Hope Revealed: A Sermon for the 6th Sunday of Easter

Grace, peace, and mercy are yours from the Triune God. Amen.

 

Peter is probably the most celebrated of all Jesus’ disciples. He is always listed first among the twelve, he features prominently in many Gospel stories, and he becomes the cornerstone of the post-Easter church.

 

Peter was ultimately martyred in Rome under the emperor Nero. Nero was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. He is best known for his political murders and a passion for music that led to the rumor that Nero “fiddled” while Rome burned during the great fire of 64 CE. Nero was also a persecutor of Christians. When Peter wrote the words “always be ready with an answer”, it was a very dangerous time to be a Christian, as Nero liked to blame everything that went wrong in the Roman Empire on the followers of Christ.

 

Over the last few weeks, we have been reading from Peter’s first letter. Peter’s audience was Gentile Christians in Asia Minor (a geographic region located in the south-western part of Asia comprising most of present-day Turkey) who were suffering for their faith. The letter was meant to provide them encouragement from someone who knows a bit about suffering and who can testify to them about God’s grace. Peter pressed this community to remain steadfast in living honourably and ethically in spite of hostility from unbelievers.

 

Throughout the letter, Peter offers suggestions that might help make life for bearable for his readers. Specifically in today’s reading, Peter tells his readers that they should be ready to give a defense of the gospel that sustains them, that they must show that they are different in a positive way, that they should concentrate on conducting themselves honourably, so that those who ridicule them will see their honourable deeds and be put to shame, (or possibly converted).

 

Peter wanted his audience to remain faithful to Christ even in the face of pressures to conform to the larger world’s social and religious values. He asked his readers to have courage, to have compassion and gentleness and respect for their assailants, to live lives beyond reproach, to follow the teachings of Jesus, and to love their enemies to the point of death. Those oppressed by the empire were encouraged to respond to their persecution by imitating Christ. By saying “always be ready for an answer”, Peter was urging his readers to fearlessly defend hope, the hope given to us in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the hope given to us through the eternal love of God.

 

Peter knew that his people would be questioned about the way they were acting. He knew that they would be subject to interrogation about their unconventional lives. But shouldn’t our lives inspire others to ask questions? Christians are called to live just lives that are above reproach. How we live becomes our best defense against those are questioning us. Few among us live under the threat of death, but if we seek to live out our faith in the world, we may indeed encounter systems that oppose our witness. We may not be being persecuted as Peter’s readers were in 1^st century Rome, but there are likely those of us out there who have been questioned by friends, family, and maybe even strangers about why we believe in God, why we believe in Jesus, why we are Christian.

 

How do you respond when someone asks you about being a Christian? Do you become apologetic? Defensive? Do you run away from the conversation? We don’t need to have all the answers. But we need to be willing to talk about it. With each other, with friends and family, with anyone who asks us the question. Having the answer to every question doesn’t prove why we are Christian. Living our life the way Jesus taught us shows others why we are Christian.

 

Our confidence and trust in God’s absolute love for us is revealed through our actions toward others. If we work for justice, if we are doing what is right, we can be sure that our lives are in God’s hands, and that God will have the last word. Christ walks with us in our daily lives. He has already won the victory. Our task is to remain faithful and wait for God’s triumph to be revealed to the world. The author of 1^st Peter encourages his audience, and all of us, to maintain this faithfulness. No matter what trials we may endure we are not to be intimidated. We trust that Jesus lived and died for all of us.

 

We see this faithfulness also in John’s words of hope. Jesus comforts his disciples with words of promise. Once they no longer see Jesus in physical form, he will always be with his disciples through their faith. Jesus’ address in the original Greek is in the plural, meaning that he is encouraging his disciples of every age as a community, to know they will never be alone. Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit will be with them always. “You will know that I am in God, and you in me, and I in you.” This is a comfort to all of us who are challenged with the struggles in this world. For we have that divine presence in us as well. All who are willing to trust in Christ, even though he is not physically present, will be saved and embraced by the loving arms of God. Whatever struggles we face, our triune God is with us always. We who share faith and hope in Jesus Christ are assured of being welcomed into this continual ever flowing dance with the divine.

 

And that is good news indeed. Amen.

