Tedd Pullano
John 20:19-30

More Precious than Gold

Okay, work with me a little bit. I want you to think about the last time you were completely at peace, completely peaceful. What was that like? How did that feel? (Take answers. Okay, thank you all for sharing.) Isn't it good to be peaceful? Just feel that for a minute. Isn't it rich and fulfilling? Satisfying. You get more done, you are healthier, and you are friendlier. Being peace-filled is great a way to live.

Now let's try the opposite. When was the last time you were without peace? What did that feel like? Isn't it awful to be without peace? What creates that lack of peace? I think that often anxiety blocks peace. And what creates anxiety? Most often it is fear. Fear of... whatever it is. I believe fear could be the most destructive emotion we have in our world. Now certainly, fear has its place --- it can keep us from getting hurt or from making bad decisions -- and that is the "good fear". But there is far more of the bad, destructive fear in this world and in our community, in ourselves.

And this anxiety-producing fear is bad for a number of reasons. I mean think about it a little. Think about a time when fear was the order of the day for you -- when you were truly terrified of something. What was your reaction? Anyone care to share? Most often, when we are in a state of fear, we are stymied, stuck. We are unable to function - and if we can function, our reactions and our responses are often skewed. We make bad decisions. We get angry and hurt people. We yell at our children or our spouses or the guy driving in front of us. Fear is destructive. Or, sometimes when we are fearful we just go and hide. We give up and instead of making a bad decision we make no decisions and just slowly let things fall apart or die. Have you ever done that? The boss asks you to do something, some project that you are afraid of, and you procrastinate, sit on it, fall way behind and then get in major trouble? Fear can do that. Fear can be destructive.

You know what? I think the opposite of faith is fear. It's not doubt. Doubt challenges you. Doubt is about questions, about wondering, about figuring out how to move forward, perhaps with a little more clarity. I think fear goes directly to a lack of faith. In our Gospel reading today, in verse 27, Jesus tells Thomas "do not ___ but believe". The NRSV translates that "doubt", but that is a little off the mark. The word is actually apistos which is Greek for unfaithful, unbelieving, faithless. So when Jesus is talking to Thomas, he is telling him, don't sit up here in this room in fear and dread, not believing, unable to do the work I need you to do. But believe. Have faith -- have faith in me, have faith in what I have said, what I have taught you and what I have done - because love and faith cast out fear.

Because that is exactly where these folks were, these disciples -- they were living in fear. They were holed up in a little room, scared out of their wits. They literally feared for their lives. They thought "well, if they killed Jesus, and they know we were with him, then we are next. What do we do, what do we do?" So they hid. They stopped all their activity and hid in that room. I am not judging them here -- let me be clear about that. I would have done the same thing -- in fact, I often do. But clearly it needs to be pointed out that they were terrified - the Greek word here is fobos which has the meaning of not just fear, but dread, terror, strong feelings of anxiety. These folks were absolutely terrified. And at this point in their journey, their fear had rendered them unable to do anything. They were stuck.

So into this scene walks Jesus. Or however he got into that room. But he entered that room filled with his friends, all of whom had deserted him and let him die on the cross, all of whom were hiding in this room and he says to them -- "what in the name of God are you doing here? Why are you cowering in the corner, Peter? Grow up and act like a man!!" No, that's not what he says. He walks in and the very first thing he says is eirhnh uimn. Now I have to tell you that Jesus does not use a verb here. All he says is "Peace to You All". The way it is in the Greek makes it a command -- this is a gift from Jesus. He says "Peace to you. This is my gift to you. Friends, in the midst of all you are feeling, the fear, the dread, the turmoil, everything, I grant you Peace. I am covering you in my Peace. It is yours. Do not be afraid any longer, but be encouraged."

And this peace Jesus is giving them is beyond anything you can dream of when you think of Peace. Remember at the beginning of our time together, you thought about a time when you were totally peaceful? Well this goes way beyond that. This peace, eirhnh, is the same thing as the Hebrew "Shalom". It is a peace that encompasses the whole person. It is about harmony, health, welfare, peace between individuals. It is security, safety, and assuredness. It is love worked out in a way that creates joy. And Jesus came to those folks and gave that to them -- made sure they knew they had it, because he said it to them three times. Whenever something is said or done three times in the Bible, remember it because it is important. So Jesus giving these folks this peace is critical.

And this is no random gift -- just something nice to do. The disciples are being sent out into the world, where things will get rough. Their job will not always be easy. Knowing this, Jesus gives them this peace, this Shalom, and then sends them out into the world to do the things he had been doing -- to continue the work that God had sent him to do. There was much to be done, and the disciples needed something to help them get out of that room and get going. And this is the one thing they need. So he gives them peace, and releases them from their fear -- and we all know what happens next - this little rag tag band of misfits changes the world. They take this message of Jesus Christ and him raised from the dead and spread it throughout the world. They went from being terrified and holed up in the upper room to transforming the world. Because of the peace of Jesus.

I want to encourage us to be like the disciples as they emerged from that room. Since I have been here, lo these 9 months, I have sensed and heard a little of that fear. Like the disciples, we know the gospel better and better each day. Like the disciples, we want to go out in mission to the world, we want to evangelize and build the kingdom. And yet, we have been a little fearful -- a little unable to step out and rally and make all that stuff we have deep in our hearts happen. We fret over our money and our building. We worry about running out of energy and money, about the boiler braking down, about the roof leaking. We worry about change, about what the future holds. And so we sit tight -- we talk a lot but then are stymied, stuck and we don't move ahead like we are being called to do. To me our inability to move ahead feels like it comes from fear. What if we try project xyz and it fails? What if we spend money on lights then the boiler goes? So we sit and we don't move ahead on some important ideas and topics. And we don't get to where God is calling us to go.

So, my friends, I am telling you that now is the time. Now is the time for us to be bold, to step out on faith and act. Now is the time for us as a community of faith to retake our place in this neighborhood as the cornerstone. No more sitting in the upper room wondering and worrying. It is time to take some chances. Not crazy thoughtless chances, but it is time to risk a little and move ahead. There is wonderful energy right now in this congregation. You all are such gifted and passionate people. As a congregation, I believe we are poised and ready to make that move. Several of the committees are putting together plans that are bold and powerful. So let's do it. let's leave the upper room and our fear behind as we go forth knowing that this peace of God goes with us, strengthening us, filling us and enabling us.

Now, it may be scary at times. It will take us supporting each other in ideas that may not sound feasible right now. It will mean spending money we have been saving for a rainy day. It will mean trusting in God to guide us to make good and sound decisions with all of our resources. And it means sticking together as we take these scary risks. And it means that we do so knowing that the Shalom, the eirhnh the Peace of Christ goes with us. I truly believe that if we step out in faith, if we try new and important ministry and mission ideas, we can change the face of this neighborhood, and we can be blessed and strengthened beyond our imaginations. It might seem a little scary. But we must remember that we go with the grace and peace and guidance of God. But go we must.

In a recent article in the Christian Century, it talks about several downtown churches that revitalized. And in reading the article, it was clear that they did so by stepping out -- by being bold and believing in their message and taking some chances. And they grew and really became important to their community. Well friends, it is our turn.

In Shakespeare's play The Tempest, one scene in Act II has the characters Antonio and Sebastian talking and conspiring together. At one point, Antonio says to Sebastian: "Whereof what's past is prologue, what to come, in yours and my discharge". That is what God is telling us this day. God gives us his Peace and tells us that whatever the future holds for us and our community is, with God, in your and my hands.