“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” The Jewish leadership, assuredly were angry that the body of Jesus was gone from the tomb. The eleven close followers of Jesus were the likely suspects who took the body. Fearing this perceived anger of the Jews and of the Romans, most of the disciples were found together in a room behind locked doors. Even the eye witness testimony of seeing the risen Jesus, left most of Jesus’ followers filled with confusion and fear for their unfamiliar future.

They did know that both the Romans and the Jews would be after them for explanation at minimum, but most likely for some sort of retribution from their flesh. Perhaps they wondered what had happened to Thomas, and why he was not with them, but cloistered in their fear and confusion, Jesus appears inside their secure space and speaks the word they need, “Peace.” The Prince of Peace’s living presence comforts them, assures them, empowers them. Despite any obvious or hidden risks, our faith draws us willingly into the unknown.

Jesus sends the called out into the world to face the terrors and to spread the same peace, which he desires for them. The peace of G_d, which passes all understanding, leads them directly into their fears, as the blood of so many martyrs has testified. Yet we, like Thomas, even seeing this peace in others, so often want more proof. What Cameron Taylor Sanderson called our “personal season of Thomas.” Daily we can experience the Presence, but often will not believe until we verify the wounds ourselves. Jesus continually obliges our doubt, then again and again, breathes into us the needed assurance.

Jesus continually brings peace and resolves our fears, even behind our own bolted doors. He breathes out hope and courage, and reveals truth each time we sincerely call out to him. Jesus speaks to Thomas, and to us, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” Believe that Jesus is a person, a living body. Christ’s body is alive, and we are his body! Faith in him is there in our mind and heart. It is a way of seeing, hearing and touching Jesus. And he is no less present, in our time reading scripture, in the liturgy, bread and wine of worship, in the joining of hands at the blessing of a meal, in a marriage, in a new birth, in a sin repented, in a pall covering a coffin, in any joy or fear that we may face. Jesus is there embodied wherever he wills to be, and He wills to be in our creation, our preservation, our risk, and all the blessings of this life. Then reborn into Christ, we begin to reveal Jesus to the world. “When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’”

Pax,
jbt