Easter 2 C

Acts 5:27-32; Psalm 118:14-29; Revelation 1:4-8; John 20:19-31

• Far Side carton with scientist prank-bombing other scientist

I wonder if the disciples felt a little like this when Jesus appears … and of all things announces peace. Peace! Peace in the midst of danger.

They are certainly in danger — leader has been killed by people who were so threatened by his message that they would rather Jesus be brutally killed than listen to it.

This is the message that the disciples have been trained in. That they have put their trust in. That they have been called to share. A message that puts them in danger.

On Easter Sunday, that message becomes more urgent and more dangerous, because something dramatic happens: Jesus is not to be found among the dead. It’s like the world has been turned upside down.

And whether the disciples like it or not, they are at the middle of this commotion. So they take the necessary precautions. Just a few hours after being informed by those very first apostles — the women at the tomb — that Jesus has been raised, the eleven disciples huddle up, lock the door and hide.

If you really put yourself in their position, I’ll bet you can’t blame them. Have you ever wanted to hide from the world?

[Story about fight in church.] All the peace he had hoped for seemed to be no match for the hatred among his own congregation members. (I wonder what the sharing of the peace was like that Sunday…)

I don’t expect any brawling today in our congregation but the truth is, if you had to describe the state of our world today, would you use the word peace?

If you’ve followed along with the Presidential Election and the debates…have you heard a lot of the word peace?

Currents events over the last couple years have revealed that there is a lot more fear and sometimes hatred buried beneath the surface than I thought. You could use a lot of words to describe our society, but I don’t think peace would be your top choice.

It’s enough, sometimes, to make you want to hide. To lock the doors. To shut others out. That’s what the disciples did.

And the nerve of Jesus to sneak up on them and to actually say “Peace be with you,” in the middle of all that fear. And not only that, but Jesus shows them his scars! Doesn’t it seem strange to go right from saying peace to showing off his wounds and scars of the crucifixion?

Well, however startled they had been by his appearance, the disciples rejoice to see their leader again face to face.

Except, of course, for Thomas. When Jesus first appeared to the disciples in the room, Thomas was out, and he is notorious for his almost morbid insistence on seeing and even touching the wounds of Jesus before he would believe.

You could take that to mean that Thomas had a weaker faith. That he needs more proof because he’s less serious of a disciple. But it could be that Thomas needs more proof because of how serious he is.

It could be that Thomas knows about pain. That Thomas knows what’s at stake. Maybe Thomas already knows that all the Peace in the world appears to be no match for the kind of fear and anger that will confront the Gospel message.

I think Thomas knows that to be a disciple of peace in a world of fear means he will always be in some danger. That he will experience pain for the sake of the Gospel, just as Jesus did. And he knows it.

But seeing the hands of Jesus with the marks of the nails, touching the side where he was pierced, and hearing Jesus, despite his wounds say, “peace” … Thomas learns that that fear, anger, and pain do not get to win.

Thomas knew there would be pain. He needed to know that Peace was stronger.

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Part of our journey in growing as disciples is to also declare Peace, even when Peace seems outmatched by fear. Even when the shouting, and name-calling seem to drown it out. Even when intimidation tempts us to hide. Even when insults push our buttons and tempt us to react.

Even when we know that pain will come from it…we are called to share the peace.

We are the disciples, struggling with fear, locked in this room. With every hand shake, Jesus stands in our midsts and says, “Peace be with you.”

Think about that during the sharing of the peace.

Every person that shakes hands and shares the peace today has to struggle with pain. Every hand shake connects two people that are afraid of something.

But peace is stronger.

Into this and every locked room, Jesus enters in, knows our fear, shares our pain, and shows us that peace is stronger.

Out of this and every locked room, Jesus calls us to share the peace with others who live with pain. Who harbor fear. Whose anger and violence will hurt others. (They will hurt us.)

But, see, we know that Peace wins.