Jesus Brings Peace by Cheri Holdridge (with an assist by Kurt Young)

When I had finished my 3 year degree from seminary, I knew a lot about the Bible and a lot about how to think through a situation from a theological, ethical, and moral perspective. It was an important foundation for ministry, I value my seminary education. Then I went to my first church, and thankfully I was an associate pastor with a senior pastor who was a good mentor. Craig Rice taught me how to be a good pastor. He taught me some really practical things that I did not learn in seminary, like the mechanics of how to do a wedding, a funeral and a baptism. He also helped me debrief my first few years of responses to pastoral care situations so that I could learn from those experiences and be a better pastor.

One day, early on, it was my turn to go to the retirement home near our church and serve communion. There were three pastors at our church and in a staff meeting Craig just made an off-hand comment that I needed to go on such and such a night and do this service. I asked some questions about logistics and I must have sounded scared because he asked if I felt ready to do it. I said, “Yes, I can do it, it’s just that this will be my first time to serve communion on my own. It’s a really important thing to me, and I want to do it well.” So he talked me through the details and logistics carefully to put me at ease. 

I still remember that first night. It was a holy night as I shared communion with some of God’s oldest saints and let them know that they are not forgotten by God. I was 26 years old at the time. I was green. But for the next 4 years, I went every 3 months to that retirement home and those folks welcomed me. It was my honor to bring them the sacrament. Craig taught me how, and then I carried on that practice. Craig sent me, as someone had sent him years before, and before him someone else.   That’s how we do this, we learn from those who have gone before us in our faith.

After Jesus’ death and resurrection, but before he ascended into heaven, he made several appearances to his disciples. The story of one of those appearances is the scripture we read today (John 20:19-31 for those following along from afar) . In it, Jesus says some important words to his followers: 

“Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you.” Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he said. “If you forgive someone’s sins, they’re gone for good.”

Jesus told them that this transformative work of God is work that must be carried on from generation to generation. God did an amazing act by sending God’s own son, Jesus. The world was not getting the message of who God is and so God had to intervene in a powerful way by sending Jesus, coming down to Earth in human form. “Now,” Jesus said to his disciples, “You must carry on the mission. For example, you tell people that their sins are forgiven and they will understand that their sins are forgiven for good, just like I have done this for you.” 

The disciples understood. There was just one problem. Thomas was not there that day. Thomas must have been like some of us who are very concrete thinkers. Maybe he would have been a scientist or an engineer in our day. We call him “doubting Thomas” today. He simply could not take the word of someone else. He needed to see Jesus for himself first hand. 

I can be like that too. Some might call it stubborn, or just an independent streak. We are unwilling to accept something based on the experience of another person. We need to learn it first- hand. You know, like when a mother tells a baby, “don’t touch that stove; it’s hot.” But you just have to touch it yourself. 

Some of us just have to learn by doing. We have to learn things the hard way.  Thomas had to see Jesus in order to know that he had risen from the dead. And here is the thing about Jesus. He knew his disciples. They were his best friends. He knew everything there was to know about every one of them. And he was willing to do whatever it took to prepare them to go out into the world to lead his mission once he ascended into heaven. I’ll bet when Jesus showed up the first time and saw that Thomas was not here, Jesus thought to himself, “Oh, I know Thomas. He is going to have to see me for himself. I’m going to have to come back next week to reassure him. But if that is what it takes then I will do it,” because the mission was that important and everyone needed to be a part of it.

And so Jesus came back the next week for Thomas. Jesus came through the locked doors, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.”   Then he focused his attention on Thomas. “Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don’t be unbelieving. Believe.”Thomas said, “My Master! My God!” Jesus said, “So, you believe because you’ve seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing.”

I love this story of Thomas because it shows how much Jesus loves each one of us. And how Jesus will do whatever it took to help his disciples be equipped to go out into the world to do their work. My first teacher, Craig Rice, would do anything to make sure I was a better pastor, prepared to the leave the church where we worked together, and go to my first church to be a pastor on my own. He wanted to be sure I was ready to go and lead a church and begin to mentor other leaders to go into the world and teach people about God and God’s love. 

