Father Gary’s Sermon

Inspired from John 20:19-31

Proclaimed on April 18, 2004

A story goes that about a century or two ago the Pope decided that all the Jews had to leave Rome. Naturally, there was a big uproar from the Jewish community. So the Pope made a deal. He would have a religious debate with a member of the Jewish community. If the Jew won the Jews could stay. If the Pope won the Jews would leave. The Jews realized that they had no choice. So they picked a middle aged man named Moishe to represent them. Moishe asked for one addition to the debate. To make it more interesting neither side would be allowed to talk. The Pope agreed. The day of the great debate came. Moishe and the Pope sat opposite each other for a full minute before the Pope raised his hand and showed three fingers. Moishe looked back at him and raised one finger. The Pope waved his fingers in a circle around his head. Moishe pointed to the ground where he sat. The Pope pulled out a wafer and a glass of wine. Moishe pulled out an apple. Suddenly, the Pope stood up and said, "I give up. This man is too good. The Jews can stay."

An hour later, the cardinals were all around the Pope asking him what had happened. The Pope said, "First I held up three fingers to represent the Trinity. He responded by holding up one finger to remind me that there was still one God common to both our religions. Then I waved my finger around me to show him that God was all around us. He responded by pointing to the ground and showing that God was also right here with us. I pulled out the wine and wafer to show that God absolves us from our sins. He pulled out an apple to remind me of original sin. He had an answer for everything. What could I do?"

Meanwhile, the Jewish community had crowded around Moishe. "What happened?" they asked. "Well," said Moishe, "First he said to me that the Jews had three days to get out of here. I told him that not one of us was leaving. Then he told me that this whole city would be cleared of Jews. I let him know that we were staying right here." "Yes, yes, . . . and then???" asked the crowd. "I don't know," said Moishe, "He took out his lunch, and I took out mine."

In this story we have the tale of another great miscommunication. In the debate between the Pope and Moishe, both believed that they knew what the other was saying; neither realized how wrong they were. In many ways the same story is located within the Gospel. The Gospel accounts tell us that throughout his ministry Jesus kept telling his disciples about his kingdom. The same accounts describe how the disciples interpreted his words as meaning he would be an earthly king who would defeat the Romans, drive them out of Jerusalem, and then set up his kingdom. Neither Jesus nor his disciples seemed to be communicating.

Then in today’s Gospel account it happens. Some kind of clarity is finally reached. Jesus was a King, but not one who would immediately defeat the Romans, driving them out of Jerusalem, and then setting up his kingdom, but rather he would first conquer sin and death, removing our fear of them, and establishing his Kingdom within us! It took a lot of attempts, but finally it happened, Jesus was finally able to get them to understand! It happened when they had reached their darkest moment, when they had lost their Lord in a gruesome crucifixion, as well as losing all of their hope. Gathered together, hiding for fear of their lives, the unthinkable happened. Into their midst came their Lord! No locked door could contain him! There he stood among them!

However, one of the disciples was missing. Thomas was not there. When he later heard the unthinkable, he could not take their word for it. He had to experience it himself. Then it too happened. The following week Jesus appeared to Thomas, as well. He was granted the experience. It was as though, when the Lord appeared among the disciples, and then to Thomas and said, “Shalom” he was telling them that his patience had not run out, that he would keep trying to communicate until we all finally understand.

Indeed, the Lord in our Gospel reading today reminds me of the great Ann Sullivan. She struggled and struggled to break through to a little girl born deaf and blind, patiently trying to communicate with her (one who had no understanding at all about what communication is). Having tried so many things and failed, she finally took this little girl out to the pump behind the house, and began pouring water over her hands. After doing so for a while she would stop. Then using her fingers, spelled out the word “water” in the palms of the little girl’s hands. At last she who had no concept of communication was finally reached and the rest is history--the rest is the story of Helen Keller. Like the Pope and Moishe, we as humans and God as the Divine often fail in our communications with one another. But like the great Ann Sullivan, our Lord never loses patience, never gives up! Our God continues to search for ways to not only communicate, but to help us understand. Then after we do understand it becomes our turn to attempt to communicate our experience with others. Many times our attempts are awkward and can appear rather naive and silly, while history shows that we have also been arrogant and manipulative, mean-spirited and coercive, and on occasion outright evil. But the reality is that once we have experienced the risen Lord, nothing can deter us.

An example of this involves a Christian lady who lived next door to an atheist. Everyday, when the lady prayed, the atheist guy could hear her. He thought, "She sure is crazy, praying all the time like that. Doesn't she know there isn't a God?" Many times while she was praying, he would go to her house and harass her, saying, "Lady, why do you pray all the time? Don't you know there is no God?" But she kept on praying. One day, she ran out of groceries. As usual, she was praying to the Lord explaining her situation and thanking Him for what He was going to do. AS USUAL, the atheist heard her praying and thought, "Humph I'll fix her." He went to the grocery store, bought a whole bunch of groceries, took them to her house, dropped them off on the front porch, rang the door bell and then hid in the bushes to see what she would do. When she opened the door and saw the groceries, she began to praise the Lord with all her heart, jumping, singing and shouting' everywhere! The atheist then jumped out of the bushes and told her, “You ol' crazy lady, God didn't buy you those groceries! I bought those groceries!" Well, she broke out and started running down the street, shouting and praising the Lord. When he finally caught up to her, he asked what her problem was and she said, "I knew the Lord would provide me with some groceries, but I didn't know he was gonna make the devil pay for them!"

Yes, it is the Church’s responsibility to communicate our witness of the Risen Lord, despite our awkward attempts, despite our seeming bungling and insensitivity, and yes, even our political incorrectness. But in our attempts we must remember to be patient and loving for we too have all been there, indeed, many of us may still have serious doubts. But as our Lord used Ann Sullivan to break through to Helen Keller, so our Lord can and will use us to break through to those about us. But we must always remember, that no matter what attempts we might make, it is the Lord who provides the experience, the Lord who provides the revelation, the Lord who in all of God’s patience is finally able to break through the locked doors, and then standing in our midst say “Shalom” in such a way, that our only response can be, “My Lord and my God.”

Today the Lord is once again in our midst on another Sunday; not unlike that first and second Sunday so long ago. And while he may not have to come through locked doors, he may have to come through locked hearts, but he will not intrude. Instead of inviting us to look upon his nail pierced hands and the mark in his side, he is inviting us to his table, to eat of his Body and to drink of his Blood, and in the midst of this experience allow us to encounter the Divine, to lose our fear of sin and death, and to find his life within our own hearts; providing us with new life, new love, and a new peace.