|
April 11, l999
MISSING JESUS (John 20:19-31)
Thomas missed Jesus. He was absent from Jerusalem at
the end, thus missing Jesus’ first Resurrection
appearances.
There are many ways to miss Jesus. So many are never
even introduced to him. I missed Jesus completely until I
was a teenager when I finally met him. The meeting was
casual by way of a few sentimental hymns about Jesus at
Sunday night youth fellowship. But it was a meeting, and
it must have counted, because here I am nearly 50 years
later counting myself a friend of Jesus.
Many are introduced to Jesus but something goes wrong
in the friendship. The Rev. Susan Andrews, writing in a
recent Christian Century article, says that even though
raised in a family and church steeped in Christian
tradition, she always seemed, like Thomas, to be absent
when Jesus arrived. Why? She writes "because the
absurdity of the resurrection rumor had sent me away. I
could not see the mark on Jesus’ hands or touch the
wound in his side. So I moved down the street to the
Unitarians. Their faith made sense, with its distant and
daring God. Its passionate witness for justice, its bold
support for inclusive ministry. Yes, theirs was a doing
faith, a touchable faith, an energetic faith. And I
didn’t have to sit around waiting for a dead God to
reappear."
But then a strange thing happened to Susan Andrews. "I
found myself restless and filled with sadness. I missed
Jesus."
I read this week that Buddhism is the fastest growing
religion in France. Catholic France hasn’t been very
catholic, nor very Christian, for more than a century.
The traditions are around but Jesus is missing so
millions of French have retreated into skepticism or now
try out Buddhism to find solace and salvation.
Doubting Thomas does not shock us, does he? He
resembles us. Many of us suffer from what might be called
the human wisdom or prejudice, which are often the same.
"Missouri Syndrome." Show me! We are raised to expect
confirmation of our ideas. We are always tempted to
escape from a relationship with God into a debate with
Him. We become so self-preoccupied that we can miss
Jesus.
And churches often don’t help because we have an
institutional way of hiding Jesus. We say Jesus is love
but often congregations are loveless. We say Jesus is
liberating truth but how often do churches deny His truth
to cling to human wisdom and prejudice, which are often
the same.
It’s common enough for churches to host
Alcoholics Anonymous and Addicts Anonymous, and now that
we have our church office I hope that we can host one of
the l2 step groups. But it would equally constructive for
churches to sponsor Fundamentalists Anonymous and try and
help the many who have been deeply wounded by rejection,
ignorance and judgement through the churches in which
they were raised. Instead of those who have been wounded
going to the Unitarians and the Buddhists or becoming
spiritual drop outs, we might help to reintroduce them to
Jesus so they can move toward forgiveness toward those
who have hurt them.
The prayer of St. Francis, "where there is injury let
me sow pardon" works with Alcoholics Anonymous and with
Fundamentalists Anonymous.
*****
Of this I am sure, Jesus can be ignored and seemingly
forgotten but he keeps coming back. History informs us of
his survivability. Jesus came through the first
millennium despite all the historical forces that aimed
to destroy him. Powerful forces like Islam and the
European nation states. Jesus has survived this second
millennium despite all the forces - rationalism,
scientism, totalitarianisms, and hateful schisms among
Christians and in the Church itself - which should have
driven him in despair away from us.
But Jesus keeps coming back, passing as in John 20
through doors and walls closed to him and presenting his
person before those who doubt or have forgotten him.
He appears especially when we most need to meet him.
It must have something to do with those wounds in his
hands and side which he still had when he appeared to
Thomas. When we are fretting, he is with us to say fret
not because God loves you. When we are faint in body or
faith, he comes to say God is holding you up. When we are
afraid, he comes around to say fear not because God keeps
you and as proof I am with you.
And the comfort of his unseen presence is real just
because he is risen but still bears his wounds to share
with our wounds.
Of course, we have to accept the fact that we do not
see Jesus in the flesh this Sunday or any other time.
Although we don’t see him in the flesh, he is here
nonetheless. When we gather for worship, true to his
promise, Jesus is here in the midst of us. Every Sunday
is Easter. Jesus wants to bless us in worship and at
other times. When we call upon Jesus to be with us, we
shall have the blessing of the Holy Spirit with us. Jesus
breathedthe holy spirit into his followers at John’s
Pentecost. It is the same Jesus who gives us the Spirit
this morning to do whatever the Spirit will do. For some
it may a quiet presence; for others it may stir up; for
some the Spirit reassure; for others it may disturb.
Imagine Jesus breathing into your lungs the Spirit,
just as we have an image of the Creator breathing life
into the first humans. The breath of Jesus fills us with
the Spirit of life. We discover we are a new creation
each week filled with new life from God. As we worship we
are bold to expect to feel Jesus breathing the Spirit
into us, until the Spirit fills this entire place,
creating a sacred space for our renewal.
In First Peter the apostle tells us in Jesus we have
an "IMPERISHABLE, UNDEFILED AND UNFADING" inheritance. He
is our living hope that keeps appearing in the locked
corners of this defiled world. Have you had that
startling experience of Jesus coming to you as he did to
the disciples and breathing on you. I have. It is
startling and it is inspiring to go and be hope for
others. Peter continues: 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.
Like Thomas and the disciples, when we sense the
presence of Jesus beginning to shine forth in our
gathering, our frailties lessen because together we
become the body of Christ in the world. As we experience
God we can become what we can never be alone…the
people who keep meeting Jesus again and again and are
filled with Easter hope.
Pastor Gene Preston
Archives: Sermon
Texts
|