David Bahn – Reflections

John 20:22-23

And when [Jesus] had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

The first time I visited a Lutheran worship service any number of things were new to me. Raised in the Baptist church, the liturgical calisthenics weren’t that different; I recall standing for hymns on occasion, and we had a certain rhythm to the service. The challenge of fumbling through the hymnal in three separate places, plus the bulletin was a bit challenging: order of service in the front, the introit and gradual in another location, and hymns – with the numbering starting all over again – in yet another. That actually wasn’t a problem for me; it was just different.

I loved the creed. As I was exposed to the simple and clear statement of things I had already been taught I said them gladly. I believe in God the Father, maker of heaven and earth…” I challenged the pastor about the “he descended into hell”, and he pointed me to 1 Peter 3:21 as he explained the thought: Good enough for me.

But there was one part that I really bristled at. When the pastor spoke the absolution, saying, “I forgive you all your sins…” I thought: He can’t do that. Even after I saw these verses from John’s gospel, I struggled with the idea: How can a man [a pastor] forgive my sins? Years later I resolved the issue personally – and hopefully in a helpful manner for others – by emphasizing the rest of the words of the absolution: “…in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Those words convey the reality: God is forgiving the sins. I am simply conveying his forgiveness. I am forgiving in his name. It would be just like if I were to give a gift that someone else bought to someone in the name of the one who bought the gift. It’s not really from me; it’s from the one who bought the gift. Forgiveness isn’t from me, it’s from the one who won it on the cross.

That may help in the case of the absolution, but the greater issues of faith are more troublesome. That God would forgive sins for the sake of Jesus’ death; that Jesus rose from the dead; that God has revealed himself as One, yet Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: These truths all defy our sensibilities. To embrace them requires faith. And if your faith must align perfectly with reason or experience you have a cheap counterfeit of faith.

It would be reasonable to conclude that if one tries his or her best that is good enough before God; it is not. It would be reasonable to conclude that God’s love ebbs and flows like the tides – depending on whether things are going well or not – but God’s love is constant. The only way we can anchor our faith is to look beyond our own sensibilities. We must look to the Word of God, and begin shaping our sensibilities by the Word. Rather than putting God’s word to the test to see if it meets our standards, we must embrace his word and let it shape our standards.

This is a gift of the Holy Spirit who has been poured out on us by God’s grace. What personal sensibility is the Holy Spirit leading you to examine today? Where is God’s word challenging you? Calling you? Correcting you? Claiming you? Comforting you?

John 20:19-29

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. ²¹ Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” ²² And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

²⁴ Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

²⁶ Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” ²⁸ Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me?Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”