Post-Easter Discipleship

Acts 4:32-35

Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

John 20:19-31

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors on the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” When he said this, he showed them his hands and his sides, and the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. He said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so now I send you.” And after he said this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Now, Thomas (who was called “the Twin”) one of the twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus appeared. So the disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But Thomas said to them, “Unless I see the marks of the nails in his hands, and put my fingers in the marks of the nails, and my hands in his side, I will not believe.”

A week later, the disciples were again in the house and this time, Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your fingers here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

Now, Jesus did many other signs which are not written in this book, but these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you might have life in his name.

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If I were to meet Thomas today, I would ask him, which would have been harder for him to believe: What we heard about in this Gospel reading from John or what took place in that reading, later in Acts, Chapter 4.

In John’s Gospel, immediately following Easter’s resurrection, we hear the familiar story about the unfairly infamous “Doubting Thomas” with all of that heavy breathing, behind the locked doors of that hideout of a house. There are Jesus’ holey hands and scarred sides. There are those commands to be sent into the world with the authority to forgive the sins of others, at their discretion. And there’s that invitation to “not doubt, but believe.” That’s a whole lot of hard, holy stuff to take in, to buy, and to make sense of.

But it’s at least as easy to believe, if you ask me, as what happens later in Acts. Did you hear it? Were you paying attention? Did you consider it with at least as much seriousness as Easter’s good news and Thomas’ doubts?

First, it’s worth knowing that “the whole group who believed” as we hear about in Acts, was bigger than just the handful of disciples who saw Jesus in that house with Thomas on Easter Sunday. By the time we get to that Acts reading, thousands had been baptized and had come to believe; believers and followers were being added to the mix every day. And this is what we’re told:

- The whole group of those thousands who believed were of one heart and soul. (How could that be?)

- And not one of them claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. (Can you imagine?)

- There was not a needy person among them, as the story goes. They sold their land and houses, and laid the proceeds of it at the feet of the apostles’ to be handed out, as any had need, no strings attached. (Call me “Thomas.” I’d need to see it, for myself, to believe it.)

Because that sounds like a cult to me. Or socialism, God forbid. Nothing most of us – and the culture surrounding us – are willing to believe or buy into, practice or propagate as faithful capitalists. But there it is, in black and white, lifted up as a model for faithful living, right there in the Word of God.

And it makes me wonder if people in the world might have an easier time believing the former – the Gospel good news that the love of God, in Jesus, was more powerful, even, than death – if they could see and experience the latter, from his followers like you and me – that kind of radical, selfless, sacrificial, generosity – I mean. And that’s a question we’re called to ponder, still.

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We were blessed enough to have celebrated a couple of baptisms the last couple of weeks here, in worship – one, each, on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, too. Depending on which service you attended, you may or may not have known that. And, as is customary at Cross of Grace, especially when the family of the baptized and/or a sanctuary full of people who don’t usually attend Cross of Grace – or church, generally, for that matter, as is customary on a typical Easter Sunday – we make a deliberate effort at explaining ourselves.

What I mean is, we baptize at the back, by the door. We move the baptismal bowl. We encourage everyone to stand and turn to see it. And we explain our reasoning for that is two-fold. First, because baptism is a sign of our invitation, welcome and entry to the Church on this side of heaven. And it’s also a sign of our promised welcome into God’s heaven, on the other side of eternity. Hence, the doors.

And the second reason we turn our attention to the back, is to show that the kind of grace we celebrate, pour out, and promise to one another by way of Holy Baptism, is meant to turn us around, quite literally, in as many ways as we’ll allow that to happen. It’s meant to change us, utterly. God’s love is meant to inspire and transform the way we live and move and breathe in the world – here and now, on this side of heaven, in great gratitude for God’s love in our lives and for the sake of the world.

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That’s what the good news of Easter’s grace and love and new life was doing in that room with Thomas and those first disciples – everything was changed and changing. And that’s what the good news of Easter’s grace and love and new life was doing in the lives of those followers in Acts, just the same – everything was changed and changing, still, for those who wanted in on the action, too.

They were so captivated by who they now knew Jesus to be – the Messiah, the Son of God – that they let that good news have its way with every part of their life, as individuals and as a community of faith. They devoted themselves to each other in prayer, fellowship, teaching, worship … and in sharing their money for the good of the cause, too.

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Several weeks ago, before we got knee deep into the season of Lent, in preparation for Easter, we engaged some wonderful Holy Conversations as a congregation. Those conversations were about a lot of things – what we’ve been up to as a family of faith, what we hope to see happen around here in the future, and how we plan to make that happen. And we have some big dreams brewing among us. We heard about building projects, expanding our food pantry ministry, growing our influence in social justice efforts, adding programming for kids and youth, and more.

