Peace be with you – John 20:19-31
Can you imagine how afraid they must have been? They had seen their leader put to death by the anger of their own people and the cooperation of the Roman authorities. Would the chief priests and Pharisees be content with the blood of this man or would they go after others? There were at least twelve who were well known as his followers and a number of women who travelled with him. Maybe they would come after them. No wonder the doors in the upper room were closed – we can only guess that they would be closed very tightly. And then there was this absurd story that the stone had been rolled away and the tomb was empty. What was that about? And just suppose by some chance there was truth in the matter. Where would they stand then? How would he greet his closest friends – if friends are what you could call them? All of them deserted him, save John who stood at the cross with his mother and some other women. Peter, as was predicted denied even knowing him and Judas had betrayed him with a kiss, in the garden. Surely there would be some embarrassing moments and some explaining to do if there was a resurrection encounter.
And then from no where he is among them. “Peace be with you.” It is no wonder that he had to repeat himself. “Peace be with you,” a second time. One could have expected “you rotten pack of so and so’s ; how could you have run off and left me; Peter did you really deny me and Judas we need to talk!” No such account is given. The first words to the disciples post-resurrection are “Peace be with you”. The resurrection does away with vengeance, violent retribution and pay back. The modus operandi of the post-resurrection community is to be one of peace and reconciliation. Immediately after his words of peace he breathes into them the same spirit. You are to be those who forgive sins and to witness to this new way of life.
This passage finishes with the story of Thomas who was absent from the first encounter. Interestingly, it is eight days later when the disciples are gathered together– so we already have the beginning of keeping the day of resurrection a holy day of gathering in remembrance of the Lord’s resurrection – again the words “Peace be with you” are the greeting. Thomas is to become the first of the long line of Christians who believe without seeing as first hand witnesses. We join him today. We continue to gather on the eighth day (the first day of the week). We listen to the stories, we greet each other with a sign of peace, and we take his word of forgiveness out without us.
Let us pray this week that we can bring a word or action of peace and reconciliation to someone in our family or work place and know that we are breathing on them the same sprit that Jesus breathed on his disciples eight days after the resurrection from the dead.
Fr Brendan
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David Rush says:
Great explanation