But you see, you don’t have to be a pastor to do this. You surely don’t have to have a seminary degree. Just look at the first disciples. They had no formal training. Well, yes they got to spend time with Jesus, but they had little education, most of them. 

They did get to know Jesus first hand. They simply had an experience, and they had to share it. That is how this movement spreads.

So, how about you? Who has been your teacher? Who has revealed to you to character of God? Who is a follower of Jesus who has touched your life with the qualities of Jesus: compassion, patience, forgiveness, humility, generosity, peace, and self-control? Can you think of a friend or a family member who has exhibited those traits for you? They are filled with the Spirit of God in a way that inspires you. Of course they are not perfect. No one is perfect, except Jesus. But they seem to have a better hold on these things than you do; compassion, patience, forgiveness, humility, generosity, peace and self-control. 

My friend Karyn is one of these people for me. I call her on the phone when I get discouraged and she builds me back up. She tells me to stop being so hard on myself. She reminds me that I am a beloved child of God and that I am not perfect. 

When I am having problems in a relationship she helps me see more clearly and she helps me hold to those values of Jesus that we both hold dear. Sometimes when I am in the midst of a conflict with a loved one, I can’t navigate the situation on my own. In the thick of it,  I can’t remember what my core values are without the help of a trusted friend who holds the same values. It wouldn’t do any good, for me, to seek advice from a friend who is not living by the same core values as me. So I call Karyn.

She does all these things for me, because she knows I need to be strong in my own walk with Jesus, I need to be grounded, so that I can be an example for other people. You see we all need a strong spiritual friend, because we are all also called to BE a strong spiritual friend for someone else. Now I’m a pastor so it’s easy for you to say that I would encourage people in their faith journey. But guess what?

All followers are called to be spiritual guides and encouragers for other followers. Because there is someone in this room who needs your strength, and there is someone out there who needs your example. There is someone out there who won’t listen to me, but they will listen to you because they trust you. They are going to listen to you as they have a relationship with you, but not with me. I’m too churchy. I’m a pastor, but you are a regular person. They will find out you go to church, and they will think: “hmmm, maybe that is why she has a peace about her that I don’t have. Maybe that is why she does not lose her temper when I seem to. Maybe that is why he seems to be so compassionate toward others. I wish I could be a little more like him. Maybe there is something to that Jesus thing after all.” 

When a person you know loses their temper or gets really discouraged, and comes to you for help, that is an opportunity to say, “Have you ever tried to pray?” They may dismiss you and that is ok. At least you have put it out there. You have said it and they can come back to it when they are ready. But they might just ask you more about it. Or you could say, “Do you have a church family, because  that is where I find encouragement.” It’s a place to start. 

You don’t have to get out your Bible and give a 30 minute evangelism talk. Most of us find that a turn off. Just start slow, with one simple statement. If they are searching, they will ask you questions. And don’t feel like you have to be an expert. If they ask you a question you don’t feel comfortable answering, just say, “You know what, I don’t have all the answers. By the way, no one does, but I am trying to grow closer to God and that is what matters.” Then if it feels right, ask if you can pick them up and bring them to church, or I’ll meet you there next Sunday.

This is how the Jesus movement started. A bunch of regular folks had an experience with God, and they were changed. They became more compassionate and forgiving and generous. Their character changed.  And when they had the opportunity, they invited other people into this way of life too, because it’s a better way to live. 

The story of Jesus appearing to the Disciples and coming back to make sure Thomas would be included, is a story for us. Jesus wants us to be part of this movement. “Peace” he says to us, “as God sent me, now I send you.” This is the call to us. Go. Go and be examples of how to live in the way of Jesus. And when you have the chance, seize the opportunity. Invite others into this way too. Because, they will never be the same, and neither will you.

LOOK FOR THE LIVING by Cheri Holdridge (with an assist by Kurt Young)

Yesterday was a long lazy day at my house. We did not have any demands on our time, which was a welcome change. The kids are on Spring Break but of course we did not go anywhere because it’s Easter and it was pretty important that I be here today. I noticed that a couple of my clergy friends posted little statements on their Facebook pages on the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. One wrote: “The clock ticks slowly on Holy Saturday, pressing us beyond our capacities. It was a day fashioned for hand-wringing. Waiting and hand-wringing - alone. Utterly alone.” 

