Good morning. We have been “under the influence” for 19-20 months. I don’t mean we have been driving inappropriately, I am speaking of the COVID/Pandemic. For over 19 months our culture as a whole and the church of our Lord in particular has been defined in many ways by COVID concerns and protocols. I don’t know about you but I have grown quite tired of it. I am tired of hearing about it. I am tired of dealing with it. I am especially weary of the negatives this virus, and our cultural reaction to it, have imposed upon us. But perhaps this is an opportunity for a new beginning.
Consider what was happening with the disciples of Jesus immediately after His crucifixion. The church’s mission began with three things that we are very familiar with in these COVID concerned days: fears, tears, and doubts.
When Jesus was taken away from them and given over to the Romans for crucifixion, His followers were terrified. They were consumed by their fears. We read about this in John chapter 20.
Jesus’ closest followers were in hiding. They were crammed into the upper floor of a house in Jerusalem. They were terrified that the Jews would point them out as His followers and that the Romans would be setting a cross on Golgotha with their name on it. Their hearts were broken. They believed that Jesus, whom they loved, and trusted, and admired, who they had even dreamed might be the Messiah of God, had failed. He couldn’t stand up against the powers in control of the Jewish leadership, and it seemed that He certainly couldn’t stand up against Rome. These enemies had arrested Him, tortured Him, and crucified Him. For the disciples, He was their leader, but no one wanted to follow Him with a cross of their own.
John 20 begins with Mary Magdelene weeping her heart out. She was confused and felt completely lost. She had gone to the tomb to care for His remains, and He was gone. She was devastated. We read in John 20:11-13 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” This takes place after Peter and John had run to the tomb to investigate. They had overcome their fear in order to find out more of what was happening. I am not sure that Mary was as overcome with fear. It seems that her grief had overpowered all other emotions. In verse 14 Mary is confronted by Jesus. As the moment begins, she continues to be lost in doubts, grief, and confusion. Her tears of grief are clouding all judgement. Jesus convinces her that He is, in fact, risen, and He commissions her. She is to go to the disciples and tell them the truth of His resurrection.
As we move on to verses 19-23 we read that the disciples continued to be hidden away in terror, but Jesus comes to them. He shares a meal with them. Then Jesus commissions them: On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, with the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were made glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
Jesus tells them that as He has been to Israel, so they, His Body, are now to be to the world. It is time to go beyond the fears, the tears, and the doubts, and get the job done.
The next week the disciples are again gathered, and the doors are still locked. On this occasion, Thomas has joined them. Whatever doubts were shared by the rest of them, Thomas’ doubts were greater. He tells them that he will need grisly, physical evidence before he will believe. Jesus joins them once again, and the evidence demanded is given. Thomas’ doubts turn to joy.
Tears, locked doors due to fear, and doubts all seem to run together. We have shed tears for those infected and for those lost to the virus. We have locked our doors in fear, hoping that we could keep the pandemic away. We have been filled with doubts. We doubt the way this has been handled. We doubt the reality of what the virus is and what it means. We doubt the rules, the mandates, and the need for such things.
This much is certain: our fears, tears, and doubts have served the enemy well. We are too often divided. W are too often afraid. We are too often angry. We are too often sick, some from the virus and others from the brokeness it has caused.
Is there room for faith and for hope? We have, here at New Life Christian Church, for several months reopened our doors, so is it time that we reopen our hearts? Too long we have let the enemy keep us bowed in fears, tears, and doubts. It is time to stand up and see Jesus. It is time to accept His commission. It is time to get back to worshipping together and doing the job Jesus has given us to do.
Mary’s grief turned to Joy. Thomas’s doubts turned to joy. The overwhelming fears shared by his disciples turned to joy. I believe it is time for us to turn from tears, fears, and doubts, and come back to joy.
Vern