It’s interesting, don’t you think, that Jesus comes to us? It’s so obvious that we might fail to be astonished. In the gospels, Jesus is consistently looking for people. He travels around available to anyone. One on one, or in a small group, or a large crowd, Jesus is found among and with people.
We might expect the Messiah to be settled in a place of authority, maybe in the Temple. Or at least he should have an official place where potential disciples could come to him, could find him. But Jesus went out looking for people. Perhaps nowhere is that so evident as the post resurrection appearances of Jesus. Surely, the risen Lord would do lordly things- act like a normal king. Why wouldn’t Jesus appear in the Temple, or in Pilate’s palace? Better yet, why wouldn’t he have his own throne in his own palace? But he doesn’t. Jesus continues to do what he did throughout his entire ministry. He comes to us, in the most un Lord like ways.
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet behave come to believe.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name. John 20:19-31 NRSVUE
Two comments before we consider the text: As we think about who may have been present, the disciples in the room may have included more people than “the Twelve”.1 For example, it seems likely that Mary Magdalene was present. Also, “fear of the Jews” doesn’t mean Christians should be afraid of “the Jews”. More importantly this doesn’t mean Christians are to be in opposition to all Jews, always and forever. John is referring to the religious authorities. He did not mean all Jews then, and this does not mean all Jews now. This verse does not validate or sanctify anti semitism. Too much harm has been done because of anti semitic readings of the gospels.
On the evening of the day of Resurrection, the disciples were afraid and gathered behind a locked door. I really can’t fault them. Mary Magdalene has seen the risen Jesus and told the other disciples, but that doesn’t, in the practical real world, lessen the danger the disciples are in. In fact, an empty tomb could make things worse. Would the authorities come after the disciples in an attempt to find Jesus’ body?
The betrayal by Judas must have been shocking. If one of Jesus’ closest disciples can betray him, who can they trust? Can they trust each other? How can they know? We don’t know if Peter was in that room. His denial of Jesus must have been nearly as upsetting as Judas betrayal. Who can they trust? Will someone tell the authorities where they are? We can imagine the fear and tension in that locked room. Do they truly know the people they have spent weeks and years with? Of course they are afraid.
And then, Jesus shows up. The disciples “rejoiced”. Look carefully at what Jesus does and doesn’t do. He doesn’t plot revenge on the people who crucified him or who stood by and let it happen. He doesn’t vilify those who deserted him. He doesn’t plot to storm the palace or the Temple and take them over. He doesn’t use his power and authority as the risen Messiah for revenge or for coercive power. Look at what he does.
Twice Jesus told them “Peace be with you.” This was a normal greeting in their time. Jesus gives those familiar words greater meaning. In the chapters (John 13-17) that describe Jesus’s last day with the disciples, before the crucifixion, Jesus had a lot to say about peace and about love and about how the disciples are to act. He told them that the Advocate, the Holy Spirit would be sent to them. He said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ ” (John 14:27-28 NRSVUE)
Peace, as Jesus and the prophets define it, is more than an absence of conflict. This peace comes from God and leaves no part of our lives, or our world, untouched. This peace is the peace of flourishing, and joy, and justice. Next Jesus reminded the disciples that they are sent, just as Jesus himself was sent. They are sent to continue Jesus’ work of compassion, healing, and reconciliation. Then, as promised he sends the Holy Spirit.
After all this, Jesus said an interesting thing, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” What did he mean?
This encounter behind locked doors was a reprise of what Jesus had been teaching all of his disciples- including us. Jesus brings the all encompassing peace of God, and sends us, aided and guided by the Holy Spirit to bring that peace into the world. The forgiving and retaining of sins is not a power over others that Jesus gives to us. It’s not about punishing or rewarding others. We misunderstand Jesus if we think these words give us, as disciples, power and authority over others, especially power over their souls. In John’s gospel sin is not breaking moral rules, sin is failing to recognize and work for God’s purposes for the world. Sin is not trusting in Jesus and his revelation of God’s will.2 Jesus’ words are a caution, a warning to us. We are given great responsibility as agents of God’s peace. We are to live lives shaped by God’s unconditional love. We are to invite others into this life, into this relationship with God and with us. It’s a warning that our failure to forgive has consequences. Our actions have consequences. We can impede people’s ability to encounter God’s love. If we are not careful, we can become stumbling blocks, rather than agents of forgiveness and reconciliation.
We live in frightening times. There is seemingly no end to the harmful, destructive things that are happening. We live in a time of great division. We wonder how, or even if, reconciliation is possible. You may have heard people say, “I can never forgive…” someone because of how they voted or how they support harmful and destructive policies, actions, and laws. If someone supports the taking away of another person’s safety, wellbeing, or right to peacefully exist, these are serious actions. They need to be confronted. We are not called to cheap, shallow forgiveness and reconciliation.
The work of forgiveness and invitation into God’s peace and kin dom is hard work. It is challenging work. It is slow work. It is work that requires discernment and prayer. It is both individual and community work. The harm that has happened and continues to happen will take years to repair. It’s not possible to make a simple statement or a single statement that covers all “sins” and all acts of forgiveness. The divides are deep and have consequences.
Let’s be clear, forgiving does not require the resumption of a relationship. Forgiveness does not mean anything goes and someone can do whatever they want to another. Forgiveness has been misused to guilt and compel people, especially women, to resume unsafe relationships. That is not what Jesus meant. Some relationships may not be healed in this life, in this world.
And yet, we are called to work for the peace of the world. We are called to work for the well being and flourishing of everyone. We are called to be agents of reconciliation. This is difficult. It is frustrating. It is uncomfortable. The good news is that Jesus finds us. He finds us where we are. He shows up, sends the Spirit with us and empowers us to take another step- to do the next right thing- on the path of peace. May we listen and follow.
- Biblical scholars tell us that in John’s gospel, the twelve disciples are not highlighted, as they are in the other gospels. John does not have a list of disciples. When John mentions “disciples” we should not assume he means 12 male disciples. Warren Carter, John: Storyteller, Interpreter, Evangelist, (Hendrickson Publishers: 2006) p 73-73 and Gail R. O’Day, “The Gospel of John”, in The New Interpreter’s Bible, Volume IX, (Abingdon Press:1995) p 846 ↩︎
- Carter, 207; O’Day, 847. ↩︎
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