You see, it is so easy for us to jump to the joy of Easter Sunday isn’t it. We come here on Palm Sunday. And then truth be told, we would prefer to skip over that crucifixion part. The truth of the Crucifixion is just too unpleasant. It is much better just to get to the good part of Easter Sunday. 

But in order to understand the weight of the day, we really need to try to put ourselves in the mindset of Jesus’ close friends on days before Sunday morning. 

For the men and women who loved Jesus those hours on Friday after he died, and the long day on and night of Saturday night were hours when they were overcome with grief. They were walking through that fog of grief that we have all been through, at least those of us who have lost someone close to us to death. You know the fog, you feel lost. You know the person is gone. Death is final. There is no turning back from death. They saw him take his last breath and then they watched as his lifeless body taken down from the cross. And they wept. 

Just try to imagine, then, what on earth it must have felt like to be Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women who went to the tomb that morning. They were in mourning for a dead man.  They were wearing the clothes of grieving.   They went to do some ritual anointing, rituals they could not do immediately when he died, because it was the Sabbath. 

When they got there, the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty. 

Remember, death is final. That is a physical truth, we know that.  The women went to a tomb. And then they find the tomb empty. I don’t about you, but if I had found the tomb empty my first reaction would have been disbelief, and then anger. What now? More indignity? Is it not enough that they beat him and drew lots for his clothes and then left him to die. Now someone has stolen his body so we can’t even give him a proper burial? This is the worst indignity ever.  

And then these dazzling men began to unfold the situation for them. “Remember how he told you that he would be given over to sinners, and crucified and on the third day he would rise from the dead?” How could they forget something that important? “Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” they asked. Why indeed!

The truth became clear to the women and they believed! So the women went and told the men. And guess what happened. The men thought it was an idle tale. Imagine that! The men did not believe the women. Well, we will forgive them, because, after all, it was a pretty unbelievable tale. However, the men were curious enough that they went to the empty tomb to see for themselves. But the truth has a way. The scripture says “when they saw for themselves they were amazed.” The truth became clear to the men also and they believed!  Truth finds a way.

On Easter morning, the followers of Jesus woke up to the most miraculous event ever known to the world. We have heard the story so many times, though, we expect it. We take for granted that Jesus did not really die for good. Most of us don’t even want to come to worship on Holy Thursday or Good Friday. We don’t want to see the picture that we had on the screen last Sunday of Jesus carrying that cross, because it makes us uncomfortable. We know he is going to be raised from the dead, so why do we have to hear that gruesome story year after year? 

You see, we can’t really comprehend the impact of this gift of new life, until we realize that God walked through death with us to get there. 

Jesus suffered every possible human pain we can imagine. So God understands our fears, our regrets, and our suffering. Jesus felt it with us and for us. God still feels it with us. But when Jesus died on that cross, he died to take our fears, our regrets and our suffering with him to the grave. 

So when he rose from the grave, free from death, he frees us from those fears, regrets and suffering. Everything changes for us because Jesus did not die. We have the freedom to leave behind our fears and regrets and our suffering, because we live in God. We live a life surrounded by God and God’s love. THIS IS HUGE. This changes everything.   Easter morning changes everything.

When the women went to the tomb, the men (or angels) in dazzling robes asked them a question: “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He has risen.”   The angels we will call them told them that. 

Besides telling them the amazing news that Jesus was resurrected, I think they were also telling them women to stop lingering in death, go and LIVE. 

This is our invitation on this Easter Sunday. The witnesses to the resurrection ask us: Are we going to walk around surrounded by death and the things that bring death? Or will we live as people free from the brokenness of this world and full of the life that comes from God’s second chances?  Will we accept God’s second chance.

