A shepherd without sheep is a smelly vagrant

By this all shall know that you are my disciples: That you type “Amen” under religious FaceBook updates. — #thingsJesusneversaid. 

On the pulpit of my congregation sits a large bible that is always comfortably opened to somewhere in the middle so notes do not slip off. At least that is what it seems like. In reality, I have it open to a particular chapter: Jeremiah 23.

Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. 2 Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. 3 Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord.

Since I am a pastor, which is a Latin version of shepherd, the reasons might just be obvious. Those who would be shepherds — ordained or by default like parents — of faith in others ought to probably read Jeremiah a few times a year along with John chapters 9 and 10. For those interested, chapter 10 also explains why Jesus is nowhere close to Bethany when Lazarus dies and why Thomas believes their return to Bethany will spell their death. 

The great and beloved Good Shepherd passage from John 10 is commentary on what happens in chapter 9 and Jesus’ words eventually cause the opposition to pick up rocks to stone him. The chapter is not about shepherds. Deep breath . . I know . . hard to stomach. Yes, having a local HHHH kid bring in their fair animal is as much an act of missing the point of the chapter as it is bad for the carpet. So does talking about the vocational history of 1st century agricultural laborers and stained glass pictures of Jesus holding a lamb just barely pass but on the basis of Luke 15. 

The shepherds in question are really leaders of the people. Jeremiah 23 makes this clear as does Ezekiel 34. The rulers, kings and priest and religious experts, are loosely referred to as shepherds in the Old Testament. That tradition might go back to David who is the shepherd turned king. Visions of the messiah include David at least in heritage. Messiah is to be a king like David — only better as in, without the Bathsheba episode — and a priest. It is no surprise then that the first question asked of Jesus after the Good Shepherd speech is: Are you the Messiah? (10:24) 

Jesus’ answer to that question really is: You could know that answer yourself if you where one of mine and if you just can’t make it out then at least consider the evidence of the work I do and ask yourself if mine are not the works of the God of Israel. That answer is not well received.

The “mine” are those who, with Thomas and the man born blind, fall at his feet and say: “My Lord and my God,” in one way or another. The others are “blind,” (9:39) even though some claim to “see,” and by that claim, they are guilty. Woe to those shepherds who have scattered the flock and who have put out of the flock the blind man for the offense of having been healed. 

Woe. What a great word. What are we to gather from this text? Not all of us are pastors or spiritual directors. Yet, many of us are parents and elders in the faith in some form. We are, however, not Jesus. We must let him be the Shepherd, the king and hoped for Messiah.

These things are written that you may believe, writes John in chapter 20. Beyond that, think about what Jesus has commanded you according to John? His commandment is that we love one another. As the epistle of John says: “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God,” and again: “God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.” 

The problem in the fact finding mission of the Pharisees of chapter 9 is that it did not show even a shred of love. They scatter the flock because they do not love the flock. They do not rejoice with a blind man regaining his sight. They do not celebrate that one has been restored to full life. It matters not if the blindness had been a lie. He is not blind or no longer blind. One way or another, a change for the better, a restoration of life has taken place. A lost one has been brought back to life. Love celebrates. 

What then is the opposite that permits the Pharisees to run breathlessly hither and yon at the news that the man can see? Leviticus 19 already commands that one love neighbor as oneself. Surely they knew this. 1 John would say that perfect Love casts out fear. Not any fear though. No, the fear that is spoken of is fear of judgement. For some reason, the healing of the blind man has stirred that fear. Did he sin or his parents? “Neither,” said Jesus. Maybe there is the problem. It is so much easier to think that there sits the sinner and I am not him. There but for the good favor of God sit I. But will you love him? Will you love Thomas who tells you that you are lying about the resurrection? (20:25)

We are all the Lord’s sheep. Will  we love one another as the flock that he tends? For the sake of the Lord who loves his sheep? Even the blind ones? 

The Text for April 19th, the 3rd Sunday of Easter, 2015

First Reading: Acts 3:12–19

¹²When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, "You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk?  ¹³The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him.  ¹⁴But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you,  ¹⁵and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.  ¹⁶And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.

¹⁷And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.  ¹⁸In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer.  ¹⁹Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out.

Psalm 4

Second Reading: 1 John 3:1–7

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  ²Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.  ³And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

⁴Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.  ⁵You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.  ⁶No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him.  ⁷Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

Gospel: Luke 24:36b–48

^36b"Peace be with you."  ³⁷They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost.  ³⁸He said to them, "Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?  ³⁹Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have."  ⁴⁰And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.  ⁴¹While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?"  ⁴²They gave him a piece of broiled fish,  ⁴³and he took it and ate in their presence.

