Locked doors work both ways

The Gospel of John, 20th chapter tells us that on the evening of Easter Sunday, the disciples locked themselves in an upper room because they feared for their life.  Now the writer says that the disciples were afraid that the authorities would find them.  You have to think they were a little worried that a risen Jesus would find them too.  A 'he who we thought was dead' Jesus on the loose in the world might have been too frightening to consider.


Whatever they were thinking inside that room, they certainly needed time to process (great 21st century term).  Perhaps the more level headed amongst them were still trying to make sense out of the women's tales about a missing, risen, alive Jesus.  You and I both know that we have no category in our thinking for such a phenomena; they were wrestling with something that up to that very day was impossible.  Ridiculous.  Out of this world.

A dozen or so people crammed into an airless room, suspicious of each other, and afraid of everyone else.........it wasn't a good atmosphere for rational thinking.  But of this I am certain, no matter what they were thinking or believing, they weren't about to take it to the streets and blab it all over the place.  That kind of thing was dangerous! They locked the door.  To keep the authorities out.  To keep strangers out.  To keep themselves inside.

Bet you recognize that attitude, that reluctance to take the news about Jesus to the streets.  You know, I believe in God deeply but I don't talk about it with other people.  I don't want to offend.  I don't want to look like a fanatic.  I don't want to lose friends, business, or dinner invitations.  I keep my faith to myself.

We have all kinds of locked doors to protect ourselves. We lock out those of questionable background.  We lock out those who talk about God differently from us.  We lock out those who don't know our special way of doing things.  We lock out those whose children are unruly.  We lock out those who can no longer make the stairs or hear the preacher or drive their cars.  We lock out those who speak a different language.

We lock out anyone who qualifies as 'other.' which of course is the most ironic, if not sad.  In the name of Jesus, we lock out the very people Jesus went out of his way to invite in.  Jesus who spent his entire ministry changing the locks, throwing open the doors, welcoming everyone and anyone, is now the reason we keep to ourselves.  Jesus found a way to speak with every stripe of human being; we huddle behind all kinds of barriers and avoid speaking to the stranger.

But when we lock others out, we also lock ourselves in.  We huddle in our worship spaces, repeating the prayers of the centuries, singing the most familiar music, as our numbers slowly diminish.  We lock the future out - and the fear inside only escalates. The very peace which we know in Jesus suffocates in our locked spaces, our locked minds and hearts.

....and we lose Jesus and the peace that he brings to us, the peace that he is to us, and the power of life that comes with that peace.

Yet, hear the good news.  No lock is going to keep Jesus from coming to you.  This crucified and risen Jesus will not be stopped by a cross, a tomb, a locked door...or a barricaded heart.  In him is peace, and that peace is a whole new life.  There is no end or limit to it.

Jesus appears to the grieving and frightened disciples not to scold or to judge, but to bring them peace.  That is the gift he continues to offer to every single person, a gift so powerful that once it is yours, you cannot lock it in either.

Doors.  Locks. Fear.
Jesus. Peace. Life.

Behind locked doors

For those of us allowed the privilege of proclaiming the gracious love of God in Jesus on a weekly basis, the story of "Doubting Thomas" is familiar.  It is always the lesson assigned to the first Sunday after Easter.  If you been preaching for 20 years, you have wrestled with a message about Thomas 20 times.

Many times the message is about faith v. doubt.  Since I believe most folks have moments - months - years of doubt, I think this kind of reflection can be helpful.  I'm pretty sure I've preached a couple of these myself.

But this year, I want to talk about doors.  The story tells us that the disciples had locked themselves in an upper room because they were afraid.  Now the writer of the gospel of John says they were afraid of the Jews, but if you know a little bit about the community for which John wrote, you begin to realize that 'the Jews' was shorthand for anyone who strongly opposed this new way of believing.  So we might substitute 'the Jewish leadership' for John's constant harping on 'the Jews'.  I expect the disciples were afraid of the Romans who had the authority to arrest and execute whomever they wished,   But to compromise, let's use the phrase 'the authorities.'

The disciples were afraid of the authorities; they didn't want anyone to know where they were - huddled together, with the rank fragrance of sweat pooling in the small, airless room.  Ten men plus some women crammed in this room, scared to death - not just of the authorities, but of one another!  Who knew if there was yet another Judas in their midst?  I expect they kept a close eye on one another.....

....which brings me to doors. They locked themselves in.  They closed themselves off from the rest of the world.  They were suspicious of strangers and not really sure of one another I would guess.

None of which stopped the risen Jesus.  Not the door.  Not their fear.  Not their total failure to stand by him in his most agonizing hour.  Jesus simply appeared.

If a cross, a stone and a tomb can't lock you in, do you really think a locked door is going to keep you out?  Jesus simply appears - to bring a word of peace, which is a word of forgiveness and love.  "Do not be afraid"  he says.  A tall order on any day of the week.

Jesus steps into the center of their grief and paralyzing fear, not to scold or judge, but to bring peace.

.....which is what Jesus is doing today as well....stepping into all those locked places of our lives, places which hold grief, anger, wounds, fear, doubt, hunger....and offers us peace.  Not judgement.  Not guilt.  Peace.

Walk any street and consider what truths are hiding behind all those locked doors. Consider all the hurting people hiding themselves away.  Know that this Jesus won't let a locked door stop him from bringing a word of peace.  You can count on it.  You can count on him.  He's right there waiting to be peace in your life.

Do not be afraid of this one from God.  He comes in peace.