Scriptures: Acts 5:27-32; John 20:19-31
Key Verse: “God set him on high at his side, Prince and Savior, to give Israel the gift of a changed life and sins forgiven.” Acts 5:31
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Hello, This is Jade.
Welcome to Yi.kigai
A space for all to explore the intersection between faith and daily life
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Easter Blessings! It’s my prayer that your past week has been filled with joy since Easter Sunday. Given all this joy and celebration, it might not make any sense now if I ask, “Have you locked yourself at home for fear of anything that is life threatening?” The first thing that comes to mind could be the fear of COVID-19. Some of us might still choose to wear masks due to being immunocompromised. Some might have begun feeling safe enough by only washing their hands often.
In this week’s scripture in John 20:19-31, we read that Jesus’ disciples locked themselves in a room out of fear. It is hard for me to imagine their fear of persecution mixed with not knowing if Jesus’ resurrection would make their lives better or worse in those days. What we know is that Jesus didn’t snap them out of their life threatening situation but simply gave them peace-shalom, a power to forgive any offenders, a gift of a changed life.
Have you ever felt fear of revealing a truth that might hurt someone’s feelings, or cost friendship or relationship that has taken years to build, or even cost your own or someone’s life? You might have wrestled between staying true to yourself and trying to protect yourself by hiding the truth to maintain the status quo.
Jesus didn’t tell his disciples to fight or run away but gave them peace that empowered them to live a changed life, resulting in repentance and forgiveness of sins. We all know that having a fight or flight response to any problems or conflicts doesn’t take us anywhere. At the end of the day no one repents and no one’s sins are forgiven. We let go of the gift of peace from God but not our anger or resentment.
If I can name only one takeaway from the preaching class that I took in seminary, I would say that it’s important to focus on Good News. I still remember that Dr. Craig Alan Satterlee, my preaching professor, always asked us in class what good news we just heard after a student delivered his/her sermon. I understood why he kept asking to make sure we got it, but it took me years to experience the power of embodying God’s Good News in our daily lives as believers.
It’s my prayer that you may also experience today’s Good News Jesus has brought to you, the power of the Holy Spirit that has been given to you because of your believing. By knowing that we all are sealed by the power of the Holy Spirit in our baptism, and that it says in Romans 8:31 that since God is for us, who can be against us, may we, together, practice forgiveness of sins to pave a long and lasting way of life-giving peace for ourselves and our neighbors. That was the same Good News that Jesus’ disciples held tight onto in the midst of persecution while planting and multiplying the body of Christ in the early centuries.
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May your coming week be blessed by God’s grace
As together we explore the intersection between faith and daily life
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