To God, We Are Family: A Sermon for the 4th Sunday of Easter

Photo Credit: Jay Moon on pexels.com

Grace, peace, and mercy are yours from the Triune God. Amen.

 

Psalm 23 is one of the most famous psalms in the world. Many people, of all walks of life, at one time or another, have heard this psalm read and can usually recite at least one line of the psalm. As Walter Brueggemann states, “The grip it has on biblical spirituality is deep and genuine.”

 

Most people associate the psalm with one common event: a funeral. But there is so much more to this psalm than sadness and death. It is widely considered that David wrote the majority of the psalms, including Psalm 23, as a reflection on events that happened or were happening in his life at the time. Because he grew up a shepherd, many of David’s writings depicted the metaphor of seeing God as a shepherd.

 

The definition of a shepherd's job is to care for his flock, making sure they are safe, nourished, calm, and happy at all times. However, the term “shepherd” has come to be used in a much broader way, describing leadership either of an individual or a group as well as referring to a “king whose task it is to protect and provide for the subjects of the realm.” David tends to use metaphors such as “rock”, “shield”, and “deliverer” but by using “shepherd”, someone who lives with his flock and protects it with his life, David is showing us just how intimate his relationship with God really is. So it is of no surprise that the imagery found in Psalm 23 is rich in metaphor and theology with the predominant metaphor being that of God the shepherd which flows throughout the entire psalm.

 

Most are quite satisfied to interpret this psalm in a way that puts the shepherd as the centre of the imagery. Christians even go as far as to say that the psalm is referring to Jesus, although the Jewish author of the psalter would not have seen it that way at all. However, Psalm 23 can be seen as being written from the vantage point of the sheep, instead of the shepherd.  Examining verses 1 through 3, you can see that David thought of God as his protector, provider, and king and knew that he would want for nothing, that he lacked nothing. David had faith that God would always provide. While a shepherd by trade, he considered himself a sheep to the shepherd God.

 

One of the most famous lines of Psalm 23 is verse 4a: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of death, I fear no evil.” You will often hear this line recited not only at funerals, but also in movies and television shows where the person feels they are about to enter a dark or dangerous time in their life. While normally associated with the hidden powers of death, verse 4 is imagery that turns away from the sheep and towards that of a traveller in a place where the roads were unsafe, perhaps either literally or metaphorically. While God doesn’t promise an easy life empty of suffering or trials, God does promise to walk with us during troubled times, providing comfort, courage, and strength. Despite being hunted by Saul, being a womanizer, and being an all-around sinner, David is convinced that the presence of God is enough to get him through all of his trials and tribulations.

 

While it is quite common to say that the shepherd metaphor flows through the entire psalm, many scholars believe that in the final part of the psalm, verses 5 to 6, the image of God the shepherd switches to the image of God the host and giver of hospitality. No greater security or comfort could be obtained by a traveler in the ancient Near East than to be offered the hospitality of a home. Not only was there shelter and food, but there was also protection. By preparing a table in front of David’s enemies, God was publicly announcing that no harm can come to David.

 

Psalm 23 is a very deep and powerful message about David’s trust and faith in God. It is loaded with theology, imagery, and metaphor. So why then do we always associate the psalm with death? Why is it such a popular piece of text even to the secular world? As it turns out, the popularity of Psalm 23 is a relatively new concept, largely influenced by the Protestant imprint on North American culture. Throughout the 19^th century, Psalm 23 became synonymous with North American views of death but prior to that, the psalm was not often seen, heard, or discussed. Sunday school literature often discussed death with reminders of discipleship in order to gain a good death. But Psalm 23 was not to be found. The Book of Common Prayer did not have Psalm 23 as a funeral psalm, instead listing Psalm 39 and 90. As well, prior to the Civil War, Psalm 23 was not part of popular culture such as deathbed scenes in novels. It wasn’t until two decades after the war that Psalm 23 began to show up in secular culture.