My friend Sr. Paulette Schroeder tells a story of how long it can take a person to turn around and receive this healing love of God, and receive that second chance. Paulette’s life work is peace. She works for peace in many ways, one of those ways is that she cares for people in our prison system and she opposes the death penalty. Apparently, back in 1976 she started corresponding with a young man who was then 18 and sentenced to death for “being an accomplice to the killing of an undercover policeman in a pharmacy drug theft.” She has corresponded with him for all these years, and visited with him too. She wrote in a blog post this week: 

“My friend is a brilliant man who, unfortunately, used his intelligence in devious rather than productive ways for 33 of his 37 years in prison. He played the prison game.” She said he had no religious faith and she suspected he was involved with criminal activities within the prison system. At times when he seemed discouraged she would suggest he “try God” but he we not receptive. Finally about 4 years ago “the right person in the system crossed his path,” he attended Mass, and asked to study the Catholic rite of initiation. A year ago he was baptized. She writes: “This restless, crime-bent man had found purpose, meaning!  He had surrendered his ego! He had allowed someone else to lead him! . . . .Faith had grabbed hold of him. His heart was full of joy, full of life. Smiling often during our visit, he sometimes paused in a soft faraway look:  “Is it real, Paulette?  Am I really the person to whom all this has happened? Would you have believed it 10 years ago, Sister Paulette, that we would be sitting here today sharing and laughing and FREELY talking about God! My humanity is coming back to me!”

 Source: http://toledofavs.com/politics/law-crime-and-court/my-humanity-is-coming-back-again

       Sister Paulette worked patiently with this man for 37 years. It took him a long time to escape from the grave, to escape the grave he created for himself on this earth, in order to live in the freedom that comes when we give our lives over to God.  He can’t erase the consequences in his life and that of others.

     This is what the Easter story is about: choosing not to live in the graveyard of our brokenness, but to live as resurrection people. Mary Magdalene and Joanna and the other Mary were looking for death but they found life.

      You see, in one way or another, we all need to choose life over death. Your situation is not as extreme as the young man living on death row. But we all would do well to focus on living, to get out of the graveyards of our lives: our fears our regrets, our sorrows. God wants us to claim the resurrection life that God desires for us.  God has wonderful plans for each one of us here and now, but we all have things we need to let go of so that we can take the next step into that new life.  It’s a wonderful future.

     A couple of years ago, the Patheos web site asked some of their bloggers to answer the question: “Why I Need the Resurrection.” I want to share a couple of their responses with you.

Why I Need the Resurrection by Kara Root
I need the Resurrection
because my sister is sick
and can't afford insurance,
because I've told a weeping Haitian mom,
"No, I can't take your son home with me."
because I've been rushed off a Jerusalem street
so a robot could blow up a bag that could've blown up us.
because I've exploded in rage
and watched their tiny faces cloud with hurt.
because evil is pervasive and I participate.
I need the Resurrection
because it promises
that in the end
all wrongs are made right.
Death loses. Hope triumphs.
And Life and Love Prevail.

Why I Need the Resurrection by Amy Julia Becker

Shower, breakfast, kids to school, myself to work, go running, make dinner, kids to bed, check email, sleep. It's easy to forget. But after the earthquake in Haiti, I need the resurrection. When my friend’s parents die in a plane crash, I need the resurrection. When another IED explodes, I need the resurrection. And when I see the flash of blue and yellow of a bird in flight, when apartheid ends, when my kids hold hands, I need the resurrection. In the sorrow and the joy, the resurrection reminds me: goodness will last, light overcomes darkness, life triumphs over death.

http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Why-I-Need-the-Resurrection.html

            

How about you? Why do you need the resurrection? What brings you down so that it’s hard for you to live in the freedom that God offers to lift you up.

As a response to the message today, I want to ask you to share your response with a couple of other people. You may have people out there with you or you may have to reach out or maybe you need to share here.  So, why do you need the resurrection?

