Third Sunday of Easter

Third Sunday of Easter – Year B (RCL) 2009
Acts 3: 12 – 19; Psalm 4; 1 John 3: 1 – 7; Luke 24: 36b – 48
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Parish, Portland, OR
Sunday, April 25, 2009

CALLED TO RESURRECTION RESPONSIBILITY

Let us Pray: Risen Jesus, we proclaim our belief in your presence among us. We are your messengers as you charged us to be – and yet we are often doubtful of the hope we proclaim. As you opened the minds and hearts of your disciples to the truth of your word; so open our hearts and minds to claim our inheritance as your Resurrection people that we might bodly proclaim as have the saints before us, that you are risen! You are risen indeed. Alleluia, Amen.

(SUNG) COME BACK TO ME, WITH ALL YOUR HEART
DON’T LET FEAR KEEP US APART.
TREES DO BEND THOUGH STRAIGHT AND TALL
SO MUST WE, TO OTHERS CALL
LONG HAVE I WAITED FOR YOUR COMING HOME
TO ME AND LIVING DEEPLY OUR NEW LIFE.

On this third Sunday of Easter – we hear the third resurrection appearance narrated according to the author of the Luke/Acts Gospel account. This third appearance is interesting in that it comes directly on the heels of the second appearance to the two un-named disciples along the road to Emmaus. There are several parallel occurrances in both appearances and one distinctive occurrence in the 3rd resurrection appearance which is of paramount importance in our response to its call.

“While the disciples were telling how they had seen Jesus risen from the dead, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you’. The two disciples who had spent time with Jesus (apparantly not knowing that it was Jesus) along the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus are now excitedly telling the others of their experience. Though we are not told the exact location of this encounter with their risen saviour, it is safe to assume that we are in “the upper room” which is “locked for fear of the Jews” as we are told in the author of John’s account of this event. Picture the scene if you can, and try to frame it within your own life experience. Two of your friends are excitedly telling of an incredible experience they had along the road just before dark. It seems that they believe that a loved and respected teacher and mentor whom everyone knows had been executed by the political and religious leadership just a short time ago, is in fact alive and walking among them.

Imagine your reaction to these two excited and enthusiastic friends. Some of us would put on our pastor or “helper” faces and try to talk with them. “Now, we know how upset you’ve been in the past few days – and it’s perfectly understandable. Grief is a powerful emotion and our minds can play all sorts of tricks on us in the dark.” Others might simply go the route of disbelief and dismissal. “Get a load of them, sad isn’t it when we just can’t accept the reality of our world?” Still others might be swayed by their enthusiasim and convince ourselves that they saw what they “wanted” or “needed” to see in order to make sense of the crasy events of the last few days. Very few of us, I would imagine, would have bought the whole story, hook, line and sinker! How could we? We know the limits of our world. The dead are dead – that’s final, they don’t breath again, they don’t walk again – and they certainly don’t eat again.

This is the practical and realistic side of our nature. Our experience teaches us that death is the end of our understanding in relationship with each other. We do not know what the dead experience, but we do know what we experience about the dead. Then there’s Jesus, once again upsetting the balance of our lives. Once more, turning our minds and our hearts inside out with radical messages of new life and new possibility in relationship with our God – whom we had already figured out perfectly well, thank you very much! Now we are told, the one whom we betrayed and crucified – the one whom we mocked and spat upon; has returned breathing, walking and eating among us and bidding us “Peace”. What in God’s name is going on?

(SUNG) COME BACK TO ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART
DON’T LET FEAR KEEP US APART.
LONG HAVE I WAITED FOR YOUR COMING HOME TO ME
AND LIVING DEEPLY OUR NEW LIFE.

