Seeing is Believing
Jesus
himself stood among them…Luke 24:36b
We are still in the Easter season. Still being raised up. Still being filled with hope.
The disciples are huddled together behind locked
doors. They are afraid of the
authorities. They know what they have
seen. How Jesus was mocked, tried, and
crucified. They know the full penalty of
being guilty by association.
Like Thomas, they are filled with doubts and
fears. But much to their surprise, Jesus
is out looking for them and when he finds them he blesses them. “Peace be with
you.”
Jesus does not chastise or criticize. He does not condemn, scold or ridicule. He anticipates their bewilderment and offers
himself to them. According to John’s
gospel, he breathes on them and inflates their lungs with his very own breath.
What wondrous love is this from our Lord who is
forever consistent in his engagement with his followers – both then and
now? Jesus says, Look at my hands and my
feet. Touch me. See for yourself that it is I. Touch so you can believe.
At best, that’s what we do in the church. We help people see the presence of God in our
lives and in the world. Because we are
made of flesh, we don’t always get it right.
Ask anybody, we make mistakes galore.
But we keep working at it because we know that there is a power beyond
ourselves.
Jesus says that those who have not seen and yet
believe are blessed. Easter faith is all
about believing when we don’t see, obeying when we don’t understand, going on
when we don’t feel like it; and trusting that whatever lies ahead, Jesus will
show up when we need to be assured.
Prayer:
Good Lord, help us live as Easter people.
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