The one about your power to heal

In Easter season the church worships, ponders, and considers the resurrection of Jesus.  We are not so much interested in proving the validity or historicity of the claims that God raised Jesus from the dead.  It cannot be proven scientifically.  100% of human experience contradicts the claims of Jesus’ disciples.  We have before us ancient texts, written by Jesus’ followers who tell us what they saw and heard, what they experienced.  Empty tombs and appearances of Jesus in the flesh are only part of that story.  In fact, if we read the gospels, Acts, and all the letters—the easter stories take up only a small part of the material.  Not that much is actually said about the risen Jesus.  In Mark’s gospel, he doesn’t make an appearance and the empty tomb story is a mere 8 verses that ends with the terrified women fleeing the tomb in silence.   Luke and John have extended stories about the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus and on the beach beside the sea.  But even these stories are strange.  Jesus appears, disappears, is recognizable and hidden from their recognition.  He is there, but on his way somewhere.  Going to the Father.  It is told by Luke that after 40 days Jesus ascends, is taken up.  St. Paul records that he appeared to the women and apostles, to 500 people, and finally to Paul himself as one born at the wrong time---as if to say his vision of Jesus was by happenstance, at the wrong place at the wrong time.  Or right place at right time. Not sure what he meant, actually.  Nevertheless, the resurrection was an event that reimagined the power of God and the people of God.  Rather than a divine liberation and rescue of all the people of Israel,  God rescues Jesus from death.  This Exodus was not like the first.  And it did not put an end to Roman oppression.  One could ask, what about the lived experience of the people of God changed as a result of Jesus’ death and resurrection?  This is a critical question for us.  Because we need to have an answer to this accusatory question.  If the answer is, nothing, then why does it matter?  And if it doesn’t matter, then why worship or any devotion whatever?  I suspect some people might say, Jesus was a good teacher.  His teachings inspire.  Living like Jesus is the right way to live.  But was it?  His revision of Torah that rejected purity laws got him crucified.  Jesus didn’t so much teach his followers how to live as how to die.  Basically serve others, pouring yourself out for the needy, until you die. Ok.  Very few people will actually do this.  The rest will fail miserably.  If martyrdom is the Christian life, most of us will opt out.  So what of the lived experience of the people of God changed as a result of the resurrection of Jesus?  That is perhaps more significant than proof of his bodily resurrection.  How did they live after that? 

Peter and John are arrested, standing before the same Jewish leaders that accused Jesus and had him dragged before Pilate and killed.  The High priest was a powerful man of influence and justice in Jerusalem.  He was the shepherd of the flock of Israel, whose job was to keep the peace and the commandments so that the Romans would allow them to practice their religion.  This meant identifying and silencing zealots and extremists.  Were Peter and John two of them?  They healed a man at the gate of the temple.  Then they proclaimed that Jesus of Nazareth was raised from the dead as a sign of God’s favor and vindication in their conflict with Jesus that ended in his crucifixion. If so, Jesus won.  And they said that faith in his name healed that man.  So they arrested them for stirring up the crowds with talk of resurrection from the dead.  And they questioned them and Peter responded with the verse we heard. But verse 13 says it all:  Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were ordinary uneducated men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus.  When they saw the man who had been cured standing there they had nothing to say.”   Peter has been speaking boldly and publicly about Jesus.  It seems that the confrontation between Jesus and the authorities did not end with his death on the cross.  The assumption was that the movement dies with its leader.  But now a new leader has emerged.  Maybe even more than one.  Cut off the head and two new heads emerge.  Peter’s proclamation about Jesus is clear and very Jewish.  He is bold enough to accuse them of killing Jesus, quoting Psalm 118 a Messianic Psalm.  Basically Peter is saying, Jesus was the Messiah, the king.  You killed him.  God raise him from the dead.  That power also healed this man.  If we are being accused of doing a good deed by healing a sick man, let it be understood that we are not guilty.  Jesus is!  And they can’t arrest Jesus.

