April 8, 2018
Readings:
First Reading; Acts of the Apostles 4:
32-35
Psalm: 118
Second Reading: 1 John 5: 1-6
Gospel reading according to John (20:
19-31)
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Homily:
Appearance of Jesus to his Disciples
and to doubting Thomas
Jesus was resurrected from the dead, and
he is alive!
But almost all the disciples,
particularly the apostles, were in hiding and nowhere to be found due to the
fear of the Jewish authorities, that they might be put to prisons, interrogated
by the elders and leaders of the temple about Jesus, King of the Jews, and that
they might suffer and die the same fate of their Master and Teacher. They did not yet understand what Jesus told
them and what was written in the Scriptures about the suffering servant, about
the Lamb of God, the meaning of the Passover, the water flowed from the side of
the temple and about his crucifixion, death and resurrection, etc. The disciples were afraid, and it hindered
them to move from their hiding places.
They were all stupor because of fear, anxiety, horror and all forms of
fear, of what will happen to them now that their Master and Teacher was gone,
for they did not believe what the women told them about Jesus’ resurrection and
brought back to life, as what the angels told the women, especially of Mary of
Magdala’s report.
So, to remove that fear of the disciples,
Jesus appeared to them. “On the evening of that first day of the week”
(John 20: 19); it was evening for the disciples were still in the dark moment
of lost, grief and death of Jesus Christ, the light of the new day did not show
yet to them. They were covering and
hiding in the dark places so that nobody can see them. It was already a week past when Jesus was
raised from the dead. “. . . when the
doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews” (John 20:
19), the doors were locked, maybe double locked, so that nobody can come in and
goes out, so that people outside will not see them and they might think that
nobody is inside in that locked doors.
All of this is because of fear of the Jews, especially the authorities
from the temple. “Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with
you’.” (John 20: 19). Despite the
doors were locked, Jesus was able to penetrate in that closed doors, came in
and now was standing in their midst. He
greeted them and said to them, “Peace be
with you,” as if he was saying to them, “Do not be afraid about the Jews and
even to death for I won them,” or “Do not fear of me, I have already forgiven
you when you abandoned me, and let me die alone.” There is nothing to fear for Jesus was
conquered all, even death. He has triumphed
over Satan, the enemy of God, as well.
To prove that he is alive and not a
ghost, he showed the marks of nails that pinned his hands and feet on the
cross. “When he had said this [Peace be with you], he showed them his hands [and feet] and his side” (John 20: 20).
After he showed his hands, feet and side, that the only time the disciples
believed and rejoiced. Now that they saw
him and the evidences marked in his body, they believed. The saying still goes, “To see is to
believe.” Unless otherwise they see it,
they would not believe it. “The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord”
(John 20: 20). What if Jesus did not
show himself right away to these disciples of him? Did they rejoice and believe to Jesus
resurrection from the dead? Did they
have courage to face their enemies? Did
they continue hiding and/or where did they go to hide themselves from the
authorities? But Jesus was promptly to
grasp and understand the situation of his disciples, so he revealed himself to
them early at night where the disciples were hiding. Jesus’s appearance and peace brought joy and
rejoicing to his disciples and to us as well.
For the second time, “Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with
you’.” (John 20: 21) to sink to their heart, mind, soul and body that they
are forgiven, nothing to worry about and they were understood. The peace of Jesus is greater than those in
authority, with power but cannot save and serve. The peace of the Lord releases those in
bandage of sin and death. The peace of
the Lord gives life to the fullest. After giving the second peace offering,
Jesus was commissioning his disciples to proclaim the Good News throughout the
whole world. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (John 20: 21). Jesus knew that his Father was the One who
sent him in the world to announce the Kingdom of God’s love and mercy and
compassion. Now, it was the Son of God
who is sending the disciples into the world to proclaim what they have heard,
saw, learned from Jesus, the Christ.
Though the disciples were still afraid, Jesus gave them encouragement
and assurance by giving them the power of the Holy Spirit. “And
when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Received the Holy
Spirit” (John 20: 22). At this early
point in time, Jesus gave to his disciples the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit of
love, patience endurance, perseverance, courage to all hardships and pains they
will encounter when they go out into the whole world, with the command of
forgiveness of sins, “Whose sins you forgive
are forgive them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (John 20: 23). The resurrection of Jesus brought also of the
forgiveness of our sins.
One of the disciples, who hid himself
too far from the community of locked doors, Thomas, Didymus (Thomas in Aramaic
and Didymus in Greek both mean twin) sometimes called the doubting Thomas, was not around
when Jesus for the first time appeared to his disciples, and learned that Jesus
was resurrected from the dead. “Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came. So
the other disciples said to him, ‘We have seen the Lord’.” (John 20:
24-25). Now that they have courage to
face their fear, maybe they went out from their hiding, looked for Thomas who
was hiding too and when they found him they told him what had happened in the
past week. “But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not
believe’.” He was not easy to
believe or convince, unless he sees the nail marks in his hands and feet, and
touch/feel the wound at Jesus’ side pierced with lance. Again, as truly Jew he needs signs to prove
the truth.
Now, he went to that house where doors
were locked and all the disciples were present.
They were telling Thomas about their experienced when Jesus appeared and
entered while the doors was locked a week ago after his resurrection and
appearance. He was told how they were forgiven
and received the peace and the Holy Spirit after they were commissioned to the
world. “Now a week later his disciples
were again inside and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and
said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said
to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hands and put
it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe’.” (John 20:
26-27). Thomas put his finger into
Jesus’ hands and saw the nail marks on them, and he even put his hand on his
side and felt the warmth of his wound.
After this, “Thomas answered and
said to him, ‘My Lord and my God’.”
He was crying, and tears fell down on his face, cheek, beard and all the
hair of his skin were raised up, his heart was pumping fast, for now he saw his
Master and Teacher alive; his unbelief was changed with highest faith and
unfathomable belief. “My God and my Lord” was the confession
of an eyewitness, who experienced the presence of God and Lord. He or she claims also who God and Lord is.
Another truth is revealed not only to
his disciples, especially to Thomas, but even to us, “Jesus said to him, ‘Have you come to believe because you have seen
me? Blessed are those who have not seen
and have believed” (John 20: 29). We
are blessed indeed for though we did not see Jesus when he was born, became
man, turned to adult, ministering in Galilee, feeding thousands, healing
different kinds of sickness and disease, raising dead to life, and many other
works of God he performed, and in the end suffered and died on the cross, but
on the third day he rose again from the dead.
All of these we were not experienced and not seen yet we believe in him
who died for the expiation of our sins and that we might bring to God his
Father and to have eternal life in the Kingdom were his disciples preached to
us.
John concluded his gospel by saying,
“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not
written in this book. But these are
written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name” (John 20:
30-31). Yes, we believe in our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ, Son of God, who is now with us until the end of time. Amen.
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