4/11 2010 First Sunday after Easter

 

We are so often in a rush to get to the Thomas story that we fail to include the opening section on Spirit, mission, and forgiveness material as resurrection life. Forgiveness brings new life to a relationship threatened with death. Here the church is called to be an  Easter vehicle. If it is functioning as a church court, it can also pass on a death knell for a relationship. When we forgive, we receive the breath of new life. when we forgive or are forgiven, a relationship can breathe again. their souls are given Easter life in forgiveness. Disciple work is the work of the whole church community.

 

Jesus bears his life scars. Jesus is more than a soul or pure spirit. His resurrection body is seen as Jesus, heard as Jesus. Should one explore the scars? In bible Study Thursday, Carol Reger wondered if the scars would be healed at the ascension. The forty days are an interim period. Temple: "The wounds of Christ are his credentials to the suffering race of humanity." Johnson writes that "Jesus bears forever the marks of his wounded humanity." Are they visible marks of the suffering of God for us as well?   (In Habakkuk 2:6) Calvin says that "wherever people cry out for justice, their cries become the very cries of God." Or (Jer. 22:16, "God is known where humanity is cared for."  Promise fulfilled of a spirit-filled life, a life of peace. this is a sign of God in the world. They and we are sent into the world to bear on ourselves, in demonstrating in our lives, the reality of the risen, living, Jesus, to reveal that continuing presence in our lives. Note that 3 times we hear peace be with you. How were the disciples shutting out the fearsome world outside? Were they then locked into their fear?

 

Revelation is presenting us with Easter time, or Communion time, where past, present, and future move together in the Eternal Now.So, time is fluid. We see a bold move where the extension of the divine name in Ex.3:14 covers all time. Jesus is given a series of titles, including the provocative firstborn of the dead. The book of Revelation is directed toward 7 real churches but are they perfect number representatives of all the church? They are in need of Easter life for different reasons, just like any church.

 
Thomas is both disbelieving and believing, his twin sides reflect two sides in us. I do want to emphasize that the word, doubt, does not appear in the Thomas story. Jesus says something on the order of don't be disbelieving or unbelieving but believing. Calvin was most unkind toward Thomas calling him, among other thing, stupid, dull. obstinate, monstrous, arrogant, and contemptous. At no point does Jesus seem angry with Thomas. At no point, is he not a disciple. He, too, is called with us to carry out the minstry of reconciliation. of continuing the work of Jesus in the wolrd.

 

In her comments,Gench reminds us "the same breath that brought Adam to his feet  now send the disciples out the door. Who among us does not have a bit of skepticism in them? Blind faith is gullible faith. We cannot tell people not to ask questions, as that turns faith into propaganda or dogmatic fist pounding. Folks who use the book of Revelation as a cookbook for the future or a codebook for the clever to break bring out the skeptical Thomas side in me. That's a sore point with me. a while a go, we worked with the book the Shack, the symbol of the wound of loss, but god could be found there. We experience Christ in ourselves and others when we are willing to touch the wounds of each others lives, to be agents of healing old wounds.