Father
John McGinn, Rector
Last
week we had a glorious service. In the
three Easter services we had over 600 people, almost 650. This morning there are fewer of us, but I am
glad you are here.
In
1947, Vladimir Cerchenkov, a government accounting clerk in
Advice
columnist Ann Landers received over 10,000 letters a day before her death. Once she was asked what the most common
problem people write about was, and without hestitation she answered, “Fear.”
Fear
comes in many forms. Louis Pasteur is
reported to have had such a fear of dirt and infection that he refused to shake
hands with anyone.
President
and Mrs. Benjamin Harrison were so intimidated by the new electricity installed
in the White House, that they didn’t touch the switches. If there were no servants around when the
It
is said that the Soviet dictator Josef Stalin so feared for his safety,
that his residence in Moscow had eight
bedrooms, and each night he chose a different one to sleep in so no one would
know exactly where he was located.
The
number one problem that causes us to make bad choices is that we are
afraid. Afraid of what people will
think, afraid of ridicule, afraid of failing and afraid of being hurt. Event he disciples gave in to fear. I want this morning to draw a parallel
between today’s Gospel of John and a movie that came out last year, The
Panic Room.
Jodie
foster played a recently divorced woman who was pleased to find a brownstone in
NY for her and her daughter. It was a
place where they would begin life anew.
Their joy turns to terror when three thugs break in to their new home. The thugs are seeking money hidden there by
the former owner. To escape, the woman and
her daughter retreat to a self contained concrete room, called the panic room.
The panic room features a steel door, video
monitors and a loud speaker system.
There intention is to hunker down in safety until the robbers go away. There is much more to the story, but what the
woman and her daughter did, is the same as the disciples after the crucifixion.
Fearing
the same people who had arrested, convicted and crucified Jesus, they retreated
to their own panic room. They probably
figured that they would hunker down and wait out the danger, and then when the
uproar over Jesus had passed, they would slip out of
They
were down, disillusioned and doubting, Even though some of them had already had
an encounter with the risen Jesus, they were still astounded at the event of
the preceding days, they did not know this day would bring greatness out in
each of them.
There they were with the
doors locked, in fear, when Jesus suddenly stood among them and said, “Peace be
with you.” Was he greeting them with a
blessing? “Peace be with you.” Or was he trying to calm them down? “Peace be with you.”
There is not much he could do
with them, while they were still cowering in the shadows. We know that Jesus
second most important command as to love one another, but what was his
first? “Do not be afraid.” They were afraid, because it was all too much
for them, so he said to them, “Peace be with you.” He showed them his hands and he wanted them
to know that it was really him. John
tells us “The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the lord.”
Here is the importance of
Jesus showing up and showing them his hands and his side; the greatest problem
that the disciples had is the greatest problem you and I have. A lack of
faith. Fear is a lack of faith. Faith in ourselves or faith in others, but
ultimately it is a lack of faith in God.
If we truly were able to trust God and His love for us, couldn’t we handle
anything?
I don’t know if you are
familiar with the name Rollo May he is a famous therapist and author
that many students today read in college.
Among his many books is one titled My Quest for Beauty. The book tells of May’s lifelong search
for beauty and one story is an account of a trip to
Here is what is interesting
about this, Rollo May did not believe in God.
He writes in his book, “I was seized then by a spiritual reality. What would it mean for our world if Jesus had
truly risen?” The answer to this
question is easy. No longer would you
and I be afraid if we knew without a doubt that Christ has risen we would fear
nothing. Are you kidding me? Death is an entrance to God’s glory and the
day of our dying ought to be the happiest day of our life. You believe that? Yes
We are not much different
from those disciples; those men and women on Easter Sunday long ago. We believe it, but there is a part of us that
is still uncertain and doubting. The
gospel reading today contains another story also. Thomas has many comrades-in-arms, we don’t
acknowledge it, but he does. How many of
us spend years of our lives worrying about finances, our health, our loved
ones, about what people think of us or if they think of us at all. If we could truly believe that Jesus did
arise from the grave, if we could truly believe that our lives are in God’s
hands, that God loves us more than we love our own children, then there is no
limit to what God is able to do for us and through us.
Jesus appeared to the
disciples and said to them, “Peace be with you” and then knowing how much their
hearts needed assurance he repeated himself, “Peace be with you.” Jesus taught us to pray for our daily bread,
and taught us not to look ahead at tomorrow’s cares and concerns; they would
take care of themselves, just focus on today and trust God. Some of us can’t do that. Why? Because deep
down we never have enough material resources, we never have enough love, never
enough security. And the meaning of
Jesus showing the disciples his hands and side is that it doesn’t have to be
that way.
Someone has said “The
presence of fear is a sure sign we are trusting in our own strength.” When will we stop hoarding life and start
trusting our loving God? Jesus said a
second time, “Peace be with you.” Then
he added these important words, “As the father has sent me, I am sending you’
and with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’”
Why did those disciples need that
Holy Spirit? Because Jesus would no longer be with them physically and there would
be weeks and months and years when Jesus would not be able to reassure them by
showing his hands and his side. They
would need to depend on the Holy Spirit, which is Jesus’ spirit at work in the
world. Jesus knew this would not be easy
for them, that they would face hardship and deprivation. Without the assurance of Jesus’ Holy Spirit
they would not make it. This is true for
us as well. We believe in Jesus. Each year we have this grand celebration of
Jesus’ resurrection and still we lead timid and tentative lives. We need to pray that Jesus’ spirit will be as
real to us as it was to his disciples, and it was real. They went from being fearful to some of the
most daring people who have ever walked this earth. Ridicule, torture or the threat of death did
not deter them. To answer the question “What
would it mean for our world if Jesus had truly risen?”
Nothing could stop them. That is why more than one billion people on
this planet vow in the name of Jesus.
Their terror would turn to trusting, their fear into faith; they would
leave the panic room to plant the gospel in every corner of the world. The question this morning is: What could you and I do if we truly believed
that Jesus is risen from the dead?
Could we make a difference?
Could we become more loving, more daring in how we carry the cross of
Jesus?
Over the years Bette Midler
has been one of the singers I enjoy, she is also a good comedienne as well as a
singer. A couple of years ago she sang a song and I wrote down the lyrics
because they stuck with me.
“It's the heart afraid of breaking that never learns to
dance. It is the dream afraid of waking that never takes the chance. It’s the one
who
won't be taken, that can not seem to give, and the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live.”
Is that what you are right
now? Are you “afraid of dying who never
learns to live?” Are you hiding in a
spiritual panic room? Jesus can come
into any room and can give you his peace.
Jesus can breath into you his spirit, will you let him?
Don’t let any more of life pass you by, Jesus is alive. There is nothing in heaven or on earth that we ever need to fear. AMEN