Just Breathe!
This is my sermon for Sunday, April 19th
The text was John 20: 19-31
It’s right about dusk, the sun has set for the evening, and the sky still has an eerie reddish glow to it. There is a crisp autumn scent in the slightly chilly evening breeze. I’m holding tight to the arm of my friend Danielle, linked arm in arm our bodies are tense and anxious as we slowly move forward toward the next corner. Our ears are straining to hear the sounds of anything that is to come and surprise us, but we are left only with the noise of the fallen hay and cornhusks that crunch beneath our feet. I can hear my heart beating fast, my breathing is short and shallow, I’m scared, I’m fearing what is to come. As we go to turn the corner of the corn maze, we pause slightly, fearing the inevitable. And then it happens, a masked character jumps out in Halloween Garb, and all that is left is the echoes of our screams in the night air, surrounded by others who are undergoing the same momentary panic.
Although my story is surrounded in the spooking spirit of Halloween, I can only imagine that the disciples feel that very intense sense of panic and anxiety as they huddle together in a locked room. As verse 19 says, “and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews.” The Jews here are not referring to the Jewish people, but instead are referencing the Pharisees, the Jewish leaders, the people that were persecuting Jesus and therefore now looking for the disciples.
Here the disciples huddled, fearing for their lives, questioning what had just happened, wondering what their future held.
I don’t know about you, but I know I would sure be questioning everything that happened.
I’d be wondering how the Messiah could be killed?
How he gave himself up to be killed upon a cross?
What I should be doing now?
How could I live my life under persecution?
How could I continue to spread the messages Jesus had taught me, when he wasn’t there to lead me?
I can picture the disciples sitting around saying very similar things:
what were they going to do now?
would they elect one of them to lead?
or would they all just break up and try to spread the word that way?
They sit huddled, nervous, worried about the future. Behind closed doors they worried about persecution, listened to every creaking sound, strained their ears to hear if someone was coming down the road, afraid if something was coming their way that they couldn’t handle, something that they were afraid of.
Previous to the reading for today, Mary Magdalene witnesses the risen Christ, and she goes on to tell the disciples of her encounter. But the question becomes, why then would the disciples still be afraid if they heard Jesus had been risen, that their beloved Teacher was back upon the Earth, that the prophecy had come true, the Messiah had risen from the dead? Why still fear?
But see, they were afraid, they were afraid of being persecuted, afraid of what people thought of them, of the way Jesus’ message had affected the leadership of the Temple, they were afraid of being killed like Jesus was.
Not only were they panicking because of their previous association with Jesus, and what the Pharisees thought about Jesus’ teachings, but now, Jesus’ words had come true! He had risen from the grave, and they were bound to take the wrath of the Pharisees for it.
The Pharisees feared that Jesus would be found alive, that’s why they had stationed guards outside the tomb. They feared that Jesus would try to get a message out from beyond the grave, they didn’t think that he could actually rise from the dead, but that his disciples would spread a false message. And yet, the disciples heard he was alive, Mary Magdalene told them that she saw him, and they were now terrified and just sat in their locked room unable to do anything else.
In our own lives, we are often paralyzed with fear. We, like the disciples, have heard the message of Jesus’ resurrection, we have reflected, sang, cried, worshipped, praised, prayed, and waited for his rising from the dead. And yet we still have fear.
I walked through that corn maze, knowing that there were people there roaming around to scare the patrons, Heck, that’s what I had paid for, but I was still afraid. I still crept cautiously to the corner, my breathing breaking into a belabored beat, anxiety arising within the air.
I knew I would be surprised at some point, I knew that there was truly nothing in that maze that could hurt me, but still, STILL I feared!
We, as a people, as children of God, as Children of the Resurrection, we fear. We have heard the resurrection story, and yet we are afraid. Fear runs through the air.
Fear motivates violence in the streets, fear motivates war in foreign countries because there might be terrorists, fear motivates racism, sexism, homophobia, ageism, ableism, and classism.
Fear is present. Fear is tangible.
Fear is in the dark street you have to travel down in order to get home after your overnight shift,
Fear is in not having enough money to put food on the table,
fear is in being beaten by your spouse,
fear is in drinking problems,
fear is in the economy,
fear in a recession,
fear is in the foreclosures,
fear is in worrying you can’t provide a better future for your children,
fear is in breaking out of stereotypes,
fear is in asserting your humanity,
fear is in the violence that get’s portrayed against women,
fear is in piracy in the seas,
Fear is present in many different ways.
Some fear having a black man as president,
some fear change in politics,
some fear not being in charge,
others fear not having control over their life due to drug habits,
or having to give up a drug habit, incarceration, rehabilitation, renovation, renewal, rebirth.
We fear persecution. Persecution because of who we are, what we do, what we look like, how much money we have, where we went to school, what we do for a living, what we believe in, what we stand for, and who we are associated with.
Like the disciples, persecution is a real thing for us.
We get questioned about why we are Christian, why we believe in Christ, why we go to church, why we try to help others out, why we speak the good news, why we talk about Jesus, why we sing about Jesus, why we give thanks for the things going right in our life.
When it seems like life is out of control, when fear has paralyzed us, when we question ourselves, when we are worried about the rent, food, or our job, there he is, Jesus. Right there with us in the room.
The disciples were gripped with this fear, they were closed off, locked in a room, with no one coming in or going out, it was just them. But then suddenly there was another, one who wasn’t with them physically before.
