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Second Sunday in Easter
April 15, 2007 Sermon by The Rev. Bill Van Oss, Rector
Readings

We can only imagine what the disciples were talking about. There they were, locked away in that upper room – “locked for fear” today’s Gospel tells us. Jesus has been crucified. The one they believed was the Son of God had been executed by the authorities, and maybe they were next, the disciples surely thought. So they locked themselves away in that upper room.

Now, some people might imagine that they just sat there, huddled together, in stunned silence, occasionally peeking out a window to see if anyone was coming, listening intently for a creak on the stairs which would betray danger.

But I don’t think so – I don’t think they were silent at all. Those first disciples, being good Anglicans would have been arguing and debating, and telling stories.

I imagine them sitting around that upper room sharing a bottle of wine and telling about all the people Christ healed in His earthly ministry – “remember that Syro-Phoenician woman?, how she challenged Jesus,” they might say. “And remember how Jesus told the crowd that wanted to stone that woman accused of adultery to case a stone if they had never committed a sin. And remember those Beatitudes He taught us, how beautiful and profound they were, and how He taught us how to pray: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven . . .’ And when he turned over the tables of the money changers in the temple, how he challenged the scribes and Pharisees again and again, and how he washed our feet and gave us Himself gifts of bread and wine at that Last Supper?”

I imagine that upper room was lively, filled with life and energy as the disciples told stories about Jesus’ life and ministry and then argued about what those stories and teachings meant for them, now that their world had been turned upside down, now that their hopes and dreams had to change.

But there was one in that upper room who remained quiet, I believe – Thomas. Thomas just sat over in the corner and listened, for Thomas was an Introvert. Introverted and angry – he wanted to be the first Lieutenant in the Lord’s army, which he hoped would wage war on those awful Romans and now Jesus had been killed and he was probably next and Thomas was angry. And there he sat in that upper room, listening to the others tell all the stories of how great and powerful and loving Jesus was. And then Mary Magdalene shows up and says, “Jesus is Risen” and Thomas can’t take it anymore and he blurts out, “I don’t believe it; I’ll never believe it unless he stands here and I can touch him.”

Now, ever since he said that 2000 years ago, Thomas has been famous for his doubt: “Doubting Thomas,” he’s been labeled. But I’d like for us to re-label Thomas, to give him a new title: Resilient Thomas. Because Thomas should not be famous for his doubt, but rather that he came back. He showed up again the next week. – even though he had his doubts. He could have just walked away, never to return. Some did.

God had disappointed Thomas. God had not met his expectations, his hopes, his dreams. Thomas felt Jesus had duped him, but instead of walking away, Thomas stayed with the community. He came back the next week to hear the stories of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, and the second week, Thomas had a profound experience of the Christ.

Thomas’ story is a remarkable example of the power of Christian community – a gathering that’s deep and strong enough to include Thomas’ doubts.

This Sunday and in the coming Sundays of the Easter season, we are going to hear readings from the Acts of the Apostles as our first reading. The Book of Acts contains the stories of the early Christian community. We hear one of these stories today: of how even prison could not keep the disciples from standing up and telling everyone, “the whole message of the life of Jesus.”

The community of disciples overcame their fare. They opened the locked doors of that upper room and of their hearts and told anyone who would listen the Good News of God in Jesus Christ. The Power of Christian Community at work way back then, and the power of Christian Community now.

We follow in the footsteps of those first disciples. We gather together and tell the story of Jesus Christ, deeds of love, words of peace and justice and forgiveness. And we re-enact that story with Jesus’ words at this table and we pray that we will touch and taste and see the goodness of the Lord in simple gifts of bread and wine.

And within our community are people with doubts – people hurt and angry and afraid, people who’ve suffered loss and pain – and our community welcomes people with their doubts, indeed, we reach out to the hurting and struggling as Christ did.

And there is strength here, in this Christian Community. There are strong people, full of faith, many of whom have had their doubts and pains and still do. But they are willing to stand with, and pray for, their hurting and doubting brothers and sisters.

When we are weak and in need there are believers in this community who can be our strength. And when they, in turn, are weak and hurting, we might be the one they turn to for strength.

That’s what Christian Community is all about, that’s the church at its best, people filled with faith, people plagued by doubt, hurting people, rejoicing people, the grieving and the healing, all gathered together to tell the story and break the bread and who then go out to tell the world about the new and abundant life that Christ came to bring and that the Church offers now.

The upper room was noisy and lively that “first day of the week” so long ago. Let’s make some noise – you and I – some noise about the Good News of God in Jesus Christ, His life and His love. Amen.


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