The Homily

Pentecost

Sunday, May 23, 2010
Acts 2: 1-11 + Psalm 104 + Romans 8: 8-17 + John 20: 19-23
Audio version of homily

John says the doors were closed “for fear of the Jews.”
That strikes me as a little odd since they were themselves all Jews.
It leaves me wondering what it was they were really afraid of.
The absence of Thomas on one occasion
would suggest that they were coming and going,
so they could not have been too afraid of the Jews outside.
It would be easy and simple to suggest that they were fearful
for their lives because of their association with Jesus of Nazarth.
But the Gospel accounts are not flattering about their loyalty
or the strength of their companionship.
They talked big now and then, but when the crises came,
they were nowhere to be found.

I am not convinced that they were afraid of the Jews,
or that they were afraid of what was going on outside.
I suspect that they had those doors locked to keep Jesus out.
The women had already told them that they had seen the Lord.
They knew he was up and around.
Friends had come back from Emmaus
confirming the story of the women.
Wouldn’t it be more possible and even more likely
given our human nature that there was more to fear than the “Jews”
whoever they were.
The “authorities” certainly had their chance.
If they were after Peter and his friends, they would have taken them that night in the garden when Peter tried to turn the scene violent.

They probably feared facing the Lord more than anything else:
facing their own failure,
their cowardly behavior,
their failure to understand and believe,
their failure to get started with what he had taught them
and asked them to do.
So they locked the doors in fear
even though or maybe because he had risen.

We could talk about the Apostles in their locked up room all day,
but all that does is leave our own doors locked against the risen Christ.
Here we are, not much different from those apostles
living with our fears that all too often keep the Lord locked out
or at least a safe distance.
Most of us are not really afraid of anyone outside.
Like the apostles, I think we are afraid of what will happen if we open up
and let the Risen Christ stand before us.

We compartmentalize our lives and our faith.
It’s like a lock on the door.
We lock ourselves up avoiding the changes we know living our faith
all day every day demands.
It’s easier to keep things in separate little compartments
than face the changes living with the Lord requires.
Church on Sunday – Business as usual on Monday is a locked door.
Sometimes I suspect not coming to church is a way to avoid or hide
from the risen Christ, it’s like sitting in a locked up room.
Refusal to consider a vocation,
pushing the thought of giving one’s life in service and prayer for others
is a locked door. Keep Jesus out, and I can do what I want.

This Gospel speaks of Christ breathing on his disciples.
You have to get close to someone to breath on them.
In fact, it’s a rather intimate experience.
This day we call Pentecost celebrates the fact that Christ
can and does get through locked doors,
that the Spirit of God blows where it will,
and eventually even those hiding are going to experience the breath of God.

The experience of these apostles tells us that it is not a bad experience,
and that opening the doors is a lot better than living with them locked;
that facing the risen Christ and what he asks of us
is not at all impossible, unpleasant, or frightening.
It suggests that even people whose faith is shaky,
whose loyalty to Christ is questionable,
who talk big and act small, who pray a lot and do a little,
who cannot always be counted on when times are tough,
and who are filled with doubts
can still do something great
if they are willing to face their fears in the company of the risen Christ.

— Fr. Boyer