Sermon 4-11-2010 Psalm 150
Luke 24: 13-24 (25-53 selected)
What Happens Next?
Last week felt to me like the story was incomplete. I wanted to say more about Thomas. It ended with Thomas doubting the other disciples’ story about Jesus’ resurrection. But there is more than just dealing with the reality of the resurrected for him, it was about seeing and believing. Some of us can identify with Thomas, “often today persons tend to be skeptical of things they cannot see. Moreover, they generally assume that what science cannot explain is not true… The risen Christ seems to address this problem when he says to Thomas, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’ ” (John 20:29)
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PRAYER
The younger brother of Thomas, was there when Jesus and Thomas had their
encounter this and is what he remembers:
“Thomas didn’t really touch him.
I would have.
What can you prove just by looking?
Since when is seeing believing?
They killed my brother’s friend
That’s a fact.
And Thomas just went crazy.
I was there.
It hurt to hear him cry like that.
I don’t want to go crazy as Thomas has.
And then, this story starts:
that Jesus isn’t dead,
that he’s been seen
walking through the walls,
showing up at supper time.
But nobody, nobody has touched him.
Thomas didn’t buy it.
I wouldn’t have either.
Never listen to an eyewitness.
Get the facts firsthand.
Don’t settle for someone
you can’t get a hold of.
But, then, this ghost or hoax appeared
and called his name.
Thomas took one look
and thought that he’d seen God.
He really didn’t touch him, see.
But doubting Thomas believes.
It would take more than that to convince me.
Doubting runs in the family.” (idem)
Does doubting run in your family? We have some doubters too in ours!
For Thomas and the other disciples, the question remains what happens after the
resurrection? For as a church, even though we have come a long way during this
Interim time, we still have to ask ourselves what happens next?
Let us look at the text which has taken us back to Jesus’ first appearance to the
disciples, and let’s find out what this interim minister did in this case.
For these first disciples “an interim time was needed for the tremendous transition
of moving… from the cross (the end) to the new beginning (the resurrection).”
As we “…think about the transition going on in the minds of the disciples,…” let us
also think about the transitions we have had for the past 19 months together.
“We can easily translate this marvelous story into interim ministry terms…” and see
how Jesus applied the five developmental tasks to his ministry with them.
“As any trained interim pastor would do, Jesus makes a quick entry into the midst
of these despairing disciples and invites them to discuss the pain they felt. Jesus
skillfully made himself part of the group yet remained outside of it, which allowed
him to help with their grief work so they could talk about it and avoid denial.
In despair this little congregation of disciples wandered aimlessly in what today we would call dysfunction. Maybe that is why some decided to take the walk to Emmaus. They were expressing hopelessness… Now what do we do? Our leader has left! Jesus moves quickly to the interim task of helping the disciples come to terms with their history (the first development task). They had forgotten that part of their past had to be retold in order to give them hope for their future:
Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory? Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.” (Luke 24:25-27)
Sharing the disciples’ loneliness, Jesus consents to spending time with them at a meal. Breaking bread together becomes a healing and revealing act as Jesus leads them into discovering a new identity (the second developmental task):
“When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him…” (Luke 24:30-31)
The disciples’ discovery of the new reality of Christ’s continual presence is the beginning of a great future:
They said to each other, “were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?”
(Luke 24:32)
The two disciples cannot contain their enthusiasm. The hope that is in Christ must be shared: “That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together… and they told them what had happened on the road…and how he had been known to them in the breaking of the bread.” (Luke 24:33-35)
It is as though Jesus, the interim pastor, was furthering the task we call renewing linkages (the third developmental task), a process that began with a meal and inspired them to hurry back to Jerusalem where the larger church was meeting.
Jesus in his short role as an Interim pastor, has now also managed some leadership shifts (the fourth developmental task). No longer would the rabbi from Nazareth be there to instruct and lead his followers. He would be leaving this to new leadership from among these newly equipped disciples:
“You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father has promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high. (The Holy Spirit that is) (Luke 24:48-49)
The final developmental task was about to be engaged. It was now the time to commit to a new future (the fifth task).
“Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.
(Luke 24:50-53)” (Roger S. Nicholson. “Temporary Shepherds,” pg.124-125)
“This first appearance of Jesus to his followers became their “ordination” for
ministry. Jesus’ mission of God’s love for the world became their mission with God’s
breath of the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ task to take away the sins of the world was
accomplished at the cross. The resurrection restores the brokenness of the
relationship with God and the broken relationship with others – now the
proclamation of the good news of the resurrection became their task and continues
to be our task today.
How do you envision your part in that proclamation here at Central Square?
Thomas was not there at Jesus’ first appearance. He doubted and would not believe
the testimony of the others. But with his own experience of the risen Christ he
made the move to believe that God had indeed raised Jesus from the dead.”
(Nan Duerling. “The Word and You,” vol.2, pg. 158)
Are we like Thomas? Doubters, because we need to see in order to believe?
“We are called to believe without seeing and to enter in relationship with the risen
Christ. Christians cannot prove and explain Jesus’ resurrection. But the resurrection
explains (our) existence as Christians.” Amen!
(Nan Duerling. “The Word and You,” vol.1, pg. 154)
BENEDICTION
What happens next?
As Christians we have only one task…
We are here to share the good news of the Resurrection.
Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed. Amen!
