April 26, 2009 3^rd Sunday in Lent(B)

"Easter Doubts"

Luke 24:36-49

I N I

Easter doubts – that is what Jesus is correcting in today’s Gospel reading from Luke 24. This is part of Luke’s account of the first Easter evening. From Mark we learn that these events were after the evening meal. From John we heard last week that the door was locked because they feared the Jewish leaders. Earlier in Luke 24 we read that the disciples had already gotten a report that Simon Peter had seen the risen Christ, after the angels at the tomb had told the women: "He is not here, but has arisen." Also in Luke 24 is the report of the two disciples from Emmaus, who came running back, reporting that they too had been with the risen Christ.

Now Jesus appears. It is the same event recorded by John, which we heard in last week’s Gospel reading (although last week in John 20 we heard about the 1^st AND 2^nd Sunday nights after Easter morning – first without Thomas and then with Thomas present). This is the same first Easter Sunday night, but Luke gives another perspective. He begins with Jesus’ greeting: "PEACE!" Peace is the condition we are in when our sins are gone, salvation is ours, and God is our friend. This is the peace that passes all understanding. The word "Peace" can also describe the feeling that comes from this condition of being forgiven, saved, in a right relationship with God. The feeling of peace may go up and down. The feeling of peace may even be absent at times. The condition of PEACE – of being forgiven and saved – remains unchanged as long as faith trusts Christ. [paraphrase of Lenski p.437]

When Jesus appears among them, they are startled – terrified. They think they are seeing a ghost. They had thought this way before. In Matthew 14:26, as they were in the boat on the sea in the storm, they thought they saw a ghost and were terrified, but it had been Jesus coming towards them.

Not that they had ever really seen a ghost. The Bible talks about the spirit of the dead departing: to Abraham’s bosom (meaning paradise), or to Sheol (the place of the dead). From Jesus’ story of the rich man and poor beggar Lazarus, we see it is not God’s plan or will to send the dead back to warn the living of their sins, but to rely on the Word of God – the Holy Scriptures – to be God’s messenger. Sometimes God may send a messenger angel, but they are not the spirits of the dead.

In spite of all this, it seems there were beliefs, maybe we should call them superstitions, about the spirits of the dead. One common belief among Jewish people was that the spirit of the dead stayed near the body for three days, hoping to return to it. In connection with the death of that other Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, this seems important. Martha said that Lazarus had been in the grave 4 days already. His body would already be giving off

Amen.