Third Sunday of Easter
Last week I preached that the time after Easter is tougher for me than Lent. Whereas Lent focuses me and keeps me disciplined, the time after Easter makes me relax and lose some of that focus. Since I preached that, I cannot tell you how many people came to me and said that they felt the same way. In fact, I met people whose prayer life has gone into total disarray since Easter. This is what is most disheartening for me – that whereas I experience a letdown after Easter, the readings point to a post-resurrection church which is on fire. That bugs me. Why can we not be on fire like the post-resurrection church?
Today, I would like to use the three reading to reflect upon the post-resurrection church and find ways for us to be on fire as well.
a) Just last week we had heard how the disciples had locked themselves upon in a room for fear and skepticism. We see a radically different church in action in today’s first reading. Peter is uncompromising about the identity of Jesus (Jesus is connected to the entire salvation history beginning from Abraham), what led to his death (the people trading Jesus for a murderer), and his conviction about Jesus’ resurrection. However, Peter wants to take his audience from the past into the future. The path to the future is very clear – that the hearers recognize their ignorance, that they repent of their actions and be converted to the cause of Jesus. If last week we heard Jesus telling his disciples “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them…,” then Peter was in reality bringing this forgiveness to the very people who were responsible for the death of Jesus.
What does this mean for us? Each of hold many convictions about how we perceive the world and our relationship with the world. For example, I am sure we are radically convinced that for children to have meaningful lives we should offer them the best in education. Similarly, we have political convictions, convictions about our work and the way to handle our finances and even convictions about the best about our sports teams. Now, hear my question really, really carefully. I am not asking you what you believe about Jesus. I am asking you, “What is your faith conviction?” I mean, what is it about your faith in Jesus Christ that you are willing to die for? And please do not limit faith to pro-life or social justice. What is the core of your faith in Christ for to which you can give witness without fear? Hopefully, we can think and pray about it this week.
b) The second reading from the letter of John brings another realization to us – the reality of sin and forgiveness. We must remember three things about Christianity at this time. First, that many people believed that once sins were forgiven in baptism one could not sin anymore. They believed that Jesus was coming very soon and when he came they would want him to find them without sin. Second, the sacrament of reconciliation had not developed fully yet so there was no way to confess one’s sins and get forgiveness an absolution. Third, there was a deep consciousness in the early Christians that it was sin caused the death of Jesus on the cross. So, John was asking his community to recognize the reality of sin even after baptism. He places the ideal before them: “I am writing to you that you may not commit sin.” You I know what a tall order this is. But then, he quickly adds, “But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one.” In other words, he provides a way out if people sin after their baptism.
What does this mean for us? First of all it means that we recognize the cost of sin. Once look at the cross and the cost of sin is clear to us. This means that out of our love for Christ we take sin very seriously. Our goal should be still be, as John says, “that we may not commit sin.” But if we do end up where we do not want to we must not lose heart. Because while the cost of sin is incalculable, the effect of Christ’s death on the cross is also beyond our imagination. The cross of Christ tells us that the merciful and redeeming love of God is boundless and limitless. Our sin, if we recognize it and seek forgiveness, can never separate us from God.
c) The gospel reading is yet another account of the appearance of Jesus to the disciples. However, it is the end of this resurrection appearance that gives us some food for thought. In that final address to his disciples, Christ commands that the suffering, the death, the resurrection and forgiveness of sin is preached in his name to all the nations. Peter and the disciples accomplished this in two ways. First, they proclaimed the good news like we heard in today’s first reading. But then, more importantly, they BECAME the message. Their martyrdom is a witness to this.
What does this mean for us? I want you to imagine this strange image. Imagine that we are all in God’s presence in Heaven. How many people do you think will point out to you or me and say to God, “I heard about Jesus from him or her.” How sad would it be it no one pointed out to us. Christ has given us the greatest piece of good news to take to the world. Let us not proclaim the message but also become that message.
Fr. Satish Joseph