2nd Sunday after Easter

2nd Sunday After Easter – Year A – Peace be with you

Shalom Chaverim, Shalom chaverim, Shalom, shalom
Lehitraot, lehitraot, Shalom, shalom – or –

Peace brothers until we meet again – a great song to start off our worship this weekend and a greeting with which Jesus starts his visitation to the apostles in the upper room. – “Peace be with you.

Before he says or does anything else, he wishes them peace. He wants them to be in a peaceful state – of mind and body and spirit – before he tries to talk with them. He wants them to be calm, to be settled and to be able to listen, hear and take in what he has to offer them – the Word of God, made flesh and his final gift to them, the Holy Spirit.

The apostles are not in this state of peace from the start. They are frightened, cowering and withdrawn; they are scared and tremulous; they feel unsure and let down. Their world has been turned upside down by their loss, by the death of their Teacher, their Master and Rabbi. They are in a state of fuzz and frazzle and don’t know where to turn or who to turn to.

And then came Jesus to light up their lives, to lighten their loads, to offer them guidance, direction, support and comfort; to give them new purpose, meaning and drive.

I wonder how many of us are in this sate of befuddlement today with all that is going on around us – the isolation from friends and families; the worry and concern about them and our neighbours; the worry and fear about ourselves, our health, our homes and our ability to carry on; the illness or death of a loved one. When you stop and think about our two situations – the apostles then and us today – we are not that different.

But it is whether we are able to say to ourselves - “And then came Jesus” – with any degree of certainty or confidence that matters. At what point have we been able to say that or are we still stuck like they were in our state of frazzle?

We know from our gospel reading today that not everyone was present at this first meeting. Thomas was absent and missed it all and even though he had been with Jesus just as long as everyone else: even though he had been witness to all of the miracles that Jesus had performed and all of his teachings and had had all the same chances and opportunities to grow and strengthen his faith, even with all of this, he was still doubtful and sceptical and I suspect, scared as they had been at the first visit.

He demanded proof. He wanted evidence. He wanted the face to face, body to body opportunity to see and feel for himself that this could be true. In spite of all of his experience with Jesus, his faith, his confidence in him was lacking. He wasn’t sure, or confident enough in his own faith-centre to accept what he was being told and wanted more. He wanted his own personal experience before he would accept that Jesus was alive, risen from the dead.

Again, I wonder if this rings any bells with any of us? Maybe particularly at this time, when faith and confidence and certainty is being questioned and challenged?

At what point are we able to say with faith and confidence – “And then came Jesus.”

And then came Jesus to speak directly to me and to offer me personally his gift of peace.

Peace be with you or as the ancient Jewish greeting is offered either as Hello or as Goodbye – Peace brothers until we meet again.

Thomas had his doubts and his failings as do we all but Jesus loved him all the same. Jesus offered him the evidence he sought and quelled his doubts, his worries and his concerns but at the same time said to him, “You believe because you can see me. Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

We are possibly more like Thomas than the other disciples – I certainly am both in name and in nature. Too many times I get lost in the irrelevant and nonsensical stuff and worry myself silly about them. Too many times I doubt the gifts that God gave me – physical, spiritual, health, family and friends, instead of rejoicing in them; accepting them whole heartedly and giving praise and thanks to God.

At this time of the year, so soon after we have celebrated Easter, we must be able to say to ourselves and to others, “And then came Jesus.” And then came Jesus into my life and he offered me peace. Peace that covered all that I am, all that I have been and all that I ever will or can be if I but believe in him.

Easter is our chance to shout and celebrate that we are saved. That God loves each of us even though we are sinners. That he sent his only Son to save us through his life, death and resurrection and I, we, need to show our love of and for him in how we live our lives. Lives of joy, of faith, of happiness, of confidence and trust and our lives of peace.

Shalom chaverim. Lehitraot. Shalom.

This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made. We will rejoice, we will rejoice and be glad on it and be glad on it.