COSTLY LOVE by Cheri Holdridge (with an assist by Kurt Young)

There is a legend about an old priest in the tradition of St. Ignatius, who was the founder of the Jesuits. The young priest came to the wise old priest where they both lived in Paris. The young priest was discouraged. He told his mentor that he was going to renounce his vows and leave the priesthood. The older priest said he was, of course, free to do so, but that he must first do one thing. He told him to go to the 800 year old Notre Dame Cathedral, walk down the center aisle to the great altar, look at the massive sculpture of the crucified Christ and say this three times: “You did this for me and I do not care!” “You did this for me and I do not care!” “You did this for me and I do not care!”

Well, the young priest was resolved, and went to the cathedral, confident that he could accomplish this simple task. He said it once. He said it a second time, his voice, faltering. But he could not say it a third time. He fell to his knees, weeping. He did not leave the priesthood, not that day, not ever.  (Story referenced in Mother Tongue, by Paul Nixon, pp. 93-94, unpublished manuscript; he references Ignatius of Loyola, in Spiritual Exercises, recommended imaginary conversation with Jesus, especially Jesus on the Cross.)

This is the week we Jesus-followers call Holy. This week is the high point of Jesus’ life. This is the point where we see the fullness of his humanity and his divinity. This is the holy of holies, the good, the bad and the ugly. If Jesus’ life were a novel this would be the point where you stay up late into the night to read the last few chapters because you can’t put the book down. If Jesus’ life story were a Hollywood movie this is the point in the movie where you don’t get up to go the bathroom because you can’t bear to miss one second. 

Holy week starts with Jesus arriving in the Holy City, the center of religious life for his people, Jerusalem. And the people greet him with a little parade. They pull down palm branches from the trees and wave them – whatever is handy – to wave and create a sense of something important. They shout “Hosanna!” which is a word of praise and joy. They are welcoming him as a sort of king or hero.  He is a healer, an amazing teacher and preacher.  They are people who need hope. Who doesn’t need hope? But these Jews are living under foreign rule. They have been waiting for a Messiah. This new teacher named Jesus has developed quite a following as a healer and as someone who is bold to speak the word of God. He is not afraid to stand up to the authorities. They love him!

Well true to form, as soon as Jesus enters the city and he immediately gets into trouble at the Temple.  You know how, when you are reading a good book, or watching a movie, and the tension starts to build, and you know something bad is going to happen? The music changes, right? You know it’s coming. The camera shots get more angular. Well, that is what happens, Jesus walks into the temple and loses his temper. He sees people selling things. Now, in their defense, they were probably selling birds or other things for offerings in the temple. It was a practice that had been going on for a long time. But Jesus had had enough. He said, “You have turned a place of prayer into a den of robbers!” And he threw the tables over. Well from that point on, the week went from bad to worse in a hurry.

There was a bright spot, when he had a nice dinner with his disciples to say good bye, and that is where we get our practice of Holy Communion, that we will celebrate in a few minutes and on Thursday. But after that it was all downhill.

Judas betrayed him, Peter denied him. Again, just like a blockbuster movie, you can tell that the climax is coming. It was all set up from the start. 

Looking back, we can see how it happened. From the beginning of his ministry, the high priests and religious leaders saw him as a threat. Jesus was just too radical. So day by by day they built their case, and they turned the people against him. You know what crowds are like, don’t you? You know, how the crowd mentality goes. All you have to do is get a few people riled up for or against a cause (usually against), and the rest will follow.  

That is what happened in the end. They took Jesus to Pontius Pilate. He tried to hand him off to Herod. And the chief priests just kept saying: this man is a traitor. He is setting himself up as our leader but he is not. He thinks he is the messiah but he is not. He even thinks he is the king, but we all know Caesar is the ruler of the Roman Empire.  

In the end, the people had a chance to save Jesus. There was this festival, and every year one prisoner could be pardoned. They had a chance to save him, but they chose another prisoner to be freed, a political prisoner names Barabbas. For Jesus, they shouted, “Crucify him!” And that is just what happened.

Next week is Easter and we get to hear the wonderful ending to the story, but today, we’re going to linger right here on this walk to the cross with Jesus.

Because you see, we need to understand what this is all about, as best we can. You see, we are followers of this man, Jesus, and we need to try to wrap our minds around the events of that Holy Week, and what led up to it, what this cross means.