⁴⁴Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you — that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled."  ⁴⁵Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures,  ⁴⁶and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day,  ⁴⁷and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.  ⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things.

Luke 24 i Greek

Greek Study Luke 24:36-53

v36 λαλουντων (λαλεω) pres. part. "while [they] were still talking" – a genitive absolute participle, best treated here as a temporal clause, as NIV.

αυτων gen. pro. "them" - of them. The genitive is adjectival, partitive.

αυτοις dat. pro. "[said] to them" - Dative of indirect object.

υμιν dat. pro. "[peace be] to you" - Dative of interest, advantage.

v37 πτοηθεντες (πτοεω) aor. pas. part. "startled" - This substantive participle and the adjective εμφοβοι, "afraid", joined by και, "and", have a similar meaning and are placed together for emphasis, so serving as a compound predicate for the participle γενομενοι, "having become"; i.e. "they shrank back in terror".

θεωρειν (θεωρεω) pres. inf. "[thinking] they saw" - infinitive introduces a dependent statement of perception expressing what they were thinking.

πνευμα (α ατος) "a spirit” in the sense of a disembodied person, i.e. a ghost.

v38 τεταραγμενοι εστε "troubled" - The participle with the present tense of the verb to-be forms a periphrastic perfect, emphasizing durative aspect; "[why] have you been troubled?”

διαλογισμοι αναβαινουσιν εν τη καρδια "why do doubts arise in your minds?" – a Semitism as reasoning for a Jew took place in the heart.

v39 ιδετε (ειδον) aor. imp. "look" – maybe examine my hands and feet.

ψηλαφησατε (ψηλαφαω) aor. imp. "touch" – a rare word in the NT. 

πνευμα (α ατος) "a ghost" - in the sense of an independent expression of a person after death. By saying he is not a spirit, Jesus is not implying that ghosts do not exist.

v40 ειπων (ειπον) aor. part. "when he had said" - participle is adverbial, probably temporal.

αυτοις dat. pro. "[he showed] them" – Dative, an indirect object.

v41 απιστουντων (απιστεω) pres. part. gen. "while [they still] did not believe" - a genitive absolute, is usually treated as temporal, - not mean faithless or skeptical but "dumbfounded", I lean toward "incredulous - too good to be true".

θαυμαζοντων (θουμαζω) pres. part. gen. "amazement" - stands with απιστουντων, "disbelieving" So “the disciples were "dumbfounded", overwhelmed in amazement by the presence of a spiritual manifestation of Jesus.” It is probably for this reason that Jesus asks for some food. As to the deception of asking for food when he didn't actually need any, "is there any deceit in taking food, which one does not want, in order to put others, who are needing it, at their ease?" Note, some manuscripts add "and of a honeycomb", but this is possibly a later addition, given that honey was used in the early church in the liturgy of the sacraments. Of course, just because Jesus doesn't need to eat doesn't mean he can't enjoy a meal.

v42 οπτου gen. adj. "[a piece of] broiled [fish]" – the genitive serves as a partitive. (this verse was probably added.)

v43 ενωπιον + gen. "in their presence" - Jesus may have had a meal with the disciples, but this is not the point Luke is making. Jesus, the resurrected Lord, ate in their presence, before their very eyes. He "ate it as they watched".

v44 Ειπεν δε προς ουτους "He said to them" - Some suggest this phrase introduces a new incident, possibly Jesus' farewell words to his disciples before the ascension. The argument can be sustained, but probably the words introduce an immediate sequel.

πληρωθηναι (πληροω) aor. pas. inf. "be fulfilled" infinitive forms a noun clause, subject of the verb "is necessary." The gospel begins with the statement, "the time is fulfilled", that is, the promises in scripture concerning the coming messiah and his kingdom are now being realized in the person of Jesus, and therefore, "the kingdom of God is at hand." 

τα γεγραμμενα (γραφω) - perf. pas. part. "that is written" - the participle is adjectival, limiting "everything must be fulfilled". Often used in the perfect of binding legal documents, the authority of which cannot be questioned. 

ψαλμοις (ος) "the Psalms" - psalms. Given that Jesus mentions "the Law of Moses" and "the Prophets" it is quite possible that the third section of scripture, namely "the Writings", which includes the Psalms, is intended.

v45 διηνοιξεν (διανοιγω) aor. "he opened" - revealed. sometimes argued as the giving of the Spirit in line with the giving of the Spirit in John's gospel, Pentecost being the empowering of the Spirit. This is unlikely. Either a spiritual gift of understanding, or a simple explanation of how the scriptures are fulfilled in him; "he explained everything to them…

του συνιεναι (συνιημι) pres. inf. "so they could understand".

v46 ουτως adv. "this is what [is written]" - referring to the content of the scriptural teaching concerning Christ, or causal, "because the scripture must be fulfilled".

