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FROM A READING FOR APRIL 15, SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER
'Commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world.' - I John 5:4


Our post-Easter readings overflow with implications of Jesus' resurrection for our lives. It's no accident that Sunday's Gospel (John 20:19-31) is always on the Sunday after Easter.

Our modern Christian community believes John's insights into Jesus' resurrection should be in the forefront of those implications. The evangelist originally ended his Gospel with them. (Scholars are convinced chapter 21 was added later.)

Our lives should drastically change because of Jesus' resurrection. Luke demonstrates this (Acts 4:32-35): "The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of their possessions was their own; they held everything in common. There was no needy person among them."

Sharing everything was the way Jesus' followers "bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus." If Jesus is alive among us, everything changes - including the way we look at everyone around us.

Pain of change

This transformation doesn't come without pain. The author of I John (5:1-6) mentions that "Jesus the Christ came through water and blood, not by water alone, but by water and blood."

"Blood," in this context, appears to refer to Jesus' suffering and death. We not only experience life ("water") through Him, we also experience pain.

Nowhere is this pain clearer than in our Gospel narrative. John's Jesus begins His Easter Sunday night appearance by showing His disciples "His hands and His side," an obvious reference to His wounds. Though He wishes His followers peace, it's a peace which comes only to those willing to suffer in order to achieve it.

What form does that suffering normally take? Listen to what the risen Jesus says: "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

Power to forgive
What we call "confession" is still far down the road. Jesus is speaking to the whole Christian community in this narrative - and, in some sense, He's not giving that community a power they didn't have before He came into the room that night.

More than anything, He seems to be pointing out a power they already have, but had yet to surface or understand.

Perhaps our reliance on sacramental reconciliation has also caused us to relegate our personal power of forgiveness to that musty backroom where biblical theology is stored. It's clear that our sacred authors wanted their communities to reflect on the power they shared as the Body of Christ.

Knowing the teachings and example of the Gospel Jesus, there's no way any Christian author would ever expect another Christ to retain someone's sins. That part of Jesus' statement seems to have been added to remind readers that their lack of forgiveness has just as deep an effect on the lives of others as their actual forgiveness.

No wonder Thomas' well-known proclamation of faith also revolves around Jesus' wounds. As theologian Marcus Borg reminds us in his latest book, "Speaking Christian," biblical faith is believing in someone, giving yourself over to the person in whom you believe.

In the case of Jesus, you're giving yourself over to someone who only achieves life by suffering.[[In-content Ad]]

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