This weeks gospel John 20:19-23 the disciples were in a locked room when Jesus appeared to them. When he appeared he said “Peace be with you”. This may have been an attempt to reassure them that they were in Gods presence. Since the resurrection the disciples were living in fear of the Jews and may have needed to hear those words. Then Jesus’s said again “Peace be with you. As the father has sent me , so I send you. “Jesus spoke again and said “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them. Who’s sins you retain are retained” After reading this gospel I see that Jesus appeared with the intention of sending the disciples out into the world. He was passing the responsibility of spreading God’s word over to them. The time had finally come for the disciples to step up, complete the mission and go out into the world to build the church. I believe that’s what he meant when he said "Just as the father has sent me so I send you” Jesus was officially sending them out. I think that in order for them to head out and spread God’s word they needed 2 things. They needed The Holy Spirit and the incredible power of forgiveness.
Forgiveness is an area of life that many of us men struggle with. Letting go of something that someone has said or done to you is rarely easy. Especially if it was particularly painful. Do you struggle with forgiveness? Has someone wronged you and you simply can’t get over it? Has someone done something so painful to you that you continue relive the experience in your head over and over again? If so, I’m sure you aren’t alone. What I have found is that forgiving and letting go is part of being a “good” Christian. Forgiving is part of being Christlike. Jesus forgave the disciples for all of their wrongdoings. He didn’t hold on to them. He didn’t keep an account of all of their mistakes. He didn’t throw it in their face and remind them. Most importantly he freed them. He allowed the disciples to move forward. When we forgive we free ourselves and we free the people that have wronged us. That’s the transformative power that exists with forgiveness. A lack of forgiveness for one person is really a lack of forgiveness for everyone. I say this because when you walk around with a heavy heart it affects everyone you encounter. What hurt are you holding on to? What hurt can’t you let go of? I have struggled with forgiveness myself. I’ve labeled and branded many people as liars, thieves, backstabber and every other name. Over the years I have found that those labels are unfair. In God’s eyes have all fallen short. What does God do? Does he brand and label us? No. Has he labeled me a sinner? No. He can, but he hasn’t. He has labeled me simply as his child. We are still his children. We are still loved. Loved with all of our imperfections. Loved with all of our missteps. That type of love give us the space to improve. We don’t feel the guilt and shame that comes from unforgiving. We can grow and be better Christians. Imagine life with God throwing our sins back in our face. That’s not Christianity. That’s why in this gospel I believe Jesus gave the disciples this very powerful gift of forgiveness.
In order to spread the word ,Jesus knew that the disciples needed the presence of the Holy Spirit. . The disciples were given a very challenging task and without the Holy Spirit it wasn’t possible. The spirit of God was going to be there right be their sides providing them with the love and guidance that they need. The Holy Spirit isn’t a power or force. It’s a person that helps us in our times of need. Haven’t you ever been “rescued” from a challenging time in your life. That first responder was The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a teacher giving us the wisdom to make better choices. The choices that God wants us to make. They may not alway be the choices we want. The Holy Spirit is a guide, helping us navigate our way through life’s many twists and turns. When Jesus told the disciples to receive the Holy Spirit. He meant receive the spirit of God. Maybe he meant be aware of the presence of God's Spirit in your life. Are we always present to God's spirit? I'd be the first person to say no. Yes, of course sometimes, but definitely not at all times. I think we are to accept that the Holy Spirit is an "all the time" type of person. Yes, we forget but he doesn't. He is always at our side. We just need to be reminded and made aware just like the disciples.
Armed with the power of forgiveness and the spirit of God, the disciples begin their mission. The mission to spread the word of God throughout the world. When Jesus appeared in that room I doubt the disciples knew that they were receiving two of the greatest tools a Christian can ask for. What I find most fascinating is that those tools are available to us as well. We can all powerfully forgive others and free them to be better in our eyes. We can rebrand someone as a “brother” instead of “liar, cheater, thief”. As Christians we all have access to the Holy Spirit. He is always available and ready to guide us along our journey through life. Let’s remember to put our tools to good use in a world that needs it more than ever.
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