In der Liebe Christi,
Rev. Kurt Hering, Pastor
Trinity Lutheran Church
Layton, UT
He is risen! He is risen indeed!
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God the Father and Christ Jesus, our
Lord.
The first words spoken at any meeting are important - perhaps the most
important words that will be heard. They set the tone for the meeting, they
tell the participants what to expect, when spoken well they offer in a
succinct way what will be delivered, examined or discussed in the rest of
the meeting, they establish who is in charge and the relationship between
that authority figure and those gathered for the meeting. This never more
true than when the meeting is unplanned or unexpected.
You've all been there. You get to work/school Monday morning and the boss
calls you into his office.
What words will you hear first? "Late again I see." or "That sure was some
great work you did last week."
You get home after a long day at work, a business trip or running errands
all day - what words will you hear first? "Honey, we have to talk." or "I
sure missed you dear."
You go to school and the teacher calls you to the front of the room or tells
you the principal wants to speak with you - what words will you hear first?
"Well, you are getting an F." or "You are graduating at the head of your
class."
The first words said in these situations, or the silent stares and body
language, can make or break your day, your week -- sometimes it seems even
your life.
So let us look at this surprise meeting of Jesus and His disciples:
"On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were
together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews."
Why are the disciples are gathered? They feared for their lives. Look what
had happened to their Jesus. Would it happen to them as well? The women had
told them that Jesus had risen from the dead. But they had not seen Him and
as we heard at the end of last week's Gospel they thought such talk of
resurrection was nonsense.
Then -- even as they huddled behind locked doors which at least would give
them some protection or at least provided a barrier which if breeched would
give them some kind of warning to be ready for those coming after them - all
of a sudden Jesus is standing right there among them. Talk about your
unexpected meetings. Think of all the things that must or could have been
racing through their minds at the time.
And Jesus says, "'Peace be with you!' After he said this, he showed them his
hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord."
What relief! No wonder the were overjoyed.
But think for a moment their reaction if Jesus had spoken differently. What
if Jesus had said simply, "What are you doing here?"
Or even if He had said nothing, but just stared at them shaking His head and
let the disciples be the first to speak?
Do you think they would have been overjoyed then? Think of the excuses.
"How could we know you were God, you died!"
"Look at all the things I did for you when we were traveling together."
"I ran, but at least I didn't deny you like Peter or betray you like Judas."
With these simple words, "Peace be with you!" and with these simple body
actions, "he showed them his hands and side," Jesus set the tone for the
meeting, he told the disciples what to expect, he offered in a succinct way
he came to deliver and would discuss with them, he established who was in
charge and the relationship between him and those gathered.
Having put them at ease, the meeting proceeds and He sends them forth:
"'Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.' And with
that he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive
anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not
forgiven.'"
This is how Jesus speaks to us through His church in our worship service as
well.
After getting tempted and battered on a daily basis by the devil, the world
and our own sinful flesh, after daily sinning as we succumb to those
temptations and batterings, after making all of our own excuses for those
sins -
"How could we know you were God?"
"Look at all the trouble in the world - in my world!"
"Look at all the good things I did for you this week."
"I ignored your Word, but at least I didn't deny you like some or betray you
like others."
After all this, Jesus breaks into our world, he gathers us around His name,
His Word and His sacrament - around himself, for he tells us in Matthew
18:20 wherever two or three are gathered in his name "I am there in the
midst of them."
And having gathered us together, the very first words he speaks to us are
words of peace, words that put us at ease. They are the words spoken to us
at our Baptism where Jesus pours His forgiveness over us - "In the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
He continues to speak peace to us as he invites us to confess our sins and
receive His absolution/forgiveness; and as his Word is read from the
Scriptures and preached in the sermon.
Finally, he offers this peace to us in bodily form also, under the bread and
the wine of Holy Communion he doesn't just show us his hands and side he
gives us his very body and blood for the forgiveness of sins and the
strengthening of our faith.
Having done all this to put us at ease and assure us of the peace that he
brings and gives to us He sends us forth with His blessing, "The Lord bless
you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to
you; the Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you peace."
He sends us forth in this peace not to try to please him, not to prove our
love for him, not even to earn heavenly rewards -- for the peace he brings
and gives to us says he is already pleased with us. The peace he brings and
gives to us proves His love for us. The peace he brings and gives to us IS
our heavenly reward.
He sends us forth in this his peace to deliver that peace to the people in
our lives, the bosses and coworkers, the spouses and children, the teachers
and students, the friends and neighbors God has placed in our lives and we
in theirs - that they too might believe that Jesus is the crucified and
risen Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing they too may have life
in His name.
Jesus says to you here this day through the remembrance of your Baptism, the
Word spoken, and His body and blood given to eat and to drink - "Peace be
with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." -- in the name of
the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
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