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Lesson: Acts 4:32-35
Psalm 133
Epistle: 1 John 1:1-2:2
Holy Gospel: John 20:19-31
“Shalom Aleichem.” That is what Jesus said to the disciples on the first day of the week behind closed doors. “Shalom Aleichem,” “Peace to you,” the ordinary street greeting among Jews to this day. The phrase really means more than “Peace to you.” I am told by some Jewish friends that Shalom means more like “things should be for you as they should really be” – if peace, then peace; if sadness, then sadness; if joy, then joy. Life should be real for you, not a fake, not a phony. May you live in reality, not fantasy.
Thomas, on hearing of the resurrection of Jesus, thought the disciples were living in a fantasy. It was not until he encountered the risen Christ himself that Thomas knew their experience to be true. Thomas did not trust his fellows, he did not believe his fellows, he did not have faith in his fellows – all translations of the same words in Greek.
Jesus did not condemn Thomas. Not having faith, not believing, not trusting, none of that received condemnation from Jesus. Jesus just showed up and offered Thomas an opportunity to examine him. The vision itself was enough to convince Thomas that the disciples really had seen Jesus; they had not been lying, but living in reality.
Still we wonder if the story is really true. Certainly it is true that there is an ancient story told by ancient men, but whether the story reflects reality is uncertain for most of us. Resurrection is not resuscitation. Resurrection is a new way of living, a new physical form of living, a transformation life. That stretches the imagination even farther than resuscitation. Resurrection is new life in some kind of physical form. Resurrection is in the category of weird, the strange, the abnormal. Since we have no experience of someone resurrected, and are not likely to this morning or tonight, we have to stop trying to figure out what resurrection is, and start figuring out what resurrection means; to what does resurrection point?
First, resurrection points to the idea that God will not abandon the righteous person to the grave. Resurrection also means that there is life beyond the limits we have imposed on reality; there is a reality of possibilities in the universe that we cannot understand. It means that death has no power over the righteous, so we are free to pursue acts of justice and mercy in the Name of Jesus, in the Name of God, without the fear of dying in the process. We can risk righteousness. It means that the Kingdom of God is superior to the kingdom of the world. God wins, Caesar loses. No amount of money, or education, or won elections, or political power, or military power, or good luck will defeat death – only faith in God, faith in the resurrection of Jesus will defeat death. For those who lead righteous lives, repent of their sins, and start again, there is solid hope that there will be resurrection at the Last Day, the Day of Judgment. Resurrection means that those who have faith, indeed, are children of God, heirs of God’s Kingdom, joint heirs with Christ. It means that we each have a part in the world to come.
But, we argue, there is no guarantee of resurrection. There is no guarantee of our righteousness. Certainty is not a part of faith. Faith means acting out of uncertainty, risking righteous behavior with no guarantee of reward. Faith means acting in the world, doing something, not thinking something.
Acting in faith brings us life, yes. But there is more. Acting in faith brings the light of God into the world, the light of Christ into the world, redeeming the suffering and discord in the kingdom of the world.
If we do not believe in the Resurrection, then, Caesar won on that day of crucifixion, and wins still. It means that all of the righteousness we are taught is false – all of our good deeds, all our good and hopeful thoughts, being kind, helping the poor, etc., the beatitudes are a lie. What counts is power: political, intellectual, military. Righteous needs are worthless. There is no hope for the future. Caesar is king, and not God.
The choice is ours to act in faith in the Resurrection – the Kingdom of God – or faith in Caesar – the kingdom of the world. In this season of the church, we choose faith in the Resurrection. Alleluia! Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
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