 

Today, Psalm 23 is firmly imbedded into our culture. Even those parents with a looser hold on their Christian beliefs will teach their children the Lord’s Prayer and Psalm 23 in what has been called a “double summary of faith.”  Books, movies, songs, hymns, greeting cards, and wall plaques have immortalized this song of praise ahead of others in the collection of 150 psalms. It is short and easy for people to memorize and there are plenty of feel-good messages that can be pulled from the psalm. One message contained in the first three verses is one of affirmation of God’s continued trustworthiness to provide for our growth, health, and protection. The Valley of the Shadow of Death could mean either a literal road that may contain dangers or a metaphorical road full of life and death moments that occur in our lives. In either case, the psalmist wants us to know that God will keep us safe not by deflecting trouble from our paths but instead by journeying with us. The second half of the psalm has an overlying message of faith, trust, and the promise of everlasting life. A banquet set in front of your enemies shows faith in God’s protection and that by staying with God, a person will experience all of God’s love and mercy for all eternity.

 

Ultimately, when you sit back and listen to Psalm 23, you can find comfort in the shepherd imagery, knowing that if you stay with God the shepherd you will be forever safe. Shepherds are tasked with taking care of large herds of sheep, of making sure they stay alive, are fed, and are brought safely to their place of grazing, and them home again, of course. And, if even one sheep wanders off and gets lost, the shepherd will go and find that one sheep, trusting that the herd will take care of themselves for a few moments. To the shepherd, the sheep are family. The image of the shepherd can be used to describe our relationship with God. God tends to all people, cares for us, makes sure we have what we need, ensures we know we are loved, and will find us if we get lost. To God, we are family.

 

And that is good news, indeed. Amen.

Everybody Doubts: A Sermon for the 2nd Sunday of Easter

O God, may the finger of your Spirit stir through the clutter of my words to point to a new understanding. Amen.

 

Today’s reading is one of four post-resurrection stories in the Gospel of John. The first is the Easter morning narrative, in which Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb and finds the stone removed. She notifies Peter and the Beloved Disciple, who then come but leave for their homes. The second story in John’s Gospel relates the appearance of the risen Jesus to Mary Magdalene. Those two scenes take up the first 18 verses in chapter 20.

 

The next two stories make up the reading for today. The first takes place with the disciples gathered at a house in the evening of Easter Day in or near Jerusalem, and there is an appearance of Jesus to his disciples, when Thomas is absent. The second narrates an appearance of Jesus to his disciples a week later when Thomas is present. No explanation is given for the gathering of the disciples but the reason for the disciples to meet behind locked doors is fear. They’re hiding out because the person they thought would save them has died and they’re sure their number is up next. They’re lost and they don’t know what to do now.

 

Jesus appears in the midst of the disciples and gives them the common Jewish greeting: “Peace” (or “Shalom”). He identifies himself by showing his hands and side. The reaction of the disciples is one of rejoicing. A commissioning follows. Jesus says that he had been sent by God, which leads into the “Johannine Pentecost”. According to the Fourth Evangelist, the gift of the Spirit was bestowed on the evening of Easter Day itself, not on Pentecost some seven weeks later, as others have it. The disciples are immediately commissioned and given the Spirit as a power that will enable them to witness to Christ. Then the authorization to forgive sins completes the series of events on Easter Day.

 

All of these events are quite important, but it is the next scene that I’d like to focus on today. The scene that opens with the disciples gathered again in the house on the following Sunday, but this time Thomas is present. After Jesus first appeared to the disciples, they told an absent Thomas that they had seen the risen Lord. Thomas was emphatic about not believing unless he had the same experience. When Jesus later comes again to the house where the disciples were hiding, he invites Thomas to see and touch the wounds in his hands and side. He does not humiliate Thomas but gives him what he needs. Thomas confesses: “My Lord and my God!”

 

The final verse of the scene is a bit tricky. Jesus’ lays out a final beatitude, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” Is Jesus rebuking Thomas for not believing without seeing?

 

But Thomas didn’t doubt Christ, he doubted his followers. He doubted those that gave witness to the risen Christ, perhaps because they showed no evidence. Thomas gets a lot of flak for doubting Jesus’ return, but the rest of the disciples were no different. They didn’t believe Mary when she announced that she had seen Jesus. Instead, two of them ran to the tomb to see it with their own eyes. They didn’t believe Jesus when he appeared to them in the room. They needed him to show his scars. Even after encountering the risen Christ, they were locking themselves in a room. Is there any wonder that Thomas didn’t believe them? He had to ask questions; he had to make sure. So, is Thomas really all that different from the rest of the disciples?