I don’t know about you, but my first reaction would have been to fall out of my chair. Here suddenly was another person, but the room was locked, no one knew they were there, their worst fear came true, they had been found.
But Jesus, brings them a new message. He tells them, “Peace be with you.” This typical Jewish greeting brought them back to the moment, their breathing stabilized, they realized who this was. It was their Master, their teacher, their beloved Messiah.
Jesus did more then just bring them a word of peace, did more then offer them a traditional greeting, Jesus brought peace, peace as an end of persecution. Peace as an end of fear. A new peace, peace that fulfills what he told the disciples before his death, In John 14: 27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” Jesus gave them a new peace, a peace that passes all understanding, a peace that gives us a new life, gives us eternal salvation, that can be there to comfort us through the trials.
I can only imagine, that the disciples are sitting there shocked. They were told by Mary Magdalene that he had risen from the dead, and he himself told them that it would happen, but yet here he was in front of them right now. I imagine all ten of them, standing there with their mouths open wide, eyes open wide in amazement.
Jesus is prepared for this though, and immediately tells them to look at the holes in his hands, to view the cut in his side, although they don’t ask, he verifies for them that he truly is Jesus, and that he is here standing before them, not a ghost, but a true flesh being.
The disciples rejoice in Jesus’ appearance, peace has been brought. Now that the disciples are breathing easy, Jesus does another amazing and gracious thing for the disciples. He commissions the disciples, “Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”’
Then Jesus imparts the Holy Spirit on them, ruach in Hebrew, literally meaning the breathe of God. He breathes on them, and they are filled with the Spirit. Breathes on them. Just the breath of Jesus fills them with the Spirit, how amazing is that? He doesn’t need to touch them, or tell them anything, he just breathes on them.
He breathes on them just like God breathes on Adam in Genesis 2: 7 “Then the Lord formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.”
Just as God breathed life into Adam, Jesus breathes life into the disciples. The fear doesn’t matter any more, there is only eternal life through Jesus. Jesus breathed on them. How close do you think you would have to be to breath on someone? A couple feet? A foot? Five inches? One inch? I think you would have to be pretty darn close to breath on someone. And that’s what Jesus was, he got all up in their grills, got personal, and breathed on them. [breathe on them]
Well, I’m here to tell you, Jesus does the same thing for each and every one of us. Jesus breathes on us. He gets up close and personal, and breathes on us. [breathe]
He breathes life on us [breathe],
breathes the holy spirit on us [breathe],
breathes away the fear [breathe],
breathes away the anxiety [breathe],
breathes away the pain [breathe],
breathes away the loneliness [breathe],
breathes away the self mutilation [breathe],
breathes away the money issues [breathe],
breathes away worries [breathe],
breathes away the stress of two or more jobs [breathe],
breathes away the troubles [breathe].
Jesus breathes life into us [breathe],
giving us a new life through God, giving us new life through love, giving us new life though grace.
Now it doesn’t end there folks, there is two parts to breathing. In order for our lungs to fill with air, we inhale the oxygen [ inhale] and exhale the carbon dioxide [exhale].
We inhale the goodness, the life giving force [inhale], and exhale what we can’t use [exhale]. We inhale to stay alive [inhale], and exhale to get rid of the poisons and in order to inhale again [exhale]. It is a natural thing, you inhale [inhale], then you exhale [exhale]. You fill your lungs with life [inhale], and you exhale that which you cannot use [exhale]. But here’s the key to the workings of the universe. We think that what we can’t use isn’t useful, but it is. If we didn’t exhale, we would be harmed, but when we do, plants are given life. Trees, plants, shrubs, bushes, daffodils, tulips, roses, lilies, marigolds, carnations, poppies, pansies, and every other type of greenery need the carbon dioxide we exhale.
Jesus breathes life into us [breathe], and we breathe out life to others [breathe]. It’s not something we have to do, it’s just something that happens, it’s a natural product of breathing in the Holy Spirit.
Jesus gives the disciples a last message. “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” The disciples are given an option, either they can forgive and let go, or they can hold onto sins within themselves, Jesus gives them the power of proclamation, the freedom of forgiveness. Jesus gives them the ability to forgive others, to breathe life into other people, to show other people that God gives them life, God forgives them, and Jesus has given them the breathe of a new life. The disciples can either sit in fear of persecution, or they can forgive others sins, and be forgiven. They can give life through the spreading of the Gospel message.
Jesus has that same message for us. We are given the gift of forgiveness, we inhale the sweetness of a sunny summer day in the spirit [inhale], and we exhale the gift of forgiveness to those who have done us wrong, who question us, who persecute us [exhale], and forgiveness is given. We inhale the Spirit, inhale the gift of Jesus’ love [inhale], and exhale the grace and forgiveness onto those who surround us [exhale]. We inhale, and we exhale.
So come on breathe with me, inhale the holy spirit [breathe in] and exhale the Gospel story into the world [exhale]. Inhale, and exhale. Inhale, and exhale. 2x
That’s what the message of the Resurrection is. Jesus came back to breathe life into us, Jesus came back to give us life, to give us eternal life through love. Jesus breathes on us, Alleluia!
Inhale, and exhale.
Breathe!
Amen.
Labels: breathe, gospel, holy spirit, Jesus, john, sermon, sharing
