“Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but fearful of the [religious leaders], had locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, ‘Peace to you.’ Then he showed them his hands and side.
The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were exuberant. Jesus repeated his greeting: ‘Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you.’
Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. ‘Receive the Holy Spirit,’ he said, ‘If you forgive someone’s sins, they’re gone for good. If you don’t forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?’”
— John 20:19-23, The Message
By my reckoning, we have been sheltering-in-place to varying degrees for a month now. This morning many locales announced the extension of the stay at home orders through May 15 at the least. So we are deep into this, and the end is not near.
You all have been outstanding in your response to this crisis. You have not only followed the guidance of our elected leaders, you have carried on as best as you can with dignity and grace. You have been amazingly generous, offering help, sharing your talents, and simply offering one another words of good cheer.
It has been, and it will be, tempting to lash out at times in fear and frustration. In parts of the nation we have already seen racially-based attacks, focusing on individuals who had nothing to do with the start or spread of this illness. We have seen plenty of examples of persons being highly critical or even publicly shaming others. Some folks seem to think that pointing out the wrongs of others counts as doing right. I am reminded of the words in the letter of James 1:20 “…for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness.”
On the evening of that first Easter Sunday, Jesus met with the disciples. They were still sheltering-in-place in a house. His first words to them were words of assurance and encouragement: “Peace be with you.” In showing them his wounds, he not only proved who he was, but was also clear and honest with them about the reality of the situation. He wasn’t giving them a false hope. Instead, he gave them something to do. He invited them to be a part of his life-giving work. He calls them to share good news. He said “Just as the Father sent me, I send you” to do the same things he did in his ministry. You have the power to call people to accounts, but also to forgive sins!
We do want to hold ourselves and each other accountable for our behavior. This is our duty as citizens. Our call as believers is to do so in the way that Jesus did: by modeling that holiness, and by encouraging one another. It is much more effective than simply judging others. I love the way that Eugene Peterson paraphrases this in The Message: “If you don’t forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?”
Loving God, we open ourselves to the power of your Holy Spirit, so that we may be channels of your abundant grace. Help us to know that in Christ we have both the authority to point out injustice and the ability to announce forgiveness. Let the Spirit encourage us to encourage others that we might indeed outdo one another in works of mercy. Love, and healing. This we pray in the name of the Risen Christ. Amen.
Pastor George