The community of the resurrection consists of ordinary people with no special abilities, competencies, or powers.  That’s good news for us.  Jesus powers their action. And ours.   Health and healing are signs of God’s mercy.  And when a sick person becomes well, many things change.  His social status changes. He need not beg anymore.  He is whole, so can participate in the community’s religious life.  His healing was not just physical.  He was seen, heard, received, and treated as one worthy of health.  They did not throw money at this problem.  They empowered him to stand.  Healing is spiritual---its about the whole person within a family. One might say everything changed for that person.  The risen Jesus lifts up people who have been made low.  The community of the resurrection acts under that power—the power of love to heal.  How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?  The church is called to respond to that question.  The love we dare is the power of the risen Christ in us to heal people. How have you participated in someone's healing? In a broken health care system in which there are no winners, what is our calling as a community of the resurrection?  What role do we play in health care?  Nutrition?  Education?  Addiction recovery?  Hospitality?  Are we a hospital, welcoming guests in need of care? Do we provide emotional healing or spiritual healing for those who have been wounded by a venomous version of Christianity?  What is your healing story?  Did you know that it was Jesus?   I have been seriously ill three times in my life. Once as a four year old, and twice as an adult. Yet, here I am to tell you that the Lord Jesus healed me so that I may share this good news with you.  Having been infected by Jesus' healing power, we are empowered to become healers in the name of the risen Jesus. How will you and who will you heal this week?  

the one about how faith frees us from fear

The doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews. This was the cultural experience of the first Christians on that first Easter.  Fear.  They were afraid.  And yet, none of them had been arrested alongside Jesus in the garden.  Despite his identity being questioned, Peter is not mistreated by the restless public.  It was clear that Jesus was the one victim and example the Jewish leaders wanted to make.  If you publicly shame and destroy the leader, the followers will abandon the cause.  Better that one man die for the people than all Israel suffer, said the High priest.  So, given this information why were they afraid? 

 The fact that some of the disciples were absent must have caused alarm.  Was Thomas betraying their location, like Judas?  Crucifixion under the Roman occupation was an effective tool to control deviance, to maintain authority and order.  What they did to the human body was gruesome, bloody torture.  Living under violent oppressors for decades, seeing random violence and the destruction of Palestinian bodies, having their land and resources taken from them they were a helpless and hopeless people. Intimidated into paralysis.  But Jesus had helped the people and given them hope.  Hope for freedom and peace.  But they had taken him from them too.  Violence and hopelessness breed a high level of fear.  The disciples had a reason to be afraid.  They had experienced the betrayal and death of their leader.  They were leaderless, lost, and possibly in danger.  What if they were labeled as deviants and seen as a threat and sought for arrest or even death? 

We understand fear.  Despite FDR’s statement, there is nothing to fear but fear itself, we continue to live in it.  Since 9/11 Americans have lived under a constant state of anxiety-producing fear, documented most prominently by sociologist D.r barry Glassner in his book “The Culture of Fear: Why Americans are afraid of the wrong things.”  We live in fear.  The fear of attack.  The fear of violence.  The fear of disease.  The fear of accidents.  The fear of terrorists, gunmen, and violent criminals.  Fear of the other, the non-white, young adult male. Fear of the stranger, the foreigner.  Fear drives daily politics.  Who is threatening us this week? If it bleeds it leads.  News is full of violence, making it seem common and local and universally threatening.  What is the level of concern you have for safety?  The local police are conducting building safety and active shooter trainings for churches.  We will attend one of these in two weeks.  Our doors are not locked.  But many people are suggesting that it is foolish of us not to do so.  And I believe they are right.

