Loving God, you continue to meet us in the midst of our doubts and our fears, bringing your grace and peace.  Help us to continue to experience the blessing of faith, and empower us by your Spirit for life in your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

    Both the Gospel of John and the Revelation to John were written for people who were fearful and persecuted.  In all likelihood, both were written during the reign of the Roman Emperor Domitian, near the end of the first century AD.  The thing about Domitian is that he’s one of those emperors who thought very highly of himself.  In fact, Domitian liked himself so much that he issued a decree that he was to be addressed as Dominus et Deus, which means “Lord and God.”  Anybody who did not comply or who did not participate in worshipping the emperor faced criminal charges, imprisonment, exile, or even death.

    And so, in the midst of this setting, you have a group of people called Christians who proclaim that there is only one God and one Lord, Jesus Christ.  In spite of the fact that there was a statue of Caesar Augustus that proclaimed him as “son of god,” Christians proclaimed that Jesus was the Son of God.  In spite of the emperor Domitian’s decree, Thomas confesses to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!” (Jn. 20:28) These Christians, it seems, were entirely subversive – and so those who believed in Jesus knew that they might be arrested or imprisoned or tortured or exiled or even put to death.  Yet, they persisted in their faith in Jesus, their crucified and risen Lord, for they knew that through believing they would have life in his name (Jn. 20:31).

    However, at the same time, they were not immune to doubts and fears.  As it turns out, the words of Jesus in today’s gospel were not only for those first disciples, but for all those who would follow.  Whenever we are adrift in a sea of doubts and fears and even despair, Jesus comes to us with his nail-scarred hands and wounded side and speaks words of peace and of blessing.  He comes to us, sharing our sorrow and sharing our pain and bringing his peace.  He comes to us, just as he did to Thomas and to the other disciples, giving us whatever it is that we need to believe.

    However, sometimes even when we do believe in Jesus, we wonder what the future will hold.  In some ways, our present day situation is not all that far removed from the hostile environment of the first century.  I recently read a commentary on Revelation that stated that Revelation was not written for us.  Strictly speaking, the author is correct.  Revelation was written for the seven churches in Asia (Rev. 1:4).

    The other thing about Revelation on which most scholars agree is that it uses a sort of “code” language – images and symbols that would have been understood by those who first read it, but aren’t always understood today.  However, this is not to say that there is nothing there in Revelation for us.  In fact, some of the messages for those seven churches in Asia sound like they could have been written to congregations today.

    Take, for example, the message to the church in Laodicea (which is in present day Turkey).  It begins like this: “The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the origin of God’s creation” (Rev. 3:14).  In other words, it is the words of Jesus without saying that it is the words of Jesus, for he is also called “the faithful witness” in the second reading that we heard today (Rev. 1:5).  And so here is some of what Jesus has to say to the church in Laodicea:

I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot.  I wish that you were either cold or hot.  So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.  For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.’ You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.  Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich; and white robes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen; and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.  I reprove and discipline those whom I love.  Be earnest, therefore, and repent (Rev. 3:15-19).

    This church is basically being asked, “Do you believe in Jesus or not?”  You can’t believe in Jesus and worship the emperor at the same time.  You can’t believe in Jesus and trust in your own material possessions.  You can’t believe in Jesus and just sort of blend in with the surrounding culture.  You can’t shy away from persecution and martyrdom and expect life in all its fulness.  

    Yet, along with these words of judgment and reproof, there are words of hope and promise:

Listen!  I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.  To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.  Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches (Rev. 3:20-22).

This is a word of hope for both the present and the future.  Jesus is right here - standing at the door - knocking.  Are we going to pay attention enough to let him in?  Are we going to join him at the Lord’s Table, not only now but at the future heavenly banquet?  Are we going to trust in the God who loves us – the God of the past, the present and the future?

    Ultimately, both Revelation and the Gospel of John are written for those who experience doubt and fear and pain in the midst of a hostile and sinful world.  We might not be threatened with execution or imprisonment for believing in Jesus.  However, we certainly could experience ridicule or exclusion for our faith.  How many times have you been asked to choose between worshipping God and the great, powerful god of sport?  How many times are you asked to do things in your work that go against your faith?  How many times have you been asked to choose between your family and worshipping God?  There are still plenty of idols that vie for our attention!

    However, in the midst of a more and more hostile environment, are we able to say with Thomas, “My Lord and my God!”?  Are we able to imagine Jesus breathing the Holy Spirit into our midst and speaking words of peace and blessing?  Are we able to hear Jesus, right there, knocking at the door, waiting to come in?  And are we able to hear the promise that is there in Revelation – that past and present and future are all in God’s hands?

    The one who loves us has freed us from our sins by his blood and has made us to be a kingdom – priests serving his God and Father (Rev. 1:5-6).  Let us then continue in the grace and peace that he gives to us, called and sent to share that same grace and peace with others, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Easter 2(C)                                    John 20:19-31
April 7, 2013                                    Revelation 1:4-8
St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison

© 2013 Lynne Hutchison  All Rights Reserved