The Doors are Locked and Barred

John 20:19-23 ~  "On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”   After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.  Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

". . . when the doors were locked for fear of the Jewish leaders. . ." ~ I too know how to shut a few doors, I too know the steady drumming of the fear marching my way.  Dog the doors and seal the hatches, I see a storm brewing and it has fear raining down in torrents.  "Fear of the Jews . . ."  Wait, were not the Jews their own people?  Their own family?  Yes, I know that fear too.  In fact, I scramble somewhere between fear of the loss of family and fear of the needs of my family on a constant continuum.

They were hiding.  I was hiding.

And then He shocked me because He came, Jesus came!  Not after we cleaned our act up and threw open the doors wide but in the midst of our fear, of my trembling ~ Jesus came.

"Jesus came and stood in the midst of them. . . "  ~ He saw the fear and stayed there, and He stayed here. He did not turn away in disgust at my shut doors and fearful ways.

Jesus came and Jesus stayed and then Jesus spoke ~ "Peace, be with you,"  and then again, "Peace to you!"  He spoke Peace.

"Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord."  His people are glad at the seeing, the seeing of scarred hands open wide.  Glad at the seeing.  Not glad at the getting of things or power.  Simply glad at the seeing . . . at the seeing of their Lord.

And Peace again ~ "Peace to you!  As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."

He speaks peace not simply for us but for all of them.  Peace, for all them, for he will surely send us out to exactly our them.  Peace given, Peace spoken, not merely for our own edification, but in preparation for the mission.

And at the saying the breathing and, "He breathed on them, and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'"

He spoke Peace and He breathed Spirit, He breathed life into them.

The order is unmistakeable ~

     - Us, bound behind closed doors, chained in sin and full of fear of them.

     -  Jesus came and stood in the midst, there in the middle of our fear.

     -  He spoke peace and His people were glad at the seeing . . . 

     -  And then came the mission, their grand commission ~ the sending by Him, out to all of them.

     -  Breathe now the breath of Life, Spirit given to the previously scared and hidden.

Words then spoken of forgiveness, given only freely through the breath of the Spirit.  We can truly forgive once we have been forgiven and then our lungs fill full of Breath's Life.

I was so scared, long days and hard nights,

  and no answers in sight.

Warred heavy and weary, terrified of the next fight.

Doors were locked and barred,

  and my heart scourged and scarred.

I laid low and I laid bare,

  and He heard every prayer.

Softly He called, "Do not let your mind roam,

  you are almost home."

Then He led me to these words of John,

  and they soothed as heavenly balm.

As aswer to my prayer,

  He is in the midst of every last tear,

He catches them all,

  He guides them as they fall,

He counts them sweet,

  as they slide off my cheek,

and they pool at His feet.

He breathes,

  and my feeble lungs heave,

and life pours in,

  and He prepares me for my them.

It is not just one moment grand,

  but many faithful moments on which I stand.

He, in the midst of every moment,

  and I, continual breathing of Life as I am sent.

For now, He does not send me to some distant land,

  No, my them are always right at hand.

Just a slight walk down the hall,

  at their constant call.

But, close as them may be,

  Sent, is surely me.

Into my fear, "Peace" speaks He,

  and His Spirit I do breathe. 

I race not far, just down the hall but Peace He gives all the same.  The order is clear, our mission simple ~ we are all sent and moment by moment in this sending we must hear His words of Peace and His Spirit receive.