APOSTLES HIDE; JESUS SEEKS

Jesus, help me enjoy hide-and-seek, trusting that I'll be found. Amen!

After Jesus died, the Apostles hid in a locked room to get away from those who killed Him. Suddenly, Jesus was in the room with them! "Peace be with you," He said, showing them the cuts in His hands and side to prove it was really Him. "Receive the Holy Spirit," He added, and gave them the power to forgive sins.

Hide-and-seek is a great game. But even though it's fun to pick a really good hiding place, you sort of want to be found. Sitting around in a hiding place until the game is over can get boring!

The Apostles would probably agree. In this week's Gospel (John 20:19-23), they're in hiding -- but when Jesus finds them, they're relieved and happy.

The challenge of hide-and-seek is not to be found. If the seeker gives up, you win the game. Still, that can mean you're crammed into a closet alone for an hour, waiting. After a while, you get lonely and a little scared: What if everyone forgot you? What if no one's looking?

It's easy to imagine the Apostles felt that way. Their friend Jesus had been killed, and they thought bad people were looking for them to hurt them, too. But Jesus had also promised to come back, so even as they hid, they must have been hoping He'd find them.

Being found by the seeker in hide-and-seek means you can help look for other kids -- just as fun as hiding yourself. In the Gospel story, Jesus "found" the Apostles (being God, of course, He knew where they were all along), and He asked them to help Him out by forgiving people's sins, with the help of the Holy Spirit.

That game of hide-and-seek worked out well for everyone!

(05/08/08)