 

John doesn’t say why Thomas isn’t in the room for the initial appearance of Jesus. It is assumed that Thomas was a doubter and lost his faith when Jesus died on the cross. But put yourself in Thomas’ shoes. How would you feel after watching your teacher, mentor, friend die such a gruesome death? Maybe Thomas preferred to grieve alone so chose not to go to the upper room with the rest of the guys? What if Thomas, after watching Jesus die on the cross, wasn’t in the room with the others because he had already gone back to his life? Does that make Thomas a doubter, or a realist? Thomas has been told by Jesus himself that by seeing Jesus he has seen God. So, when the disciples tell him three days after the crucifixion that they have seen Jesus alive, is it any wonder he wants to see for himself?

 

He knows what seeing Jesus means. Seeing Jesus means seeing God. Ah, yes, you might say, but he doesn't just want to see him, he says he will not believe until he does see him. But, here again, we see Thomas actually being faithful to Jesus. Because Jesus has told the disciples, "Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, 'I am he!' and 'The time is near!' Do not go after them." (Luke 21:8). Thomas will not be led astray. He's going to test. He must see for himself. After all, seeing is believing. He must ask questions; he must make sure. Ultimately, Thomas is both the one who sees and believes that Jesus has risen and the one who has not seen, but believes beyond seeing that Jesus is Lord.

 

I can relate to Thomas. I am a questioner, a doubter. My path to standing here today is full of doubt, and questions, and searching. I have never stopped asking questions. Does that make me less faithful to Christ, to God? Some might say so, but Jesus himself tells us to not accept things on blind faith. Truly, doubt is the pathway to faith. When we doubt, we probe, question, and search. Perhaps Thomas started with doubt, but he ended with the greatest testimony of the disciples, “My Lord and my God!”

 

In Thomas, we see the pattern of Christian evangelism established from the beginning of John’s Gospel. One person encounters Jesus. Then they share their experience with the next person, who may express some reluctance. Then that person experiences Jesus on their own and becomes convinced about him and then shares the news about Jesus with the next person. Andrew tells Peter. Philip tells Nathanael. The Samaritan woman tells the townspeople. “Come and See” is the refrain.

 

With respect to the witness of the resurrected Jesus, Mary Magdalene starts it off. She encounters Jesus, shares the news; the others don’t really buy it until they have their own experiences so that they can own the experience. They become convinced and then share it with Thomas. Like the other disciples, Thomas doesn’t come to the fullest faith until he has his own experience. Then the story moves through the chain, and you and I are up next.

 

Thomas makes his confession and, through this text, testifies to us. Now what will we do? Will we hang in there with some level of interest and commitment until we encounter Jesus in a way that moves us to the next level? What evidence do we use to show that there is a risen Christ? If all we do is lock ourselves in rooms (sanctuaries, churches, institutions), then why would anyone believe that we have been changed by a miraculous experience? Do we actually believe that Jesus breathes the Spirit into us, asking to work on being disciples ourselves and then going into the world to talk about the faith and life we have in Christ? Or do we prefer to sit in our locked rooms commiserating about what used to be? If nothing else, I hope that the story of Thomas shows us that Jesus’ plan is not for us to sit in a locked room by ourselves.

 

In the end, it’s not Thomas’s doubting that matters; it’s his believing. Everybody doubts; not everyone believes. Jesus addresses us who have not been eyewitnesses to the resurrection. We are also blessed when we believe. As John affirms, the whole of the gospel is given to us to help us believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and to have new life in his name. If we are unable to talk openly and clearly about the life Christ has called us to, then we will never be able to share that message with friends, family, neighbours, and others that we meet each day. We will be less likely to believe the promise of new life that Jesus gives us. And we will be unable to share with others why our faith is meaningful to us.

 

A life of discipleship calls us to our own spiritual growth, but also to sharing that faith. We need to unlock the doors and stop hiding in familiar spaces hoping the rest of the world won’t bother us. If we take resurrection seriously, then we need to boldly and faithfully walk into the world knowing that God is waiting for us, working with us, and blessing us as we minister to all of God’s creation. And we need to trust in the promise that God has already brought us into a new life.

 

I pray that we become a believing Thomas. That while we may start in doubt, we become awestruck and moved to proclaim to world “My Lord and my God!”

 

Amen