παθειν (πασχω) aor. inf. "will suffer" - as with "rise" and "will be preached", the infinitive forms a dependent statement of indirect speech expressing what has been written, namely "that the messiah will suffer ....." The accusative ton criston, serves as the subject of the infinitive.

αναστηναι (ανιστημι) aor. inf. "rise". The resurrection is always difficult to source in scripture. Acts refers to Ps.16:10 and 110.1. Biblical theology is the key to sourcing the scriptural support for the resurrection of the messiah. The messiah is representative Israel and his resurrection constitutes the reconstitution of faithful Israel as promised in scripture. Christ, as the remnant is subjected to the bondage of death (Egypt) and now through the cross (Exodus) gains eternal glory (the Promised Land).

τη τριτη ημερα dat. "on the third day" - adverbial, of time.

v47 μετανοιαν (α) "repentance" - Biblical repentance is not so much a feeling sorry, or even a new-year's resolution to behave properly, but is a change of will or direction, a turning from self to Christ.

αμαρτιων (α) gen. "of sins" - genitive is usually treated as verbal, objective, but it can also be viewed as adjectival, limiting "forgiveness" by making it more specific.

κηρυχθηναι (κηρυσσω) aor. inf. "will be preached" - infinitive as with παθειν, "to suffer", cf. v46. The proclamation of God's mercy to the nations fulfills the third element of the promised blessings to Abraham. "And repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed to all people of every nation."

αρξαμενοι (αρξω) aor. part. "beginning [at Jerusalem]" - adverbial, best understood as "the mission will start in Jerusalem."

v48 υμεις "you" - emphatic.

τουτων gen. pro. "of these things" - genitive is probably adverbial, expressing respect; "you are witnesses with respect to these things"; of Jesus' passion, resurrection, teachings and work.

Here.

The Easter season in the year of Mark is entirely “Mark-free” it would seem. We read from John and we read this week’s pericope from Luke. The story recalled here tells the events that happen in the upper room after the disciples that had met the Lord on the road to Emmaus have returned and made their report. As they do so, we learn that the Lord has already appeared to Simon. The same Simon Peter had been to the tomb early the previous day — days end at sunset — and has seen it empty. 

On the road to Emmaus we found out that Jesus can and does pull alongside those who ponder his life and death. The disciples were speaking of the things that had happened in Jerusalem in Holy Week. But in drawing alongside he is not recognized. The wording suggests that the disciples’ eyes were held captive from recognizing him. Yet, they perceive that something is happening as Jesus lays out the scriptures to them that clarify what has happened on Good Friday. They are mesmerized by the way the “stranger” is talking and cause him to stay with them at evening and as a result, at table in the actions of the Eucharist, they meet him by the simple moment that their eyes were opened. He is present. He is unseen. His movement toward them is not movement at all. When he comes he is experienced as already being present but now revealed suddenly by opening of hearts and minds and eyes. 

As the disciples report their experiences and speak of the awe of the realization that Jesus is alive, this revelation happens again: He stands among them and brings his peace upon them. He teaches and opened minds. He speaks of the forgiveness of sin that they are to preach just as he does in John 21.

He eats in their presence. Perhaps a nod in the direction that resurrected life in physical. The same goes with his assurances that he is real. The old life has left its memories on the new life but that new life has transformed those memories. Wounds inflicted in hate, anger, neglect, betrayal, and denial have left a mark but now seem to be symbols of familiarity and pardon. At the same time, the new life, the resurrected life, is somehow also transcendent. He can be present but absent at the same time and vise versa. 

One might not want to dwell too long on the instruction not to leave town but to wait. Too many Christians are “waiting” for the moment or their own sense of knowing and feeling seem right before they act. In the case of the disciples they already “know.” He has opened their minds and as Peter’s Pentecost sermon shows they have learned. This is done. The power of the Spirit is now being awaited. 

After this, the presence is no longer evident. That is to say, he ascends and they saw him no more. They do not need to it would seem. The Spirit gets to drive the car for the rest of the trip all the way until today. Yes, the latter half of the pericope is the Ascension text. For now, there seems to be a common theme though that perhaps the Spirit will continue: Where Christ’s people meet, there he is as well. Once he was so in the resurrected body. Now it is in the Spirit, but where he is spoken of, where his story is pondered, where bread is broken in his name, there he stands among them. 