Most of the time, when we hear this gospel story, we focus on doubting Thomas.  I think his doubt is not the real matter.  His absence from the group is.  Why wasn’t he with them?  Where was he all week?  What does it mean that Thomas is both present and absent in this story that shows the disciples huddled together in fear?  Was he somehow less afraid? Was he hiding somewhere else?  During his absence, Jesus appears among them.  He shows them his wounds.  They are forced to confront their fear of crucifixion and the taste of disgust that accompanies their fear.  They rejoice that they have seen him.  They evidently leave the house and find Thomas.  This is the first sign that their life as Jesus’ people will continue.  I think this is why Thomas is absent.  So that they have a legitimate reason to leave the house, to seek him out and tell him the news. It restores their mission—to invite others to come and see Jesus!   A week later, Thomas is with them and Jesus appears again.  Like Thomas, Jesus is both present and absent in the story.  He shows up where and when they need him to be present.  He shows up so that others might also come and see.  But more than his mere presence, he gives gifts.  Peace and the Spirit breath of life.  Jesus passes on to them his own breath, his own spirit—that which gives life to his body he gives to them.  We all breathe the same air.  And in this way we are joined to one another. Jesus gives them a spirit of peace.  Can you imagine not feeling anxious or afraid or worried or concerned about safety?  Can you imagine feeling confident and brave?  Can you imagine risking your own safety to do Jesus’ work?   One of my colleagues was arrested on good Friday at a nonviolent protest at Lockheed Martin.  Others face threats because of their public witness. What gives them the courage?   

Somewhere between hiding in fear behind locked doors and the liberal and generous and public testimony about Jesus’ resurrection and the radical sharing of all their possessions, so that no one among them had need—something had happened to them.  Between John 20 and Acts 4, they become a different group of people.  No longer hidden, locked, afraid, they are boldly telling others about Jesus and publicly claiming their loyalty and faith in him.  What happened to them?  The body and the Spirit of Jesus happened to them.  The Thomas problem is how the gospel writer tells us that Jesus’ resurrection appearance was not a collective illusion or trauma induced hallucination.  It was real, happened more than once, and to specific individuals.  Jesus is both present and absent as the crucified and risen Christ. Why? He is free.  Free from death’s power, and therefore free from fear.  Only someone with faith and hope in the resurrection from the dead can be truly free from fear.  From locked doors to public sharing---this is what the body and spirit of Jesus does to the disciples.  He frees them from fear to love with power and joy.  What is he doing with us?  He gives us his body and spirit today.  He is present.  We hear his voice. Receive the holy spirit.  Blessed are they who have not seen and yet have come to believe. He’s moving us out of safety and comfort to confront the world with love and peace.     

The one about the Eunuch, sexual discrimination, and the church's accompaniment mission

We follow a three year lectionary cycle of scripture readings following the life of Jesus and the church year.  We are in season of Easter year B.  The cycle allows us to hear about 70 % of the bible in 3 years.  If we hear all four readings every Sunday, which we don’t.  I’m telling you this for two reasons; one we hear a lot of the bible in worship, but not all of it.  There are good parts that we never hear.  So you have to fill in the gaps yourself.  At home.  With a bible.  Two,  I don’t choose the readings we hear or I preach on.  They’re chosen and sometimes they’re crap.  Sometimes the lectionary is like going on a date with someone you sort of know like a friend set you up?  Sometimes that date is amazing, and you talk for hours and have a ton in common and you can se yourself being in love with this person.  And sometimes its like that date, a dud, the one where you have nothing in common at all.  Nothing to talk about.  No attraction. Just a desire for it to end so you can go home and watch a movie on the couch.  This is the lectionary.  Sometimes it’s a treasure field.  And sometimes its like dumpster diving for a half-eaten piece of fruit.  All of this is to say that about 60% of the time I feel like I’ve heard treasure and have treasure to share.  And 20% I’m still looking for the half eaten banana. 20% is reserved for treasure that I just miss because I’m too tired.  Its not you, Jesus, its me.  Sorry.

