This gospel of John is used twice every Season of
Easter. We hear it proclaimed on the 2nd Sunday of Easter and on the
Solemnity of Pentecost. As the gospel
for the 2nd Sunday of Easter, the Sunday is commonly known as “Doubting
Thomas Sunday”. For biblical exegetes, this gospel account is the Pentecost
account in John’s gospel and marks the original ending of the gospel of John,
with the other post-resurrection stories following, added on by other editors
of the gospel. Over the years, I have heard more than one
priest/bishop/cardinal use Jesus’ words, “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven
them, and whose sins you retain are retained,” as the means by which to hammer
home, as forcefully as the Roman soldiers hammered fast Jesus’ hands and feet,
what they believe is the divinely given
power of the Church hierarchy over the laity. For most folks and preachers,
this passage is about the gift of faith expressed in Jesus’ words, “Blessed are
those who have not seen and have believed.” As for me, only four words stand
out as if they are illuminated by neon. They are the first four words spoken by
the resurrected Jesus to his disciples, “Peace
be with you.” These four words encapsulate the reason behind the
Incarnation of Jesus, his growing up as a human being, his ministry of healing,
hope, and love to a very broken humanity, his passion and death, and his
resurrection. The reason of Jesus “to be”
is to bestow upon a broken humanity that which it so sorely lacks, "Peace.” It is not about “power over relationships” that Church
hierarchy loves to quote, for what Jesus extends to all of us is the “power
with relationship” of the creator with the created, expressed in the mutual
sharing of divine peace. The question
that this gospel raises for me is not whether one believes in the risen Jesus,
but whether one believes that the risen Jesus has the power to bestow upon us
God’s peace.
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