And we’d like to continue those conversations now that we’ve made it to the other side of Easter. Not in the same way. We won’t be hosting special events, happy hours, or luncheons and whatnot, like we did for those Holy Conversations. But we’re gearing up to make our General Fund financial commitments in early May, and we want to pray and prepare for that in the context of worship, learning, and service on the other side of the empty tomb – like Thomas and the first disciples; like the apostles and the throngs of the faithful, changed by Easter’s good news and wanting to change the world with the same kind of grace, generosity, love, mercy and forgiveness they had experienced, in Jesus.

That’s God’s call and my hope for all of us, every day that we live on the other side of Easter – that we’ll be so captivated by the grace and blessing of God’s love for the world, that we’ll return the favor as much as we’re able by sharing ourselves and our resources for the sake of what’s so unique about the ministry we share in this place, for the sake of the communities we serve.

And our ministry is uniquely beautiful as far as churches go in our community. I’m talking about our wide, sincere welcome of all people – and especially the LGBTQ neighbors among us. And I’m talking about our food pantry, our teaching about and our doing of justice for those others ignore, and our generosity when we get it right. (We have 25 grant applications to review for the $50,000 we get to give away from our Building and Outreach Fund.)

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After that baptism on Palm Sunday, one of the family members of the newly baptized little boy came looking for me to very deliberately thank me for whatever I had preached that day and, generally, for the spirit of welcome and grace and whatever else he felt by being here. He lives out west, so won’t be back anytime soon, but he could see and feel something different about this placed than is true in so many other churches out there in the world. You all deserve to know that just as much as I do.

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Like Thomas, sometimes you just have to see and experience it to believe it. So, I’m praying we’re all paying attention. And, like the early Church in Acts – growing and giving and sharing their resources and themselves – I’m hopeful we’ll all get in on the action in the days ahead, because I know others will be drawn to and inspired by what we’re up to when they see and experience the kind of grace we proclaim, right along with us, just the same.

Amen

To Die For

Mark 8:31-38

Then [Jesus] began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day, be raised. He said all of this quite openly. And Peter pulled him aside and began to rebuke him. But Jesus, turning and looking at the disciples rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind me Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things, but on human things.”

Then he called the crowds, together with the disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world and forfeit their life. Indeed, what would anyone give in return for their life. If anyone in this adulterous and sinful generation is ashamed of me and of my words, so will the Son of Man be ashamed of them when he comes again in the glory of his father with the holy angels.”

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I’ve been curious about and captivated by the death – and presumed murder – of Alexei Navalny, the Russian activist, lawyer, and political prisoner, who dropped dead in captivity just a week or so ago. If what so many believe to be true, is true, the bold, brazen way his death came to pass, is another terrifying example of who Vladimir Putin is and how his Russian regime operates. I don’t know enough to comment on the politics of it all with any wisdom or detail, so I won’t. But Navalny’s dedication to his cause in standing up for justice and in the face of an oppressive, power-hungry, president, is admirable.

And I’ve read some things from Navalny that indicate much of his work as an activist for justice and against corruption is rooted in his Christian faith. I’ve read that he was once quite a militant atheist, but that now he’s a believer, and that his faith has been the source of constant ridicule from many of his friends and colleagues in the Russian Anti-Corruption Foundation. His faith was also, apparently, a comfort and an encouragement for his life and work in the world. And, in light of that kind of stubborn faith, it’s meaningful to know that Navalny once said, “The world is made up not only of good and evil, but also of those who do nothing.” And he has also said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing. So don’t be inactive.”

And it seems like Navalny’s words – and the life they inspired in him – got him killed, in the end.

Which reminds me of something Martin Luther King, Jr., said once: “There are some things so eternally true, that they are worth dying for. And if a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live.”

It may be too much – or too soon – to suggest that Alexei Navalny and Martin Luther King, Jr., belong in the same hall of martyrs. But their passion for justice, their willingness to stand up to the powers around them, the fearlessness with which they seemed to live – and their shared faith in Jesus – can’t be separated from the words we hear from Jesus this morning, when he teaches the disciples that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, rejection, and murder, and that if you really want to follow him you should take up a cross and do the same.

Well, I’m no Alexei Navalny, no Martin Luther King, Jr., and I’m no Messiah, either. But I did see the Indigo Girls, in Dayton, on Friday night. (I mean that to sound like those Holiday Inn Express commercials, where they act like staying at a Holiday Inn makes you smarter. I think that may actually be true where the Indigo Girls are concerned, but I digress.)

Anyway, one of their lyrics came to mind in light of this gospel and King’s words and Navalny’s death. The lyric is, “There must be a thousand things you would die for. I can hardly think of two.” It’s a love song. And it’s about one person’s awe and admiration for another, so it’s not supposed to be about Jesus at all. But, it made me wonder about what he’s up to today.

“There must be a thousand things you would die for. I can hardly think of two.”

