When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."     (John 20:19)

It is the evening on the same day of our Lord's resurrection. The disciples have already left footprints and heartprints of betrayal, desertion, and denial. They punctuate their despair by locking themselves up within a room of fear. Can you image what they thought initially when Jesus came and stood among them? How would he respond to their failure to respond to his extreme ministry of love?

Jesus responds in his resurrected state as he had consistently responded prior to that state. He comes back for the stragglers. He comes back to draw the lifeless back into the eternal life made possible by this journey through a cross into an empty tomb and out of the tomb into a new creation. When Jesus comes back to the very ones who betrayed, deserted, and denied, he comes back-- not only with forgiveness, but as forgiveness. His words articulate that forgiveness: "Peace be with you."

Brothers and sisters, the first fruit of the resurrection is forgiveness! The resurrected Lord comes back for us with forgiveness and as forgiveness. The resurrected Lord comes back to give us renewed courage to forgive, to come back for those who have strayed and straggled from a wholesome relationship with us. At least a glimpse of the power of the resurrected Lord gets exercised in our lives through a renewed courage to forgive our enemies.

Most loving Father, who by thy Son Jesus Christ hast taught us to love our enemies and to pray for them, we beseech thee, give to those who are now our enemies the light of thy Holy Spirit. Grant that they and we, being enlightened in conscience and cleansed from every sin, may know and do thy will, and so be changed from foes to friends united in thy service; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
(Written by the Reverend Howard Johnson, Episcopal priest,
 for a White House prayer service on March 4, 1944)

Contributed by Pastor Dan
Sunday April 16, 2006
Week 21 of Liturgical Year B