffering and the dying of self. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen me with their eyes and yet have come to believe.” John said he wrote these things that we may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing with our whole beings we may have life in his name here and now----and also when he comes again. Eureka! We shall see him face to face, and we shall understand forever the outcome of our faith, the salvation of our souls.

All praise, honor, glory, and blessing be to Almighty God, to Jesus Christ, the risen Lord, and to the Holy Spirit. Thanks be to God. Amen.