A couple of weeks ago, we heard the retelling of Jesus – shortly after his resurrection – coming to visit the disciples as they were locked in a room for fear of the religious authorities who had instigated the event that led to Jesus’ crucifixion. At this point, none of the major disciples had witnessed the resurrected Jesus for themselves, but they had heard the report from Mary Magdalene – that she had seen the risen Lord.
In their hearts, I imagine they had a mixture of emotions – hope, fear, doubt, and anger probably among them. And when you’re feeling a mixture of emotions, it’s easy to get paralyzed. In fact, the gospel is very specific in stating that fear had essentially locked these disciples in. Even though Peter and the other disciple (most likely John) ventured out to visit the empty tomb at Mary’s bidding earlier, now it seems they’re all back in one place. Not much has changed. At least at first.
But notice there was one who wasn’t with the disciples when Jesus appears to them. Thomas – as was reported in scripture – wasn’t with the other disciples. He had gone out, and came back after Jesus had left their presence. It appears that even when fear threatened to paralyze the disciples, there were certain realities they had to face. Somebody had to get food. Maybe Thomas was the one designated to go out and listen to what was being said on the streets. Whatever it was, even in the midst of anxiety and anticipation of potential joy and potential catastrophe, things were still moving (albeit slowly).
And then, after Jesus appears to the disciples, and breathes on them the Holy Spirit, we’re primed for action, aren’t we? Now they know and rejoice in the resurrected Lord, and share their joy with a somewhat skeptical Thomas, and then – they wait? They don’t move? For another week? What were they doing? What is it they are waiting for?
Sometimes I think we’re also given reason for excitement, but then we don’t know what to do with it. Even in our world of faith, as we have returned to our cries of “alleluia,” we sing these songs of resurrection joy during the season of Easter, and then – as I referenced in another recent article – now what? The “now what?” for us today is the ability to recognize that the world doesn’t stop during these mountaintop moments. The “now what?” is when we are able to be in the moments of joy and anticipation for what God is doing next and realizing that God has given us things to do right now. There is always work to be done in God’s kingdom here on earth.
But not all work looks exactly the same. For Jesus’ disciples, maybe some of that work was found in the waiting – in walking alongside Thomas as he wondered why he wasn’t blessed to see as the other disciples saw, why he was forced to wait. In waiting alongside him, they too were acting. It wasn’t just anticipation. It wasn’t just waiting on God. It was intentional community together.
For us today, the things we are anticipating may not appear as we expect, or when we expect. But God is still working. And we’re working, too, because our faith tells us that this day is a day of blessing, where we are invited to engage in the joy that has come, to hope in the future that is before us, and to live daily in the promises of eternal life found in the empty tomb this Easter season.
Pastor Chris