Easter 3 B: All of It!
Dear Partner in Preaching,
Late again; short again; sorry again. But here it is:
I think the following is one of the most engaging, hopeful, and beautiful lines in Scripture: “While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, Jesus said to them….” Why do I love this verse? Three reasons.
First, wonder, disbelief, and joy. I have to imagine that one of these three words accurately describes just about everyone who will walk through the doors of our church this Sunday. Some come wondering what they may find, earnestly hoping for a word that makes sense not just to them, but of them. Some come for the sake of someone else, a spouse, parent, or friend, but have their own share of doubts and questions and probably wouldn’t come on their own. And some come for the joy of being greeted by friends, meeting new people, being inspired by music, and hearing the promise of the Gospel which helps them face the week to come. Wonder, disbelief, and joy. No one is left out.
Second, I suspect that not only do these three words capture everyone, but also that each one of us has moments of each. Which means not only that no one is left out, but that not one part of us is left out. We are invited to bring all of ourselves: our wonder when we behold one of the manifold miracles in our lives and realize it is, indeed, a miracle. We are invited to bring our disbelief, and along with that our disappointment or anger, when something in life goes dreadfully wrong and it doesn’t feel like God is there. And we are invited to bring our joy when we are caught up in something larger than ourselves and taste something that moves beyond mere happiness or even delight to a whole-hearted joy over God’s whole-hearted embrace of all of us.
Third, I love that we are reminded that joy and disbelief, wonder and knowledge, courage and fear, confidence and insecurity – these are actually neither polar opposites nor necessary conditions but rather all part and parcel of our experience. Robust Christian faith isn’t about embracing only one side of the equation: joy, courage confidence, belief. Rather, robust Christian faith takes root in the tension of joy and disbelief.
And fourth – I know I only said three, but I can’t seem to stop! – I love that Jesus accommodates them. They’re afraid he’s a ghost. He doesn’t scold them or reprove them or shame them or tell them they shouldn’t expected him. He doesn’t even ask them why they’re still struggling when he not only told them about all this – three times, mind you! – but they’ve already had the testimony of the women, Cleopas and his companion, and Peter. Rather, he just asks for some fish. “You think I’m a ghost. Let me eat something and reassure you.” Jesus once again meets them – meets all of us – where we are in order to embrace our wonder, disbelief, and joy and gather us up into the marvelous, surprising, expectations-defying grace of God.
Finally – I know, I know, we’re up to five! – he then commissions them to be witnesses… even though they’ve hardly proven themselves to be particularly confident of what they are experiencing. You don’t have to have it all together, apparently, to be a witness. Moreover, Jesus invites them to be witnesses to “of these things” or, as I like to translate it, “of all this stuff.” The wonder, the disbelief, the joy, the accommodation, the commission. And we can add in Jesus’ teaching and compassion and ministry and healing. And we daren’t forget Jesus’ crucifixion and now his resurrection. They are witnesses to all this stuff. And witnesses have one and only one job – to tell what you see. To tell the truth. And to not worry about what happens afterward.
So this week, Dear Partner, perhaps we can tell our folks to bring their whole selves – joy, disbelief, wonder, anger, expectations, hopes, disappointments, dreams, and more. Because God is eager to gather them all up, meet us where we are, and send us out to be witnesses, witnesses to how God was present in all of it, accepted all of it, promised to use all of it, even blessed all of it. That’s what God does. And, this week, it’s what we get to do, too. Thanks for your proclamation! It will no doubt prompt joy, disbelief, and wonder, and God will bless it all through your preaching.
Yours in Christ.
David
Post image: Christ appearing to his disciples at the table, Duccio di Buoninsegna, 1308-11.
Worth waiting for
Thank you, David. It doesn’t matter when you post– I really appreciate it when you do. I guess if I wrote my sermon weeks ahead that would be different:) I had been pondering that verse also and you gave me that ‘crack’ into something more relevant and meaningful for our congregation– that we are all welcomed with the full range of feelings and vulnerabilities into the joy and mystery of the resurrection.
David,
I enjoy finding gold nuggets in your thoughts on texts. They often allow me to find the clarity I seek when preaching. Thanks again for sharing your treasure.
It’s a wonderful description of where we all are at one time or another, and then the perfect response that brings us back to the ever-new reality that is most important: Christ is risen!
David-
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Hey Partner, you are behind again and so am I. Will you give brith this week. Enjoy!