Gospel: John 20: 19-31
This week has been full of appearances of Jesus after his resurrection, and today our focus is once again on the male disciples locked away in the upper room. Reviewing their activity this week: Mary Magdalene and other women first reported Jesus risen, but they were dismissed. So too were the two men from Emmaus. John and Peter go to see the empty tomb but return to the locked upper room, which is where we find them today, twice.
Jesus first appears to ten of them, Thomas being absent. One week later Jesus reappears in the same locked room with Thomas now present. But consider: they are still locked away in fear in the upper room - why? The women had not been afraid to go to the tomb, not afraid to tell skeptical men about the risen Jesus. Nor were the two men at Emmaus. Despite the testimony of fellow believers, despite seeing the Lord and knowing he is risen, they remain locked up in fear.
How often do we have a tendency to do the same thing? We long to create "communities" cut off from contact with others, sheltered from the threats of the world. We create our own upper rooms, places of navel gazing and skepticism. But the Lord still breaks through, and the Holy Spirit eventually pushes us out, for it is our place to be in the midst of the world living lives of joyful service and mercy to others which is what the resurrection is all about.
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