So this Jesus has come back, or so it would appear from the stories which are narrated in our Gospel accounts. Yet it is not the same Jesus whom the disciples encountered prior to the Good Friday experience. This is a different Jesus, one who is loving and yet distant, “do not hold onto me” he tells the Magdalene. Something is different about this Jesus. The disciples and followers have difficulty recognizing the Resurrected Jesus as he appears among them. Actions are necessary which allow them to place Jesus in a context where they will be able to identify and accept that it is indeed the Risen Lord who is in their midst. Bread must be broken and shared, food must be taken and eaten – and then their eyes are opened to see the Christ and to share the Christ.

While they are busy and distracted, arguing among themselves about the impossibility of what some of them have seen and believe – Jesus stands among them and says, “Peace be with you.” Because they were not able to comprehend the incomprehensible – they are filled with fear and confusion. We are told they they were “startled and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost.” I wonder what my own reaction would have been had I been present in that upper room? I wonder if I would have been open to the possibility of the presence of the resurrected Jesus? Probably not. I can examine the instances in my own life when I have known, in retrospect that the power of the resurrected Christ was present and I have never been particularly receptive in the moment. I have witnessed resurrection moments in my own life – for myself and for others around me – and my reaction has generally not been much different from the reactions of those in the story we hear this morning. I am usually distracted and doubting, fearful and confused as to what is truly happening in the moment. Afterwards, with hindsight and introspection, I can “see” that it was the power of the risen Christ which allowed the moment to be so grace filled- but generally not while I am in the middle of the fear and confusion. Jesus can take the moment and patiently reveal to me the truth of our encounter, and then slowly and cautiously I can reconstruct the events in my mind and experience the miracle of new birth and new possibility.

This is what we are told happened in that upper room with the frightened and confused followers. Jesus came back to them, to reveal to them that what had been promised had been delivered. God, in God’s goodness and grace had kept the covenant yet once again. In this new covenant – all would be welcomed into the life of repentance and forgiveness of sin. This then, is the one distinctive occurrance in this 3rd resurrection appearance which is of paramount importance in our response. In this appearance to the disciples and followers in that upper room – Peace is proclaimed; joy is experienced, knowledge is imparted and finally, unlike the previous appearances - responsibility is commanded. It is in this third appearance that Jesus gives the “commission” which the author of this Gospel account imparts as “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”

Here then is where the resurrection responsibility is imparted to the disciples – and consequently to us. “You are witnesses of these things.” This is where we are called to be witnesses to the world of what we have seen and what we believe. The resurrected Jesus doesn’t spend long periods of time as we understand that concept with the followers. What the resurrected Jesus does do for them – and for us – is to open up our minds to understand the scriptures. Now I know what your going to say – that you don’t always understand all of the scriptures; and here’s a secret for you – neither do I. What I do know, is that Jesus was very clear in what he commanded the disciples to do; and, I believe, very clear in what is commanded of us to do. If we are to claim to be Christ’s followers – if we are to identify as “Christians” – then we will have to take on this resurrection responsibility. If we are to rescue that title of “Christian” from the hands and pulpits of those who would look to use it to bearate all who fail to believe as they believe – then will will have to take on this resurrection responsibility. The good news is that we don’t have to take it on alone. Jesus as promised is with us, always, until the end of the age. We are given the gift of the Holy Spirit, the advocate to assist us. In community the responsibility is shared among us, and the gifts of God’s Holy Spirit are distributed among each of us to make the job easier, but be clear, the job belongs to all of us.

Jesus did not leave them knowing that all of their doubts and questions had been quieted. Jesus did not leave them assured that they would never again be filled with fear or confusion, with doubts or dispairs. Jesus did not leave them perfectly equipped for the work to which they were called and ready for any situation which would face them. Jesus did not leave them alone. Jesus did not leave them. What Jesus leaves them and us with is the gift of the Holy Spirit to aid in our discernment of the scriptures. What Jesus leaves them and us with is the gift of the meal which he shared with them and with us to provide nourishment for the work to which they were called and to which we are called in their footsteps. We are called to proclaim Good News. We are charged with the proclamation of repentance and the forgiveness of sins in Christ’s name to all nations beginning from this place – we are witnesses of these things; and for that we have a resurrection responsibility.

Amen