Seen and Touched

The Gospel Reading (John 20:19-31) for the Second Sunday of Easter is a story of fear and disbelief. The disciples had been hiding behind closed doors, and then they encounter the Risen Christ and he breathed his spirit on them and they believed.

Thomas' Doubting

Thomas was not among them on this first evening. He was still out, searching and hiding. When they all finally met up, the other disciples told Thomas that they had seen the Lord. He didn’t believe them; he needed to see Jesus for himself. This image of the disciples gathered together in a room hiding from the Jews and Roman soldiers only to have the Risen Christ appear in their midst is incredibly moving. The doors were locked but Jesus came through anyway.

Our Doubting

How many of us live our lives behind a locked door? A locked door keeps other people out, we feel safe from what we fear. It protects our privacy. Privacy is important, but it is also a privilege. The average first century Jew didn’t have the luxury of space and had to share rooms. They needed each other and couldn’t afford to close themselves off from one another.

Living the Message

How is it today? Why do some people feel the need to remove themselves from certain parts of society and hide behind a locked door? Jesus enters our life even when we are trying to keep others out. He breathes his spirit on us and we must go out and be seen as we touch others with his message of love.