John 20:19-31
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 them; 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 have 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)
I was listening to a podcast recently (a sentence I say all the time in my life, ask anyone who knows me well) that was interviewing a psychologist who studies empathy and forgiveness, among other interpersonal skills. What stuck out to me most was the fact that those who empathize with others are more likely to seek forgiveness and “repair” in relationships. That one’s capacity to seek to understand a perspective that they may or may not have experienced themselves, opened them up to be more likely to forgive and to seek peace in their relationships.
So, what does this have to do with the post-resurrection Jesus encounter we hear about in today’s reading? Let’s take a look!
Now the challenging part of the post-resurrection stories is that they differ across the four gospels. In John’s gospel, Jesus comes to his disciples filled with fear and gives them a greeting of peace, a command for them to be sent out to share peace and to forgive following in the way of Jesus, and later a strange interaction with Thomas, who must see for himself Jesus’s wounds to believe.
For us, being “Easter people” means being filled with, hopefully, more hope than fear (admittedly, that’s always the case). I cling to the following words of Jesus:
“Peace be with you.”
“So I send you.”
“Forgive”
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
When I continually read this text, these are the words that seem to float to the surface and stick with me. Hear me out . . .
Jesus shares peace with us so we might share peace with others. Jesus comes to us, so we may be sent out to others. Just as we have been forgiven, we too can share the gift of forgiveness with others. And we come to believe (trust) not by our experience alone.
That’s the way of Jesus. A way of seeing, a way of understanding (or you could say empathize), a way of seeking out peace and forgiveness with all who we may come to see.
Questions for Reflection:
- Read the scripture for the day (John 12:19-31). What words float to the surface for you? Which words seem to stick out to you? Why?
- How might your life be filled with peace and forgiveness? What does that look like?
Prayer:
God who see us,
Gift us empathy in order that we may come to see others the way you see us all. Empower us to be people of peace and forgiveness. Grant us trust in following your way, even when we can’t see or know where that will take us.
Amen.
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