St. Paul's On-the-Hill Episcopal Church

The Rev. Stephen C. Holton, Rector

Easter 2; March 31, 2008

Acts 2:14, 22-32

John 20:19-31

ACCEPTANCE

After the Crucifixion, Christians Explain the Presence of God

To All Nations and individuals. Christian Evangelism

After the Crucifixion, after the horror of seeing their Lord strung up, suffering and dying at the hands of an imperial state; after enduring his betrayal by one of their own, and his abandonment and denial by all of them; after all of this, the remaining disciples somehow find the courage to testify about him and the loving presence of God to all the crowd.

Somehow they get up, they get out of their meeting place, they return from hiding – and they explain to the crowd of innocent bystanders, not so innocent bystanders and down right accomplices in Jesus' state-sanctioned murder, and explain the power of God which reigns anyway, in spite of Jesus' death and murder.

But it didn't actually start there. The disciples do not start with God's love and power. They do not ignore the difficult times in which they find themselves. They do not ignore the actual guilt of the people to whom they speak.

They say: “this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and knowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law.”

Peter does not skirt their guilt. He does not say – you preserved deniability. He does not accept the legalistic sleight of hand that said someone else – the Romans – actually did this. No – you, the crowd, by handing him over to them – did this and bear the responsibility.

Peter was brave in addressing the crowd. First of all, he was brave by being out there at all and not being in hiding.

Secondly, he was brave because he doesn't make things easy for his listeners. He does not concentrate only on the power and love of God in Jesus, and how God can make life wonderful or at least meaningful for us.

He starts by clearly condemning the actions of his onlookers.

In Christian witness we start by clearly understanding and clearly stating the conditions of those around us. Only then can we lead them to healing. And God does heal and can heal, but only when the situation is made clear, only when the audience knows and admits its need.

But then Peter proceeds immediately to the loving presence, and forgiving nature of God. After outlining the problem and the guilt, Peter proceeds immediately to the solution and the love, and the forgiving power of God.

He wastes no time on condemnation and punishment; he proceeds immediately to forgiveness and love, once the situation and the need of love is clear.

And he speaks of how God raised up Jesus by his power.

This man you killed. This man God raised. Through this man God witnessed to you. Of this man we testify. This man came not to condemn but to love.

So love him in return – even though you killed him. Accept his love – even if you killed him. Accept God's love, even if you killed his chosen and anointed one. Just because you killed him doesn't mean he doesn't continue to love you.

Just because you're accomplices in his death, doesn't mean you can't be partners in his life. This time the partnership is offered by him, to you directly. Receive it – says Peter bravely.

Just because you've been accomplices in the misfortunes of others doesn't mean you can't receive God's love.

Just because you've hurt others doesn't mean you can't receive God's love, doesn't mean its not offered to you too.

Just because you've done – whatever it is that you've done, and don't try to act like you didn't do it – doesn't mean God's love doesn't apply.

It does. Its miraculous. Its overpowering. Its forgiving. It was manifest and made present and clear and beautiful in Jesus Christ – and applies to us too.

And the reason we know this is that Jesus was raised – and his power and love could not be stopped; his light could not be put out.

That might be why Peter and the other disciples, minus Judas, were able to get up, go out, and testify – because God was still will them and Jesus had been raised and was with them giving them power and courage – and love.

If Jesus had not been with them in love, they might have spent more time in condemnation.

But no, they spoke only of love, with love, in love for those around them.

They even make it clear that those around them are of their same community! They do not imply that a mighty chasm is fixed between the two groups – the saved and the unsaved!

Peter says: “Fellow Israelites.” “Fellow Israelites.” Obviously they are of the same community. He affirms them in his speech. Not – you Israelites, you Jews, you unsaved. No. Fellow Israelites.

We address the culture around us as “fellow Americans,” fellow residents of this 21^st Century culture, people who share with us in certain basic and lasting and ancestral principles. We are one with each other in certain crucial ways. We are neighbors.

You did this thing, he says; but there is One God, the God of our ancestor David, the God of all of us, who did this other thing, of witnessing to himself through Christ; and will do this other thing, of loving and forgiving all people. Let us tell you about these activities of the God you already know.

So we address those in our own culture who may have done something wrong. We make clear the evil of it. We make clear the explanation of it – for Peter implies God knew it was going to happen all along! Maybe they were more powerless over these events than they thought. For it speaks of the “definite plan and foreknowledge of God.” Maybe they were swept away in events larger than themselves.

And we also make clear the forgiveness of God; for God is a God who only wants to love. That's his nature.

So we address our culture in this same way – as Peter did.

But there is another way, if you do not have the bravery of Peter, to stand up before nations and crowds and speak in this way.

It is to operate out of the quiet yet steady ways of friendship displayed by the friends of Thomas in the other story.

In this story, the disciples are scared. They do not have the bravery to stand up in the marketplace. They do not have the courage to stand up before the crowd.

They are gathered in a house, and the doors “were locked for fear of the Jews.” They were not just shut. They were locked, for fear.

John's community, in this gospel of John, was gathered in a much more dangerous environment, where the little Christian community faced persecution. And so it is written in fear, and the knowledge that enemies were everywhere.

Luke's community, in Acts which was written by Luke, lives in a more cosmopolitan atmosphere, where the biggest fear is rejection and ridicule.

Perhaps you feel like you live in one of these environments, perhaps in the other.

At any rate, the doors are locked for fear. And even fear can't keep Jesus out. Lack of bravery can't keep Jesus out. Lack of courage can't keep Jesus out. A strong faith is not necessary to get this Jesus into your life. He comes anyway. He comes to bring Peace to a fearful heart. That is his purpose. The power of God, just as in Acts, cannot be stopped by Crucifixion, Rejection or Fear. It is resurrected and keeps coming to us in any of those circumstances.

“Peace be with you.” Peace be with you, says Jesus to his disciples. “Peace be with you” says Jesus to us, regardless of the state of our hearts or the state of our faith, so long as we are here, looking for faith! He shows up.

So the disciples go to Thomas, who has stayed away! Maybe he stayed away because he was convinced it wasn't safe to be with the other disciples; such was his fear.

Maybe he stayed away because he was convinced that Jesus had died and the Roman empire and religious institutions had won, and Jesus' teachings meant nothing after all! Such was his disappointment.

Maybe he stayed away to get on with life since the one he had loved was gone. Such was his stoicism.

'Thomas,' they say, “we have seen the Lord.” Come see.

'No' – says Thomas. “Unless I see the mark of the nails . . . I will not believe.”

Come anyway.

He comes.

Their love, for him; their persistence, with him; their faith, in God's presence back in church in the community of the other disciples – is enough to lead him back. He comes. Jesus comes. “Peace be with you.” He believes.

He does not need to believe before Jesus gives him his peace.

He has fear before Jesus gives him his peace.

He has faithlessness before Jesus gives him his peace.

You need neither fearlessness nor faith before Jesus gives you his peace. That's why he comes – to give fearlessness to the fearful, faithfulness to the faithless, strength to the weak, healing to the broken. To think that you have to have faith before you meet Jesus is not what the Bible says. The Bible says he came to give us what we don't have: faith, fearlessness, hope.

He does. Come to him for that. Receive it from him. Bring others who need it – to him.

In a moment we will receive communion – receiving the presence of God in the form of bread and wine. Other denominations receive it in other ways. We do in this.

To receive the bread and wine, you have to open your hands. You have to reveal their emptiness. If you keep them closed, and the emptiness covered, nothing can come in. Only if you open them can God come in.

Open your hands. Reveal your need. Than God can fill it.

Amen