Today is a treasure trove.  I could preach three sermons.  So here’s one.  Philip is a Christian and a deacon in Jerusalem.  His job was to serve the poor in the name of Jesus, so the 12 apostles could devote their time to preaching and teaching and writing the gospels.  Instead, a persecution scatters the Jerusalem church and prohibits them from distributing to the poor.  So Philip is waiting.  And Stephen, his fellow deacon is stoned to death for preaching about Jesus.  So Philip doesn’t apply for that position.  Who would?  Then he is sent by the Spirit.  He is dropped into a story.  An Ethiopian Eunuch, in the court of the Queen, and the treasurer of Ethiopia, is traveling home from Jerusalem, in a chariot.  Reading a scroll of the Prophet Isaiah.   This is a very black, very wealthy man.  He is Jay Z.  Wearing Armani.  In a Limo. He is literate.  Though he is likely reading Hebrew and apparently struggling with it.  A personal scroll of the prophet Isaiah was a treasure itself.   He is a worshiper of God.  Jewish religion and theology was known around the ancient Mediterranean.  It was old.  They proclaimed one God, the creator. Their temple was a wonder to behold.  Their sacrificial worship was a massive religious machine.  He is a Eunuch.  A mark of slavery.  Though not to be correlated exactly, this text opens us to acknowledge sexual and physical discrimination.You’ve heard of transgendered or gender nonconforming or queer? These are aspects of sexual identity that I didn’t know about until recently.  I thought people were male or female.  I was ignorant.  But just because we don’t have knowledge or understanding of something or someone doesn’t make them wrong or abnormal.  We get to learn, to grow, to change.  Neither the eunuch nor the 21st century gender nonconforming youth chose a path of vulnerability and discrimination for themselves. This Ethiopian man was someone with a very high status, who was likely dismissed in Jerusalem because of his low status as a eunuch---they were outcasts in Roman and Jewish society.  Gender non-conforming, transgendered, queer.  Not accepted.  Not welcomed.  Branded on his body as a nobody. Unable to participate in the worship of God. He lives with physical humiliation.  He is status inconsistent in a world that loved and required status consistency.  Black men who make it in this country still experience status inconsistency.  The privilege of wealth or education and the disadvantage of being black make for an uncomfortable life.  Philip is sent to this man.  And asks if he understands what he’s reading.  Philip doesn’t seem to notice the external issues---wealthy, foreign government official, branded on his body as a nobody. He sees an internal struggle, pain. He is reading a passage from Isaiah about someone who has experienced humiliation.  And he wonders, is this about Isaiah or someone else?  I think this man went up to Jerusalem to worship and was rejected there because of his status as a eunuch.  I believe he was humiliated in Jerusalem.  Isn't it amazing that he opens this text from Isaiah about humiliation?  I think his question is this;  How is it that my humiliation still haunts me, despite my place in the court of the queen of Ethiopia?  How am I both royal and a nobody at the same time?  I wonder if he heard his own story in Isaiah?  A royal figure who gets rejected in Jerusalem because of his nonconformity.  Philip share the gospel about Jesus with him—a gospel about the Son of God, the savior of the Word.  Titles reserved for emperors. From the house of David.  A King of the Jews, a prophet, a preacher, a healer, a teacher, the hope of the people.  Crucified.  Physically Humiliated.  But raised from the dead.  God turns Jesus’ humility into the power of salvation and life.  Especially for those who experience humiliation and shame.  Jesus death and resurrection means that God loves the rejected ones; the Eunuchs and the gender noncomforming and the transgendered and the queer and the black man and the cis-gendered, heterosexual white upper middle class pew sitter.  So this Ethiopian finds water in the desert, because God is crazy, and says what is to prevent me from being baptized?  Well, eventually the church would.  But on that day, before all the rules and dogma and exclusionary sexual morals, nothing could prevent it. Because nothing can separate us from God’s love for us.  Not even bad religion.  And he was washed and welcomed as a child of God.  And the spread of Jesus’ message leaves Israel in the abused and humiliated and loved body of an African man.  Black and brown bodies received this gospel before us.  They are our ancestors in faith.  Our great grandparents.  What wisdom they have to offer us, if we’re willing to listen.  Just as quickly as Philip entered the story, he left it.  Holy encounters may be brief, confrontational, and transformational.  But these personal one to one accompaniment relationships are where real authentic gospel ministry happens.  This accompaniment mission is how the gospel is shared, transmitted, and spread.  Not by forcing people to read the bible, but by coming alongside people who are wrestling with their shame and pain and humanity in the context of their faith in God.  You may meet someone tomorrow who changes your life, who guides you, shows you God’s love and grace anew, makes you feel welcome and accepted and treasured.  Or you may give that to someone else.  Either way, that’s where we see the risen Jesus.  Amen.