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seaster205
Grant
Us Your Peace, Lord windows2003 seri no
Text:
John 20:19-31
Date: The Second Sunday of Easter 
4/3/05
Peace.
Peace be to you from Him Who freed us from our sins. Though our
doors are not closed and locked, though we do not gather here for
fear of the Jews or anyone else for that matter, we do gather here
in the shadow and the mystery, the remembrance of the recent terror
and the dazzling joy of celebrating our Lord's Passion, his cruel
crucifixion and amazing resurrection. As he appeared to his first
disciples on that first Easter evening, so he comes here within
these walls and says to you now, “Peace be to you.”
He
didn't sneak in an unlocked window or an unknown back door. Remember
that our Lord Jesus is God and Man, two natures in one Person. And
because of the communication of divine and human attributes he can
and did suddenly, physically appear to his disciples behind locked
doors. So because of the very same communication of attributes he
can and does physically appear here. Oh, no longer in a fleshly
way displaying the wounds of his hands and his side, but “sacramentally,”
which means in a real way but only for faith. It is in the same
way that he says we are to eat his body and drink his blood, not
in a fleshly, cannibalistic way, but “sacramentally,” that is, in
a real way but only to the benefit of those of faith. The doubters
and rationalists seek to explain away the miracle, both of that
first Easter eve and of this sacrament. Yet, either “is” means “is”
as in “this is my body, this is my blood” or it doesn't. Likewise,
either the “peace” he declares to us has substance and makes a difference
or it doesn't.
I
mean, do you not agree that our Lord “could” appear right here before
us as he did for the first disciples? Could he not appear before
our eyes standing right there and say in our hearing, “Peace to
you”? Of course he could. But that was for a time at the beginning,
for an infant faith and an infant Church, for his apostolic witnesses.
In his own witness and testimony Saint John nails down the way in
which Jesus would appear and be with his disciples of all ages,
namely, “blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe,” that
is, his very real sacramental presence. He comes to meet the baptized
here and speaks his word of peace now no longer immediately but
mediately, that is, through the means of borrowing the ears and
voice and hands of his appointed ministers, the media of the divine
Word and sacraments.
The
first thing we must learn from today's Gospel is the important doctrine
of the communication of attributes of our Lord's two natures and
how wherever he is as God he is there also in his fully human nature.
It's the only proper explanation for St. John's words, “Jesus came
and stood among them” and spoke to them. It's the only proper explanation
how, “when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.”
Why do those who doubt this have such disbelief in this clear, Biblical
doctrine of the communication of attributes so that they think Jesus,
risen from the dead, ascended to the right hand of God, somehow
now “cannot” do anything he pleases, especially according to his
promise to be with us always to the end of the age and, sacramentally,
really present with his body and blood in the Holy Communion? This
unbelief is the reverse of his enemies during his earthly ministry
when they could see him standing before them as a human man and
yet could not believe that he is also the Son of God.
As
Christ our Lord came to his first disciples and the first word of
blessing out of his mouth was “Peace be with you,” so is this the
first word on his lips now, today, spoken to you: “Peace be to you.”
What is this “peace”?
In
the world “peace” is defined only as the absence of conflict. We
think “peace” is that rare moment when there is no conflict, when
the blood pressure is normal, when the conversation is calm and
not “heated,” when emotions are at ease. Some even think of “peace”
as weak resignation, putting down arms, even a wimpy “agreeing to
disagree,” putting our differences, our conflicts somehow in the
background. But there they are and remain, nonetheless, smoldering
in hearts darkened that do not know how to forgive. This is not
the peace of God; the peace that Jesus proclaimed to his first disciples
or to us today; the peace that we presume to exchange with some
sign in the context of the Mass of the Divine Service. How many
times haven't you shaken the hand of the person sitting next to
you saying, “Peace e with you,” all the while thanking God that
you didn't have to shake the hand of that old curmudgeon sitting
in front of or across the way from you? How many times haven't you
communed and heard the blessing for yourself, “The body and blood
of our Lord strengthen and preserve you steadfast in the true faith;
depart in peace,” but then departed only to carry on the old animosities
and conflicts, bitterness, acrimony and hostility toward those who
have just received the same body, the same blood of the same crucified
and risen Lord as you?
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