Second Sunday Of Easter
JOHN 20:19-31 (Acts 4:32-35; Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24; 1 John 5:1-6)
On Easter Sunday the gospel reading reported the visit of Mary Magdalene to the tomb of Jesus. Next there was a visit from Simon Peter and the disciple called “the Beloved Disciple.” All found the tomb empty. As the story continues, Mary of Magdala, ever the faithful disciple, remained close to the tomb where Jesus’ body had been buried. She looked in and saw two angels in white sitting at the head and the foot of the place where Jesus’ body had been. There is a brief dialogue between the angels and Mary. She turned away from the tomb and saw a man she thought was the gardener. It was Jesus. He commissions her to report the Good News to “his brethren,” that he was alive. Since an apostle means “one who has been sent,” Mary becomes apostle to the apostles. She reported to them as commanded by Jesus.
In the first part of this Sunday’s gospel, though the doors of the place where the disciples were hiding were secured out of fear of arrest, Jesus suddenly stood among them. He greets them, “Shalom alachem.” He shows them the wounds in his hands and side. After another Shalom he states his commission from the Father and his commissioning of them to carry on his work, “As the Father has sent me, so do I send you.” He breathes the Holy Spirit upon them. It is important to point out that in Hebrew, Greek and Latin the word for Spirit is the same as the word for breath: ruah, pneuma, spiritus respectively. With his divine breath Jesus breathed life into the gathered disciples representing the whole Christian community, the Church. The Church was born in blood and water from the side of Jesus on the cross just as any human birth is accom-panied by the same elements. Now the Church is breathed into life by the creative breath of the risen Lord Jesus bestowing the Holy Breath of life, the Holy Spirit. This first section of this Sunday’s gospel is also the gospel for Pentecost. More detailed comment will be given then.
The second part of this Sunday’s gospel is the story of doubting Thomas. He was not present with the other disciples during Jesus’ first post-resurrection visit. They tell him, “We have seen the Lord.” Thomas’ famous doubting arrogance comes into play, “Unless I see in his hands the impression of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.” John writes, “Eight days later…,” [that is, eight days after Jesus’ first appearance to them.” These words determined the use of this gospel reading on the eighth day after celebrating the resurrection of Jesus.] The doors were again securely closed, but Jesus stands among them. Another Shalom Alachem! The disciples had suffered traumatic experiences just a little over a week earlier – the arrest, trial, and execution of their leader, betrayal of him by one of their own, the threat of their own arrests. This is why John notes the repetition of Jesus’ Shalom. The word has profound meanings of security, safety, total wellbeing.
Thomas gets the attention from now on. Although no one has told Jesus about Thomas’ refusal to believe the Good Tidings of Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus knows the whole story. This is one of many instances in the Gospel of John proclaiming Jesus’ more than natural human knowledge. This was long before satellites above us and hidden cameras around us recorded our every move. Jesus challenges the doubter, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Put out your hand and place it in my side.” Then a final demand, “Do not be unbelieving, but believing!” The others had all seen Jesus and did believe. Thomas represents all future Christians who are expected to accept the words of the Easter proclamation but refuse. They want experimental proof.
The gospel does not tell us if Thomas complied with Jesus’ invitation to physically touch his wounds. This was no longer needed. As a symbol of all who in future generations would receive and accept the Easter proclamation, Thomas yields in humble adoration, “My Lord and my God!” In John’s gospel there are many more affirmations of the divine character of Jesus than in the other gospels. This gospel breathes the “Godness” of Jesus. This profession of faith in Jesus as Lord and God is the plain, bold climax of all of the previous affirmations that Jesus is God. The most noticeable affirmations of Jesus as God flow through this gospel from John 1:1, “and the Word was God,” thru the repeated attribution to Jesus of the Divine Name “I AM,” to Thomas’ great profession of faith, “My Lord and my God!” The physical, biological presence of Jesus of Nazareth walks among us no longer. Thus we cannot do what Thomas was invited to do with finger and hand. We can imitate his act of faith, and draw upon ourselves the blessing Jesus now gives, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe!”
The third part of this Sunday’s gospel is a foundation for the Catholic teaching of oral tradition before and beyond the written documents of the New Testament. John writes, “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book.” While the other gospels speak of miracles or deeds of power or wonderworks of Jesus, the Gospel of John calls them “signs.” John includes seven of Jesus’ signs in chapters 2 through 11. They are signs of the various identities of Jesus. John states the purpose of the seven great signs he included, “…but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah (Christ), the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his Name.” That Name that gives life is ascribed to God in the Old Testament and to Jesus in the New Testament. “HE WHO IS,” or ” I AM.”