The Texts for Sunday April 11, 2015, the Second Sunday of Easter

First Reading: Acts 4:32–35

³²Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common.  ³³With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.  ³⁴There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold.  ³⁵They laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

Second Reading: 1 John 1:1—2:2

Chapter 1

We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life —  ²this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us —  ³we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.  ⁴We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

⁵This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.  ⁶If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true;  ⁷but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.  ⁸If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  ⁹If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  ¹⁰If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

 

Chapter 2

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;  ²and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Gospel: John 20:19–31

¹⁹When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."  ²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.  ²¹Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."  ²²When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.  ²³If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

²⁴But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.  ²⁵So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."

²⁶A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."  ²⁷Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe."  ²⁸Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"  ²⁹Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."

³⁰Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book.  ³¹But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

John 20:19-31 Greek Studies

Greek Study John 20:19-31

v19 ουσης (ειμι)  when it was evening 

τη μια σαββατων "on the first day [of the week]

κεκλεισμενων (κλαιω) gen. perf. pas. part. having been shut the perfect tense emphasizes the locking, now complete. 

εστη εις το μεσον stood in the midst carries here both a sense of motion toward and at rest in.

υμιν dat. pro."[peace be] with you" - dative of interest; an idiom meaning "I pray that all may be well for with you".

  
v20 ειπων (λεγω) aor. part. "after he said [this]" 

εχαρησαν (χαιρω) aor. pas. "were overjoyed" - thrilled.

ιδοντες (ειδον) aor. part. "having seen”.

  
v21 παλιν adv. again καθως "so as" – a comparative.

αποσταλκεν (αποστελλω) perf. "has sent" - perfect tense indicating the action is completed with ongoing ramifications.

καγω and so I adjunctive. πεμπω pres. "I am sending" – an emphatic present tense indicating ongoing action.

  
v22 ειπων (λεγω) aor. part. "[and] saying that" - participle is adverbial, temporal; "and when he had said this".

ενεφυσησεν (εμφυσαω) aor. "he breathed" – a hapax legomenon, possibly reflecting the divine breath in creation – a clash with Luke's account of Pentecost - one would expect that this is the appropriate moment for the empowering of the disciples for their ministry, but its clash with Luke's Pentecost account is not easy to explain. Pentecost is the moment we witness the outpouring of divine power so maybe John's account is inward?

λαβετε (λαμβανω) aor. imp. "receive" - translation "receive" is ingrained, but possibly "accept", even "welcome" makes more sense.

  
v23 αν + subj. "if" - a conditional clause, 3rd class, where the condition stated in the "if" clause (protasis) has the probability of coming true; "if, as may be the case, ...... then ....." In English the use of "if" conveys doubt, in the Greek, certainty.

αφητε (αφιημι) aor. subj. "you forgive" - the word order makes "forgive" emphatic. To release a person of the consequence of their sins. This authority is given to the apostles and it is reasonable to argue that it extends to all believers. 

τινων gen. pro. "anyone's [sins]" - genitive is possessive.

αφεωνται (αφιημι) perf. pas. "they are forgiven" - a proleptic perfect tense.

κρατητε (κρατεω) pres. subj. "do not forgive"  

v24 ο λεγομενος (λεγω) pres. pas. part. "the one called Didymus"  the participle serves as a substantive, standing in apposition to "Thomas". As a nickname, "Twin", seems a bit far fetched.

v25 ελεγον (λεγω) imperf. "[the other disciples]said. imperfect may express ongoing action, "they kept saying to him".

εωρακαμεν (οραω) perf. "we have seen" - as with Mary in v18, but these are men so the witnessing holds greater impact.

των ηλων (ος) gen. "[the] nail [marks]" – literally the nail scars.

βαλω (βαλλω) aor. subj. "put [my hand]" – a strong word, so "thrust my hand into his side."

v26 μεθ ημερας "a week later" - after eight days counting the following Sunday.

κεκλεισμενων (λκειω) gen. perf. part. "though [the doors] were locked" - The participle is adverbial, but given that the participle is part of a genitive absolute construction, temporal is more likely; "When the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them”.

v27 τω Θωμα (α ας) "to Thomas" - Dative of indirect object.

μη γινου απιστος "stop doubting" - do not generate unbelief; the command takes the present imperative, here the cessation of action, so "stop doubting".

αλλαÄ"but [believe]" – a strong adversative.

  
v28 ο κυριος (ος) "My Lord" - usually taken as a vocative; "you are the one who rules over me.

  
v29 μακαριοι adj. "blessed" -  a state of joy in response to benefiting from God's favor.

