Reading
for Easter 2A:
John 20:19-31
April 3, 2005
The Rev. Karen Siegfriedt
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino,
CA
Jesus said to his disciples: "Peace be with you." [Jn. 20]
Today's gospel reading has three main sections.
What I would like to do in today's sermon, is to preach about what it means to live wholeheartedly in the resurrection rather than to simply believe in the resurrection from an intellectual point of view. I will begin at the end of today's reading and work my way backwards.
The twentieth chapter of John's gospel begins on "Easter Sunday" with the empty tomb and concludes with a statement about the purpose of the gospel. Let me read that purpose to you: "Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name." [Jn. 20:30-31]
It is quite clear that the gospel does not set out to give us a full account of Jesus' life. It does not follow Jesus from day to day, but is selective. The gospel was not written or meant to be a biography of Jesus. Its aim was not to give information but to give life. The gospel writer has painted a picture of Jesus so that the reader could come to know the power and the grace of God working through Jesus; and that by entering into a similar relationship with God, the reader would also come to experience the same kind of transforming power and grace. When we approach the gospel as a history or a biography, we approach it in the wrong spirit. We must not read the gospel as historians seeking information or scientists seeking physical explanations. We read the gospel as men and women seeking a relationship with God. We read the gospel as men and women seeking abundant life! If we spend too much of our time trying to figure out the scientific explanation or refutation of the resurrection, we will fail miserably and lose out on experiencing the risen Christ in our midst.
When we read the Holy Scriptures as people seeking abundant life, then we are not so troubled with the different accounts among the four gospels, the confusing chronologies, and the somewhat elaborate physical details of Jesus' post-resurrection appearances. Instead, as we enter into the story of Jesus' resurrection, we are moved to ask ourselves: What does it mean to experience the living Christ in my life today? And what impact does that have on the way I look at life in general, the way I vote specifically, and the way I conduct my life overall?
Remember, Jesus was resurrected, not resuscitated. That is why the gospels present Jesus as having a different constitution after his resurrection. In this new state, Jesus was able to go through locked doors. He faded in and out of existence. He was not recognized at first by his disciples on the road to Emmaus and he was only experienced by his closest disciples. According to St. Paul, the resurrected body is a spiritual body, not a physical body as is sometimes elaborated in some of the gospel accounts.
As far as the actual event of the resurrection, I have no reason to doubt the biblical claims that the disciples continued to experience Jesus' presence after his death. This is what moved the disciples from a place of fear and despair to a place of love and hope. Personally, after my mother's death, I continued to experience her presence in a profound way for about a week. I have never had that experience again, even though I have lost many, many, people on this side of the divide. There is a thin line between the physical world and the spiritual world. In some very special cases (especially at higher levels of consciousness and spiritual awareness), this thin line seems to dissolve completely. Whatever the disciples experienced, it was so profound, so real, that it transformed their lives. It is this transformation that is at the core of the gospel proclamation of resurrection- not the specific details.
So what impact does the theology of resurrection have on our lives? Here are a few of my reflections:
1. People who live in hope of resurrection do not desperately cling onto life. Remember, Jesus had to die first before he was raised to a new life in God. In order for resurrection to happen, some things must die.
During this past week, I was struck by the emphasis of the media regarding the conclusion of life of a single person- Terri Schiavo. Terri (as you know) was in a vegetative state for many years and her husband was finally given permission to have her feeding tube removed. A media blitz resulted aimed at increasing readership. Politicians and some religious leaders jumped onto the bandwagon for the purpose of gaining votes and free media attention. For those who were protesting vehemently against the removal of her feeding tube, I was somewhat disappointed that they were not spending more of their energies protesting the preventable deaths of the 6000 children who die each day from lack of food. I was disappointed that they were not spending more of their time fighting to increase basic medical care for those who are without insurance or those who are unable to pay for such care.
But most of all, I was disappointed in the attitude of many Christians, who supposedly have a theology of resurrection, but who are so afraid of dying. Perhaps you fall into this boat too! Why would anyone be afraid of letting go of this life (especially under such adverse conditions) instead of wanting to move into the next phase of life with God? Could it be that the theology of resurrection has become simply an intellectual belief that has nothing to do with the way people make choices for themselves?
There is nothing in Scripture that deals with end of life decisions in a technological age. I think these kinds of decisions need to be made by individuals on a case by case basis. And while these kinds of decisions should not be imposed by a national dictate, we do need to prepare for our eventual death and departure. We need to live life abundantly, today! We need to appreciate life each day and share our God-given gifts to make this world a better place. And then, when it is time to go, we need to have a plan to exit life graciously and with dignity. 80% of medical resources are being used in the last six months of a person's life. This can't continue if we really care about the health system for those who come after us.
2. People who live in hope of resurrection realize that some things must die in order for new life to emerge. "Behold, I am making all things new." [Rev. 21] Remember, Jesus had to die first before he was raised to a new life in God. We need to "let die" old ways of thinking and doing that engender despair, hopelessness, killing, destruction of the environment, and destruction of relationships. There is a great struggle going on in our country and in the Church between those who see God in the traditions of the past and those who see God in the new wind of the Holy Spirit. This Spirit is challenging our old assumptions about human nature, political power, economic policies, and the way we engage in relationships. We are at a pivotal moment in history when we can spend our resources and efforts on building peace rather than engaging in war. The idea of using military force as the only way forward needs to die. There are other options that are life giving and powerful. It has to do with self sacrifice.
If you were alive during World War II, you will remember the tremendous sacrifices that the people of the United States engaged in to support the military effort. Sugar, chocolate, rubber tires, gasoline were rationed. People gladly recycled, joined the armed services, put their futures on hold, and worked in the factories. The full energy and resources of the country were used for the war effort. So, what would it look like for us today, to spend the same time, energy, sacrifices, and resources for the purpose of striving for peace, feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, helping the oppressed, and assisting third world countries in their economies? Would you willingly participate in this sacrificial effort for world peace? If you can honestly say yes, you have a healthy theology of resurrection and truly believe that out of the ashes of destruction and darkness, new life can emerge.
Today's gospel passage addresses the issue of doubt for rational Christians. We will never see a bodily appearance of the risen Christ. We will not be able to poke at his wounds. We cannot pressure him to appear with dazzling signs or drift through a locked door. Instead, Christ will come to us when we engage in a posture of forgiveness, peace, and a desire to live an abundant life. Christ will come to us when we feed the hungry, cloth the naked, and strive for justice and the dignity of every human being. The risen Christ is present to those who enter into a relationship with God that is humble, truthful, and committed. In Christ, God has visited us. Alleluia, Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed, alleluia!
| Updated 4/11/05 |
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