Sermon, Easter 3B, Luke 24:36b-48

". . . Repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem."

How long did it take for the disciples/apostles to get it? How long was it before they began to reach out to those around them? How long was it before they stopped living in fear and began living in the abundance of God?

Asking these questions helps us humanize the Apostles. Sometimes we get the idea that they must have been only a little less perfect than Jesus himself. We see St. Peter guarding the gates of heaven, St. James as bishop of Jerusalem, and St. John writing beautifully about Jesus and his revelation, and we think, "Wow; how could I ever hope to come close to that?" But we need to remember that they didn't start out that way.

On Easter morning we heard the story of the resurrection according to Mark. In that version, you will recall, Mary, Mary and Salome went to the tomb of Jesus early in the morning of the first day of the week to anoint his body. To their amazement, the body is gone and they are greeted by an angel who tells them to go and tell the disciples that Jesus will meet them in Galilee.

"And they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid."

How long before his disciples quit living in fear and start living in the abundance of God?

Last Sunday we heard two appearance stories that spanned the first week of Easter. The first section took place on the evening of that first Easter Day. Ten of the eleven disciples were hiding out in a room behind locked doors when Jesus appears to them. After putting them at ease -- "Peace be with you" -- what does he say to them?

"As the Father has sent me, so I send you."

Once again the disciples are asked to go forth and spread the news of God's kingdom. Once again they are asked to proclaim the Good News of Christ. Once again they do nothing. And once again the disciples choose to live in fear instead of living in the abundance of God.

How do we know that the disciples didn't go out and proclaim the Good News? Because the gospel doesn't say they did. There are some things that don't appear in the written record for which you can infer happened; but when the gospels are silent on the issue of proclamation, you can be sure that it didn't happen.

A week later, after appearing to the ten and commissioning them to go out and proclaim the Good News, they are still hiding out, still living in fear and still refusing to participate in God's abundance. So once again Jesus appears to the disciples as they are meeting behind closed doors.

This time, however, he focuses mainly on Thomas. This is one of those times when you can make an informed and necessary inference based on the context of the story. It is here that Jesus commissions Thomas to go out and proclaim the Good News. What Jesus actually says is, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." We make the inference of Thomas' commissioning because of this: how will anyone come to believe unless Thomas tells them?

Once again the disciples are asked to go forth and spread the news of God's kingdom. Once again they are asked to proclaim the Good News of Christ. Once again they do nothing. And once again the disciples choose to live in fear instead of living in the abundance of God.

The story continues in John with several of the disciples deciding to go fishing. After all of the events that have happened, after the empty tomb, after Mary's proclamation to them, after the several appearances, these disciples decide to get back to business as usual. So they go fishing. Jesus appears to them again on the shore and meets them there with a fish bbq for breakfast. And again he tells the disciples, through Peter, to feed and tend the flock.

We have a similar situation in today's gospel passage from Luke. The disciples are gathered together sharing stories when Jesus appears yet again. There is still some fear and doubt within their group, but he settles them down and, to prove he isn't a ghost -- or maybe because he's simply hungry -- he shares some broiled fish with them.

And again he tells them, ". . . repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in [my] name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem." He told the women at the empty tomb to go and proclaim. He told the men in the locked room to go and proclaim. He told Thomas to go and proclaim. He told the fishermen to go and proclaim. He told the discipels on the road to Emmaus to go and proclaim. And here he's telling them yet again.

How long will it take the disciples to get it? How many times does Jesus have to say, "Go and proclaim the Good News?" How long before they stop living in fear and begin living in God's abundance?

How long will Jesus keep after them to spread the word?

The answer is, "As long as it takes."

Jesus will not leave us alone. Jesus will not abandon us. His earthly ministry is finished, but his work is not done. We are his hands and feet and mouth. We are the ones who are called to proclaim the message.

Begin in Jerusalem. Why Jerusalem? Because that's where the disciples were when Jesus asked them to go and proclaim. You begin where you are. We don't need to travel to far away places to begin our ministry. We don't need to travel to exotic locales to be missionaries. There is work to do right here.

Go and proclaim the Good News. Go and proclaim repentance and forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus. Go and live not in fear but in God's abundance.

Go and boldly proclaim the Good News of God in Christ -- right here in the Ruby Valley.

Go.