οι μη ιδοντες (ειδον) aor. part. "are those who have not seen" - participle serves as a substantive, the aorist is gnomic, expressing a universal truth.

  
v30 σημεια (ον) "miraculous signs"- the original ending of John, or at least that secgiton often referred to as the “Book of Signs”..

ενωπιον + gen. "in the presence of [his disciples]" - possibly temporal; "while he was with his disciples."

v31 γεγραπται (γραφω) perf. pas. "written" – the perfect indicating completion of the writing. What is written is written. A very important statement in that it declares John's purpose for writing the book, a purpose which is clearly evangelistic.

ινα + subj. "that [by believing you may have life]" - a purpose clause, but also a consecutive clause expressing result; "and so (as a consequence) gain life by 

πιστευοντες (πιστευω) pres. part. " believing" - the participle is modal, expressing manner, so "through this faith".

εν τω ονοματι αυτου "in his name" – the  preposition εν may be expressing the sense of corporate union, that is God's gift of eternal life is found in union with his Son - "name" = person; so "in union with the person of Christ". "The name" can also carry the sense " authority of", such that εν would then take an instrumental sense, "by, through, or with = under his authority."

Are you the One?

Without Easter we are history -- Carl E. Olson

A week after the resurrection events another appearance of Jesus occurs: The appearance to Thomas. This timing of the Gospel of John has obviously led to the habit of appointing that text to our lectionary every second Sunday of Easter.

I tell a story of a congregation in Washington Sate now and again. They were rich with woodworkers once and did much of their own work. One of those projects was the altar complete with the carving work on the face of it. The piece is absolutely beautiful. But, this is the here and now where things are kind of imperfect. The artist was an expert carver. He was not a student of antiquities or the Roman numeral system. As a consequence, the second table of the law is numbered as follows: IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, XI, X. Don’t see the mistake? Look again . .  Now you saw it! Yes, there is a question that this altar asks: What exactly is the 11th commandment? Being one who loved the Gospel of John, Pr. Phil Falk of blessed memory began to answer that question by saying: “Thou shalt be community.” (Jn 15:17)

In the continuity of the Gospel of John, Jesus’ greeting to the disciples at his first appearances is really a matter of continuity. His peace he leaves with them, not the worlds peace, but his peace. (14:27) The denial of Peter, and the unbelief of Thomas are the result of the false peace of and with the world. Does the world actually have peace to give and is what it can give actually peace? Let us remember that for 30 years the world kept “peace” by a system of mutually assured destruction. We now call it: “The Cold War.” Or is that: “the cold peace?” Maybe it is the same thing.

In a cold peace the Peters of the world do what it takes to stay alive, knowing their lack of faith and loyalty and oddly scared by the most common occurrences, even the noise of a rooster, that jolt their consciences back to their guilty states. In a cold peace the Thomas of the world live in hopeless disappointment with deep cynical scars on their sense of trust, having been betrayed by the world’s disposal of their hopes. In a cold peace the Mary Magdalens of the world cry by graves morning not just death but total deprivation of all that they love — even the dead tokens of the cherished memory seems to have been taken from them leaving them to wonder if everything that ever mattered to them actually ever happened. (20:13) 

Peter can live on but will always be guilty to the core by his own reckoning but putting on a brave combative front to cover it up and make sure you do not remind him. Thomas will live on, but never hope, commit, or trust again, wondering if anything really matters. Mary will live on but always wonder if anything is really real or if this is all but a crazy dream or, to use the bard’s words, a tale told by an idiot.

As Jesus appears post resurrection these are the people and the realities that he addresses person to person. Others witness Jesus, but these three get their names linked to a particular resurrection encounter. Those encounters have a certain commonality: He is familiar but he is strange somehow. He is not recognized. He is not expected. He is ambiguous but the situation eventually reveals it is he. (20:15, 20:26ff, 21:4ff) Yet in all these he is eventually recognizable precisely by the very scars that the world carved hoping to gain and maintain its cold version of peace. The fact that he lives exposes that that peace is a lie. His words tend to address the malaise of their souls so to take them out of the world’s peace and into the peace that he is bidding them. 

It is an otherworldly peace that they are to live in and under, this group that shall be community. It seems to be the peace of the disciple that Jesus loved. The one who knew the servants at the high priests home and got Peter into the courtyard, yet himself in equal danger did not deny Jesus. He is also the one who saw and believed at the sight of the folded grave clothes. He is one who recognizes the voice and ways of Jesus in the work of the Spirit in the midst of the community. He is the one who follows and will follow until eternity should Jesus will it. (20:9, 21:7, 21:20) He was handed over to Mother Mary at the foot of the cross and he inherited her as his own mother in that moment as well. He somehow believes. Are you the one?