Arulvakku

19.04.2020 — Praise unfurls the Beatitude

Second Sunday of Easter – 19th April 2020 — Gospel: John 20, 19-31

Praise unfurls the Beatitude

The gospel presents two scenes with an appearance of Jesus to his disciples in the same place, in or near Jerusalem. The first takes place on the evening of Easter day, when Thomas is absent (20,19-25). The second narrates a week later when Thomas is present along with others (20,26-31). Both the scenes take place in the same house where the disciples are behind locked doors. There is no explanation given for the gathering of the disciples. The reason to meet behind locked doors is fear, yet the resurrected Jesus appears miraculously to strengthen them.

The first scene unfolds a series of four events. First, Jesus bestows “peace” (shalom 20,19.21.26), a common Jewish greeting, in the place of fear. Then He revealed his identity by showing his hands and side. The reaction of the disciples is one of rejoicing. Second, Jesus issues a commission (20,21). Jesus says that he had been sent by the Father. This common affirmation appears 41 times in John’s gospel. Jesus was sent into the world to reveal the Father, and to teach and gather disciples in his name. Further, he declared that after his return to the Father, he would send his disciples to continue his ministry (17,18). Now that is being fulfilled. Third, Jesus never sends without equipping his disciples, he offers the “Pentecostal” experience (20,22). In John’s gospel, Jesus imparts the Holy Spirit on the evening of Easter day itself, not on the fiftieth day after Passover (seven weeks later as Luke has put it). The disciples are immediately commissioned and given the Spirit as a power that will enable them to witness to Christ. Fourth, they are authorized to forgive sins (20,23), which is the last event that completes the series on Easter day. This passage is similar to Matthew 16,19 and 18,18. For the disciples, the great power (Holy Spirit) comes with great responsibility to discern God’s confrontation of sin and offer of forgiveness.  

In the second scene (20,26-29), when Thomas demands an experiential proof, it is not the proof he seeks that brings to faith, rather an experience. The disciples wish to have their own encounter with Jesus. After their first experience of risen Jesus, they say the same words of Mary to Thomas, “We have seen the Lord.”  But Thomas wishes to have his own, which is similar to the Samaritan woman. After she met Jesus at the well, she goes to her town to tell of her encounter with Jesus. They go to Jesus and invited him to stay with them. After this they told the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves”. This is not against neglecting her, but confirmation that believing in Jesus is not about believing in someone else experiences, but having your own encounter with Incarnate Word. Jesus doesn’t condemn Thomas but offers simple invitation. Jesus comes back for Thomas because he will not lose a single one of those whom the Father gave him (18,9). There are two types of response in Jesus’ appearance: the disciples rejoiced, but Thomas praised. The portrayal of Jesus guiding Thomas’ hand to his wound could signify Jesus’ entry to the wounded world to bring healing.

Jesus’ last beatitude (20,29) puts us on the same plane before God as that of the first disciples. It is not that Thomas was rebuked for believing in having seen crucified Jesus. His coming to faith through seeing is not discredited. The other disciples too believed only based on the appearance of Christ to them. This beatitude reveals the contrast between two ways of coming to faith. The one is through seeing; the other is through a means apart from seeing. And that is through hearing and believing the gospel proclaimed by Jesus’ witnesses. Faith is not certainly based on physical perception, but it is trust grounded in insight into the reality of God. Indeed, blessed are the eyes of faith that continue in hope despite the frustrations and ambiguities.