The disciples were in hiding, they were afraid, Jesus had been killed, there was talk of resurrection, but?
Then Jesus appears. Notice what Jesus says to the group, "Peace be with you." Not why are you hiding, or why did you run away when I was arrested. Jesus doesn’t have a go at them for not having enough faith, or courage, or vision. Jesus stands in the room, in the midst of their fear, and says "Peace be with you."
"Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."
In both John’s gospel and the first letter of John we are told of what people have seen and touched and heard. The people writing this down are writing so that we too may know the story of Jesus, and that we too may come to know Jesus, to have relationship with God, to live as people of God.
I wonder what do we hand on to people? judgement? criticism? do we heap guilt and shame onto people? Do the pronouncements of the church bring people into relationship with Jesus? or drive them further away?
Sin is real, I am sure of it. Sin exists in the world and in each of our lives. When looking at the gospel stories, notice what happens when someone accused of sin is brought before Jesus – does he condemn? does he give a lecture on keeping the ten commandments? No. Jesus is the one who offers forgiveness and life.
"Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."
I wonder what we hand on to those we meet, I wonder what we will hand on to Abileigh. Will she learn from us about fear and judgement, or above love and grace. And what of others in this community, what of the young people wondering what life is about, single parents, people who are unemployed, people isolated through illness and age and grief, people who are busy with work and family responsibilities, people, any people, what do they hear from us, what do our words and our lives say.
We do we hear from each other?
The stories of Jesus are handed down to us, through the writers of the gospels and the letters. But living a life of faith is more than knowing the stories in our heads.
We learn to live as faithful people by hearing the stories, reading the Bible, but also by being around people who hand down the faith to us.
‘We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life. … We are writing these things so that our [or your] joy may be complete.’
What do we declare? What do we tell others about?
What do we know from living as people of faith, what are some words you would use to describe the way Jesus.
Hope, peace, love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, …
Here some people are writing about their experience of God in Jesus Christ. They are writing so that others will hear about the possibility of relationship with God through Jesus, and that in hearing and responding, others will come to the same joy that the authors have.
In what ways do our lives tell people about Jesus?