You see, until God came to earth in the human form of Jesus, God was distant from us. God was sort of like an absentee landlord, owning property but not really seeing it first-hand, not experiencing what it is like to be us. 

Oh sure, God always has interactions with human beings, through prayer, the odd burning bush and vision. But it wasn’t enough. God felt the message of God’s love for us was not getting through and so God sent Jesus. We can’t really wrap our minds around this. Words really can’t explain, but we do our best. God put on a human body and came to earth, to love us and to feel our pain and our joy. God came to experience every human emotion and experience that you have ever had, and that you will ever have.  Just let that sink in for a moment.  Can you imagine?

And then, we human beings, do you what we did, our foremothers and forefathers on this planet . . . we killed God. 

If we go back to the metaphor I was using of Jesus’ life story being like a great book or a Hollywood movie, I think the reason we get sucked into a great book or movie is because we see ourselves in that story. Either we see our own experiences, or we feel things that we would like to experience but we know we never will. Or we see the ugly side of ourselves that we know is there and we hope will never come out. Jesus came to see and experience all of that, and he did. 

He saw humans at our best, and at our absolute worst. In his last days, he saw the worst. We killed Jesus because we humans are weak.  We are human as God made us to be. We give into our fears. You see, Jesus came and asked us to be generous and kind and forgiving and just. You want to be all those things, don’t you? But people don’t like to be pushed into being too generous and kind and forgiving and just. We can only take so much and then we snap. Of course, we like it when other people are generous and kind and forgiving and just toward us, don’t we? But in the end, the people got scared. The religious leaders wanted their power, and they didn’t like Jesus getting in on the action. The people started doubting whether God’s love and power could really be that amazing. IT IS THAT AMAZING, BY THE WAY, but that is next week’s message. Even Jesus’ best friend Peter gave into fear.  Has your best friend ever let you down? Later Peter would become a preacher that would draw thousands in a day to turn to God and be baptized. But on the night Jesus was arrested, Peter cowered and denied even knowing him.   Poor Peter, I feel sorry for him, and I’ve been him. 

Some days, we are Peter, in our actions. Oh sure, we get up in the morning, ready to live like those Palm Sunday crowds, wearing Christian symbols on necklaces around our necks and claiming that we are followers of Jesus and we want to change the world and mean it. But then someone at work does something stupid. They ask for forgiveness, and instead we ream them out, denying that we even know Jesus by our unmerciful actions. Then we come home driving our cars with a “wage peace” bumper stickers on the back and we walk in the door. We get into a fight with our spouse about money or whose turn it is to do the dishes and or what we are going to do this weekend.  We don’t listen to one another. The listening is the key here. The kids see us fighting rather that making peace. Again, we betray really ever knowing Jesus. On Sunday we decide to catch up on work or sleep in because it’s just too hard to get the kids going and we skip church. We don’t make space in our lives for the one who gives us life and breath. We wonder why, on Monday morning, our bodies and souls are dragging. Because you see, a little piece of God lives inside of us, but when we don’t give time to nurture our souls, we kill God, as surely as we had been in that crowd and shouted, “Crucify him.”

And you know what. God says It’s okay.  That’s the crazy part. God knew it was going to happen. And God loves us so much, God came as Jesus anyway. God is willing to pay the cost of loving us. God knew that we would kill God Jesus, and yet God came in the form of Jesus anyway, because God loves us that much.  Can you imagine sending your child to this? But Jesus came and carried that cross and died once and for all, so that we don’t have to carry this cross through life. We don’t have to be weighed down by fears that God is not enough. God’s love is enough. Being generous and kind and forgiving and just are enough. We can do these things when we allow the Spirit of Jesus to live in us. And when we fail, which we will, we come back here to this community for encouragement, and we pick ourselves back up and try again, because God always loves us and gives us another chance.  Jesus carried the cross so we don’t have to. That is the message Jesus came to give. And he died so that we might live. 

Jesus carried the cross, so we don’t have to. Give thanks for that cross in this Holy Week, how much that God loves us, that God showed us even in death how much God love us, and receive God’s gift of his costly love.