God is a source of comfort, not just in theory, but in real situations, 

like what we are in today.

Paradoxically, it is the Doubting disciple who gets the most attention. 

It is the hurting, isolated disciple with whom Jesus spends the most time.

Perhaps important to acknowledge
is that we are in a time very similar to the very first Easter!

Easter 2020 is like Easter 33,

Where the disciples were huddled together in fear.

Things were deadly quiet. Things were weird and strange.

Jesus lived his life, died and rose so that we all would receive God’s love,

and that Jesus would be in us, in our hearts.

Jesus did what he did, so that we would know him and thereby know God.

Because when we see Jesus, we see God!

But we need to move from a pessimistic nostalgia 

To a hopeful optimism, together, for the future,

Based on the resources of the past and present.

90 years later, we no longer have a St. Matthews Brotherhood, 

or a Witness committee, 

or any group committed to evangelism, 

and this is perhaps indicative of some of our problems.

Martin Luther, from where we get the word “Lutheran” 

was a Catholic, 

both small c and capital C.

Let’s leave the debate about fact vs. fiction aside for a moment, 

say Borg and Crossan.

Perhaps there’s a third way of looking at the story:

As a parable and an overture.

“Let’s talk about sex” is great click-bait for a sermon blog!

Christ is the image of God.

We can’t see God (because God is invisible) 

but we can see Jesus…he’s a lot closer…

he was a man who walked, talked, ate, 

slept, suffered, just like us.