In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Spirit, Amen. I've heard a question
asked by some. It seems quite sensible. At first,
the question being, why didn't Jesus appear to
more people after the resurrection? For example,
make another Palm Sunday type of procession,
an appearance with everybody. Wouldn't that have
convinced people? Wouldn't that have presented
proofs that are undeniable? Wouldn't that have
established the kingdom of God on earth? Well,
that is the problem, isn't it? Because the kingdom
of God is not a place on earth. The kingdom of
God is within. The kingdom of God does not have
an earthly ruler. The kingdom of God does not
have an earthly capital city. Kind of got a bureaucracy
with the church a little bit. But the kingdom
of God is not of this world, but that kind of
kingdom would be of this world. The kingdom of
God is for this world. It's located in the heart
of the disciples that confess him. that live
according to his commandments, that live and
speak according to his name, as it says in the
scriptures, his name. And Christ's appearances
are never for spectacular reasons anyway, for
coercing someone or forcing someone or convincing
someone. Our Lord is not a show -off. He's humble.
On Palm Sunday, he rode on a donkey. not a war
horse. Here's the rule of the spiritual life.
All attempts to coerce, manipulate, trick, force
people in any way to believe in Christ are futile.
Absolutely. And remember what I said a few weeks
ago. The king of glory, as it says on the cross
there at the top, is king because of the cross.
He invites us to pick up our cross. And this
is not something people want to do unless they
know that sin has broken them and destroyed them.
And without God, they have nothing. The Lord,
this king, invites us to deny ourselves. This
is not seeker -friendly on the top of things,
right? It's daunting to those who think they
can find their own lives in themselves. If you
seek for your own life, you will lose it, Jesus
says. This is daunting because we only find ourselves
in Christ. And love for Jesus Christ is given
birth... By being near him. Whether you understand
anything about him or not. To be near him. Believing
the words of life. Love, anyway, it's never won
over by spectacle. That's just being impressed.
And that wears off. That wears off. Today is
Thomas Sunday. It's the day... in which Christ
appears a week later, that's why it's today,
after the resurrection, to the apostles who are
gathered in the upper room. They're joyful they
have seen the Lord. Thomas doesn't believe them.
Why should he? Why should he believe Peter, who
denied the Lord? They knew by then that's what
happened. Why should he believe the women? Nobody
believed them, coming back from the tomb that
was empty. Why should he believe anyone? He was
sensible. And Jesus invites him to come closer,
right? And he says, blessed are those who have
not seen, but they believe. It's as if Christ
is saying, today I present myself to you, Thomas,
and the apostles, living. But from now on, for
everyone else, It will be the kingdom itself.
The kingdom is Christ. The kingdom is God. The
kingdom is the church itself. That will make
me present. From now on, it's as if Jesus is
saying, whenever and wherever you gather together
in my name, you will be living. You will be a
living image of me. Of course, what is meant
by this is more than Many people think the word
church means. We mean the living, glorified body
of Christ where sins are forgiven, where the
good news is preached, where burdens are set
down, where divine food is offered, where we
have fellowship with the saints and the apostles
and the mother of God and each other. God is
in his kingdom and the kingdom is in God. The
kingdom is the body of God, the body of the church.
The body of Christ. It's as if Christ is saying,
I have found a way to keep you from falling away
from me. Unless, of course, you deliberately
choose that. It's as if Christ is saying, in
my wisdom, in my infinite love, I have found
the perfect way, which is also the most human
way, and the easiest way for you to love me and
to possess me. It's as if Christ is saying, when
you gather together in my name, when you join
together for worship in this life -giving assembly,
I live in you. I become you. You become my flesh
and my blood. Do you remember Jesus said to the
apostles, it's important for you that I go away.
For if I don't go away, the Holy Spirit won't
come. But if I go away, the Holy Spirit comes
and he makes Christ present everywhere. This
is what Jesus is saying. In other words, if Jesus
said, because you cling so closely to the earth
and are not willing to be raised up from there.
You are not capable of becoming living revelations
of God, the image of God as I made you. It's
as if Jesus is saying, that's why I stoop down
and I humble myself and become as you are. There
I am in the midst of you. Tell me then, Jesus
says, what more can I do for you? How low shall
I bend? How close shall I come to you? How deeply
shall I enter into your life you're being? Tell
me. In order to touch me, Jesus says, you don't
even have to stretch out your hand. You gather
together. And this, each one of us, and as our
community becomes the living witness of the kingdom
of God, the living witness of the resurrection,
and blessed are those who see it then and believe.
Because it's authentic and true. This means,
brothers and sisters, it's not so much important
how we feel when we receive communion. What's
most important is how we prepare for it and how
we act later. We become witnesses of something.
Will it be authentic according to what Christ
has given? His flesh and blood, his body, where
people seeing you and seeing us will say, Christ
did rise. That's why we sing, having beheld the
resurrection of Christ, let us worship the holy
Lord Jesus. We don't sing, having believed in
the resurrection of Christ. No, we see through
a glass darkly. But then we will see clearly
that this room, this holy place, This temple
is filled with the angels of God, is filled with
the worship of God, is filled with those who
are waiting for the resurrection, who worship
the resurrected one. Blessed are those who believe
without seeing. Christ is risen.