The Fear of the Lord

Our lectionary has given us a wonderful lesson for the Sunday after Easter. It is the story of Christ’s first appearance to the twelve after his resurrection as recorded in John. The women returned from the tomb doing something that I know brought great joy to the Lord’s heart. They were spreading the good news that the Lord had risen. Seeing the risen Christ, their lives changed, their hearts burst in awe, and they were driven to spread the news. In short, they were filled with what the Bible calls “fear of the Lord.” Fear of the Lord is to behold the greatness and glory of God that has acted in might, justice, and power in such a way that it changes one’s heart and empowers them to become worshipping, empowered, missional disciples of the Lord. The women got it. Their witness could not be contained. But the twelve were still in the dark. Rather than being on mission, filled with the fear of the Lord, they were practicing isolation for fear of the Jews. The church would have to change, the twelve would have to catch fire or the mission would die.

Into this self-imposed social distancing, the Lord enters the room even though the doors were locked. I believe John is telling us that the Lord will not stand for the wrong kind of fear. He wants us to hold him in awe so that we can do what he calls us to do, rather than allow our fears to paralyze us. Crucifixion had not robbed him of power or glory. The stone could not hold him. Death itself could not keep him away from those he loved. And yet his disciples had locked themselves in a room after hearing all that Christ had done to set them free. If I were Jesus, I probably would have been a bit frustrated, perhaps even angry. When he comes into the room it is not words of frustration he utters, but instead, “Peace be with you.” He then reminds them of their mission, “As the Father sent me, so I send you.” This is John’s version of the Great Commission. If his resurrection was not enough to fill them with holy fear, he then recreates them by breathing on them as the Father had done to Adam in the garden. He then empowers them with the Holy Spirit. There was work to do, a Gospel to spread. Locked doors, dark hearts, and fear of the Jews was not going to stop it.

The Doubting Thomas – Leendert van der Cooghen, 1654.
Museum Catharijneconvent, Public Domain

A sign that the world was changing and that the disciples were becoming what the Lord wanted took place eight days later when the Lord reappeared in the room that was still locked. The change takes place in a heart that was especially dark as seen in the dialogue of Jesus and Thomas. Thomas moves from fear and doubt to true fear of the Lord. He cries out the strongest acclamation of the divinity of Christ on the lips of a human in John’s Gospel, “My Lord and my God!” Thomas’s fear would no longer be of the Jews. Now his heart would be driven to worship the living God and to obey Christ as Lord of his life. He would now be sent in the power of the Spirit. Tradition tells us that Thomas went on to evangelize what we now call Syria and even India. The Mar Thoma Church of Syria and India traces its roots back to Thomas.

There is a trap we can fall into as we read this passage. Christ tells Thomas, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.” What a blessing that the Lord had us in mind so soon after his resurrection. The problem however, is that we limit the church to our belief. As long as I believe I will be saved and have “life in his name.” While this is true it does not meet the criteria of what Christ desires for his church. The Lord longs for our belief. He longs for our worship. He longs to hear from our lips the acclamation of Thomas, “My God!” But he also wants us to call him Lord and answer his call to be sent. Too many of us allow ourselves to be “locked” in our churches and homes for fear of what is out there. The Lord is realistic. He knows we will be sheep among wolves. But he still sends us. He sends with recreated hearts. He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. He sends us and promises to be with us no matter where we go. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” —John 16:33  He breaks their isolation, bursts through the locked doors, and proclaims, “Peace be with you.” And then he sends them.

As we enter the second month of enforced social distancing and isolation and we find ourselves locked behind closed doors for fear of the virus. Let us not give in to this fear. Jesus has overcome the world. In the Lord’s timing, we are behind closed doors, but we have the technology to reach beyond our homes with the power of the Gospel. Write letters to friends and family. Find creative ways to use YouTube and Facebook. Pick up the phone and share how the Lord has worked miracles in your life with someone who could use encouragement. Fear did not stop Thomas. Fear of the Lord drove him into the world. This Easter let us follow and become spiritual twins of the one whose name means “twin.” Let us break out of our locked doors and proclaim, “My Lord and my God!”

Yours in Christ,

† Mark