I think today’s Gospel means to make us wonder just what it is we might be willing to die for.

See, Jesus has just come out to his disciples as the Messiah. And he’s talking about what that means – the idea that the likely result of his faithfulness to God’s call on his life will lead to his own rejection, his own suffering and, of course, his own crucifixion and death. He’s not saying that you have to die to follow Jesus, necessarily. He’s just saying that if you’re doing it right – “if you want to become MY followers” – you better be ready for the struggle and the suffering and the death that could very well come along with it.

And Jesus knew that people – especially comfortable, privileged, powerful people – would be suddenly unsettled and afraid and threatened and angry because of all he was up to. He was about to upset the apple cart of the status quo in every way.

The cross about to be foisted upon Jesus comes to him because he’s about to come for the rich and the powerful. And because he’s about to raise his voice for the least and the last, for the outcast and the outsider.

Jesus is healing people who shouldn’t be healed. He’s loving people who shouldn’t be loved. He’s welcoming people who some would just as soon keep out. He’s forgiving sins believed to be unforgiveable. Jesus is about to pull no punches, give zero you-know-whats, lay it all on the line and let the chips fall where they may.

And the biggest chip to fall is himself – and he wants others to know what they’re in for if they really choose to follow him… if they mean it… and if they do it right.

“There must be a thousand things you would die for, [Jesus]. I can hardly think of two.”

And I wonder if that’s what was going through Peter’s mind when he tries to stop him – when he tries to quiet him down after saying the quiet part out loud. Sometimes I think Peter was just worried people would leave the fold if they knew what the risks were. Sometimes I think Peter was just trying to protect Jesus from all of that suffering. Sometimes I think Peter just can’t believe that this is the kind of Messiah God would be – one that suffers, one that gets crucified, one that gets killed. What kind of God is that?

But I also wonder if Peter doesn’t want Jesus talking this way – promising so much struggle and sacrifice and death – because Peter wasn’t up for all of that, himself.

“There must be a thousand things you would die for. I can hardly think of two.”

And I wonder if we – like Peter – fool ourselves into pretending that following Jesus means giving up chocolate or beer or Facebook for Lent; or that discipleship means praying more, or reading our Bibles, or showing up for worship. And those things are good and righteous and faithful and nothing to sneeze at, don’t get me wrong. But they are nothing more and nothing less than tools and faith practices meant to prepare and to move us toward something much greater.

All of our worshiping, learning, and serving… All of our fasting and praying and giving… are about preparing our hearts and our minds and our lives to be able to recognize and to facilitate the Kingdom of God in our midst – for our sake and for the sake of the world – even if it’s hard sometimes – and expecting it to be.

All we do in the safety of our homes and with our families and through our congregation is meant to reveal the way things are (unequal, unfair, unjust for too many, too much of the time) while knowing about how God would rather have things be (equitable, fair, merciful, just, loving) so that we will do something in the name of Jesus to bring the latter – the stuff of the Kingdom – to pass. And, again, that can be risky business if and when we do it right.

People with money – maybe that’s you and me – don’t like to be told they should give it away.

People with power – maybe that’s you and me – don’t like to be told they should share, or even relinquish, it.

People on top – maybe that’s you and me – don’t like to make room for others or to imagine their own place at the bottom.

Preaching that could get you run out of town, which happened to Jesus. Protesting in the name of that could get you hauled into court, which happened to Jesus. Teaching that could lose you some friends and get you betrayed, which happened to Jesus. Embodying that, could get you crucified, killed, and buried, all of which happened to Jesus, just like he promised it would.

“There must be a thousand things you would die for. I can hardly think of two.”

And Jesus did – he died – so that we might come close to giving more, to loving more, to sacrificing more, to suffering more for the sake of others, and for the good of the cause. Because even when we fall short – as Jesus knew we would, and as God knows we do – the cross never gets the last word.

“The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, yes … and be killed, yes ... and on the third day be raised.” YES. And “…on the third day be raised.”

And that’s where we find our hope to do what God calls us to. Not many of us are as bold, or as brave, or as faithful as the likes of Alexei Navalny, or Martin Luther King, Jr., or Jesus. We don’t all have the courage or the calling or the love within us to sacrifice and suffer and die for the sake of bringing God’s kingdom to pass on this side of heaven, no matter how badly the world needs it.

So we look to that cross, even if we’d never climb up there ourselves. And we look for the empty tomb, too, because we will find ourselves there one day. And we give thanks that even when we don’t, God does… even when we won’t, God will... even when we haven’t, God already has.

And we keep following Jesus as nearly as we’re able – testing our own boundaries, pushing our own limits, risking our own comfort, safety and security, maybe – to see, as Dr. King put it, “the eternal truth” of God’s grace for which Christ died – and lives – so that we, and the world around us, will too.

Amen