Luke 24:36b-48

While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, ‘why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.’

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, ‘Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.

He said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

Let us pray,

May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of all of our hearts, be pleasing and acceptable to you, our rock and our redeemer,

I can’t believe I’m about to say this. But the hardest thing for me about this pandemic. Is that I can’t hug people. I can’t shake people’s hands during the passing of the peace. I can’t give someone a pat on the back to express a job well done. I can’t hug a grieving widow after her husband’s memorial service. I can’t high five a best man who remembered to bring the rings with him to the wedding ceremony. I know it’s a small price to pay to keep people safe. But it’s hard to care for people when you can’t touch them.

This past year has really reminded me. That during difficult times. We need to be able to offer signs of peace. In our Scripture passage today, the risen Jesus shows us how to offer signs of peace during difficult times.

Our passage begins with Jesus once again meeting with confused and doubtful disciples. Disciples who witnessed Jesus die. But see him now walking in their midst. In the midst of their doubt and confusion, Jesus instructs them to share signs of peace with one another. It is the peace of Christ that comforts confused and doubtful disciples.

On Easter, we celebrate the fact that Jesus’ death makes possible for us a peace that surpasses all understanding. We feel peace. Because we know that that our sins are forgiven, and God is no longer angry with us. We believe that Jesus’ death allows us to be forgiven by God. We know that we don’t deserve to be forgiven, but God forgave us anyway. We call this God’s grace. And we believe that it is a free gift of God for the people of God.

In our Scripture passage for this morning, Jesus reminds the disciples of the peace he won for them on the cross. Peace be with you! He tells the disciples when he meets them. But that peace is not just for the twelve original disciples. It is available to anyone who calls on the name of Jesus and believes. The problem is that no one but the disciples know of this peace. And the disciples can’t appreciate this peace because they think Jesus is a ghost.

So what does Jesus do? He again invites the disciples to see his wounds and touch his side. Remember this is post death and post resurrection Jesus. It was likely he had gapping wounds in his side and nail marks in his hands and feet. And just in case the disciples still don’t believe him, he asks for a piece of fish and eats it in front of them. Proving once and for all that he is not a ghost. It is in that moment that the disciples finally get it. Jesus is not a ghost but the risen Lord. Peace washes over them. 

Jesus is then able to open their minds so that they understand the Scriptures. So that they understand that Jesus is the Messiah that the prophets foretold. And this knowledge again fills the disciples with peace. The peace that surpasses all understanding. And this peace allows the disciples to share the peace of Christ with others. Having been reconciled to God in Jesus, they can now share signs of that peace with one another.

This week I’ve been reflecting how we can share signs of peace with one another as we transition to a new phase of the coronavirus pandemic.

We’re in a weird phase of this pandemic. Some of us are vaccinated. Some are not. Some don’t want to be vaccinated. Some are just over being told how to live their lives. , some things are starting to open back up again. As I start hanging out with people again, I’ve noticed that many, many people have lost basic social skills. After a year plus of being isolated from friends and family members.

A couple of weeks ago, my sister called me. She called to invite me over to her house for Easter dinner. Now that her household, my mom and I, her husband’s mom, and her husband’s grandparents were vaccinated. She wanted to host her first holiday at her new house. Would I be comfortable coming? 

I’m not going to lie I was a bit nervous. I hadn’t shared a meal with ten people since before the winter surge. But then I started thinking about my brother in law’s grandparents. Brian’s grandfather is in declining health. We don’t know how many more holidays he has left. Also, Brian’s grandparents literally go to the grocery store and to their doctor’s appointments. I’m sure they were really looking forward to coming over for dinner.

I said yes to coming to Easter dinner.

Dinner itself was lovely. I didn’t have to cook anything. Although I was on dish drying duty. It was great to talk with people outside of my immediate family. Grandma Lil got to show me her Easter mask she made for this occasion. Grandpa Chuck got me a scratch off lottery ticket as an Easter present. Towards the end of the meal, Em’s nephew swung by and I got to watch him open his Easter basket. I’m so grateful that Em organized this dinner for our family. I think it really helped all of us remember how to socialize with one another again.

The point I’m trying to make with this story is there are opportunities to share peace all around us. And what felt like a simple thing pre-Covid. Something like participating in family Easter dinner. This may not feel so simple after a year of social isolation. But it’s worth doing because it is one practical way, we can share the peace of Christ with one another right now.

Now I’m not saying that you have to do anything that makes you feel unsafe. But you’ll probably need to do something that makes you uncomfortable. Friends this last year of our lives has been incredibly difficult in so many large and small ways. Now that we’re nearing the other side of it, it’s time to ask anew what God is up to in our midst. And what is one small thing I can do to share the peace of Christ with others. 

I am convinced that the world will come to know Jesus through our ministries of presence. Through building relationships with the women and men God puts in our lives.

Sharing the peace of Christ with someone going through a rough time. Is one way we can show others what difference Easter makes in our lives, our communities, and our world.

Thanks be to God,

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.