3rd Sunday of Easter (2024)

*Given by Deacon Art LaChance*

A person stands before judge and jury, raises a hand in the air, and makes a pledge.

For the next few minutes, with God as their helper, they will “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”

That person is a witness.

Their job is not to expand upon nor dilute the truth.  Their job is to tell the truth.

Leave it to the legal counsel to interpret. Leave it to the judge to apply.        Leave it to the jury to resolve.

But the witness? The witness speaks the truth. Let them do more or less, and they will taint the outcome. But let them do that – let them tell the truth – and justice has a chance.

As Christians, we too, are witnesses. And like witnesses in a court, we are called to testify. And we are to speak truthfully.

Our task is neither to whitewash nor bloat the truth. Our task is to tell the truth – period.

There is, however, one significant difference between the witness in court and the witness for Christ. The witness in court eventually steps down from the witness chair – but the witness for Christ never does. And since the claims of Christ are always on trial – court is perpetually in session – and the witness for Christ remains under oath.

Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of everyday living we lose sight of who we are – witnesses to the resurrection.

The challenge of the Easter message is to witness that Jesus is alive - even after Easter Sunday – because the resurrection really has ushered in a whole new way of living. It also challenges us to become aware of God’s living presence in our lives in new ways.

We are in the third week of Easter — and the third week of our Easter message series we have titled: Dream Big — Think Little. We’ve been looking at the influence of Jesus.             A man who grew up in obscurity in a working-class household, in an impoverished outpost of the Roman Empire.

He never wrote a book, commanded an army, held a political office, headed a company. He was not wealthy. He didn’t even have a permanent address.

His influence has determined our calendar; inspired the greatest achievements in art, architecture, music, science, medicine; and forms the foundation of our most basic values health care, childcare, social services, monogamy and democracy.

He has had more influence in our Western Civilization and, in some ways, the whole world, than any person who ever lived.

Perhaps our biggest challenge actually comes in appreciating and understanding his influence. We tend to underestimate it — especially when it comes to how Jesus influenced the view we have, or ought to have of one another and the values that should guide how we treat one another.

Fr. John introduced to us Ecclesia — a Greek word for a group of people who come together on behalf of the larger community with the intention of influencing and impacting the larger community.

We translate that word as CHURCH.

Ecclesia isn’t only about — or even primarily about — the people in the ecclesia, it’s about people who aren’t.

It is a movement.  A movement that should have failed — but it didn’t fail — because it was begun by God.

From the beginning Jesus had always intended and clearly prepared the disciples to be leaders of his movement to act on his behalf.

Today’s Gospel from Luke makes the point. The scene takes place on Easter Sunday evening. The disciples are traumatized by recent events. Just two days earlier they had seen their leader arrested and put to death in a brutal, savage manner.

They’re worried — frightened — that those who killed Jesus will soon come for them. And now they’re confused because some of their group purported to have seen Jesus alive that very day.

When — suddenly — impossibly — Jesus appears in their midst and says to them, “Peace be with you.”

But they were terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost.” Jesus steps into their confusion and offers peace. He challenges them to look past their doubts and accept the evidence of their senses.

“Touch me and see …

Basically Jesus is coaching them through this experience — providing the evidence they need to leave their doubt behind and embrace the amazing truth of the Resurrection. “Then he opened their minds to understand the Scripture.”

The whole of the Old Testament — from the Law of Moses to all the Prophets and even the Psalms — implicitly and explicitly teach the reality of the coming of the Christ. Here he is reminding them that this was his consistent instruction to them in their time together. He’s helping connect the dots, giving them the complete context for what had just happened to him and them, helping them to see and understand.

Jesus gives the apostles context and the whole history of Israel as prelude to what God was doing in this moment. And he said to them, “You are witnesses of these things.”

For centuries God had prepared for the Christ, the Messiah, to come into the world for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus had suffered and died to make that happen, to put the human race back into a right relationship with God.

And while God had started with Israel now the plan is for all nations to hear the good news about God’s great love. Jesus paints a vision for that future and helps the disciples see their role in it.

And they did see it.

From that day forward each of them devoted the whole of their lives to it, sharing what they had seen and heard launching that ecclesia movement — just as Jesus had coached them to. That’s why the sequel to Luke’s Gospel is called Acts, because it’s the story of what they did to spread the faith. They were witnesses for the purpose of acting on what they had seen and heard.

Most of us probably find it difficult to imagine ourselves in the shoes of the Apostles as they proclaimed the Gospel under difficult circumstances – which for many led to martyrdom.

Many of us are trying to do our best – to love our spouse and provide for our children. We go to work and do our job – generally trying not to make waves or drawing undo attention to ourselves. Our lives probably appear to be very ordinary and not all that special.

However, if we follow the Lord Jesus, we are called to be witnesses to his death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins and to share our love and compassion with those who cross our path.

The fact is that there must be a connection between what we believe and the way we live. We are part of the movement - the Ecclesia.

Our faith must show itself.

You and I probably won’t be called upon to ward off international conflict, but we do have opportunities to yo continue th movement – to bring peace to troubled hearts — by guiding them — coaching them — if you will — by word and example.

Coaching is a good term.

Coaching others prepares them to take their next steps — to move into their future. Haven’t we all experienced coaching…

A person or persons that helped you pick the right college to attend — or major to choose. The one who got us over a broken friendship or to repair a damaged relationship. They were there to find a path forward thru a difficult period or unexpected challenge.

But did you know… have you considered — you can serve in that role too — we all can. Maybe we don’t think we can, because we don’t know how… but the risen Jesus’ approach with the frightened disciples provides a simple step-by-step guide.

First — coaching others is all about Teaching them what they need to know. Helping them make sense out of their experience, connecting the dots, learning how to tell their story. Maybe just imparting knowledge and understanding they don’t have that you do.

As someone’s coach,

-  you have been places they have not yet gone;

-  had experiences they are about to experience;

-  learned lessons they are just now learning.

Jesus does this for the disciples with great patience, by explaining his death and resurrection: what happened to him, and what’s happening to them.

Second — coaching others is all about Teaching them how to grow.

Jesus encouraged the disciples to reach out and touch the marks of his crucifixion, the wound in his side. He wants them to come to the conclusion on their own — through their own personal exploration — that he is really alive. The role of a coach is not to just provide answers — but to help others find answers for themselves.

Third — coaching others is all about Teaching them where to go — Preparing them for their role in God’s plan. This is what Jesus did — not just the disciples sake — but so that they would lead his movement after he returned to the Father.

Each of us has something to offer others — especially those who are younger than us — Even if you’re a young person yourself.

That is the very practical, concrete reality to the resurrection that involves us in those very events. Each of us should live a life stirring enough to continue the movement.

We could love unquenchably — dream unfalteringly — and work unceasingly. We should close our ears to the manifold voices of compromise and perch ourselves on the branch of truth. We should champion the value of people — proclaim the forgiveness of God — and claim the promise of heaven. We should lead a life stirring enough to lead others to Christ.

And that’s the truth.