Jesus and the Yankee Clipper

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Readings:
Acts 2:14a, 22-32
1 Peter 1:3-9
John 20:19-31

The week immediately following Easter Sunday is sometimes dubbed Low Sunday – low attendance, low energy, low emotion levels. But a wekk later Jesus, again, greets his disciples in the same way. Why?

Maybe it’s because the Easter season is not a single day. Pastor Mohn paints a picture of what is in “the continuing” on after that eclipsing Sunday morning. Why is it important that Jesus continue to return, in a sense??

It is clear that Jesus returned on Easter in a mountain top experience, but he’s back today. And he’s back for Thomas, a repeat performance, if you will. Why?

Pastor Mohn gives us two good reasons:

He’s back for Thomas. He’s back because Jesus will continue to return for every last sheep, even the very last one. Jesus needs to be there in person for Thomas and so he comes. I had a great Professor in my undergraduate studies of mechanics. His name was Harry Conway. I remember a lot about him, but one of the many things that will always stick with me was his answer when asked why he spent so much time with students. He said, “Well, first, I don’t spend so much time with the A students because they don’t need me. It’s the B & C students I long for because they need me.” And Thomas needs to see Jesus … and so He comes. For Thomas, THIS is the 1st time he’s seeing Jesus so for Thomas TODAY is Easter Sunday, the day he sees the risen Lord. Thomas can truly say “This is MY 1st time seeing Him.”

As I heard Pastor Mohn say these words, it evoked memories of Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio.
It’s reported that when a reporter pointed out that DiMaggio had already proven himself as an All Star caliber center fielder, he asked him why he continued to play his heart out, all out every game. He told the reporter,

“Because there might just be a kid up in the stands who’s never seen me play before.”

Maybe it was some kid from Brooklyn or the Bronx’s first time seeing The Yankee Clipper glide across the grass of center field in majestic Yankee Stadium. So he showed up and suited up again, and did it all over again with all he had. He brought his best to the ballpark every day.

And that leads to the second reason Jesus came back again. It’s us. We can all get lulled into “our old routine”, “our old rhythm” – same old Church altar, same old songs, same old sermons … Now rhythm has its merits, it’s important, but it can hide and mask the magic of Easter morning, just one week old. We need to be here, like Jesus and Joltin’ Joe, because it may be the first time somebody walks into our Church, and that somebody may need a hello, or a hand or a handshake from us. Jesus is no longer here, but He is here in us. Somebody we will cross paths with today has, perhaps, never experienced Jesus, or needs to experience Him again, anew today. They may have heard about it, but they need to put their hands in His side, literally, today.

One week later, and we often remain locked up in the upper room … for fear of whatever. Something’s locked us up and drowned out that voice of Easter morning, that voice that calls to send us out to “play center field” … cause somebody needs to see it or “it’s their 1st time”. We need to come back because Jesus has promised to be here … for every sheep’s 1st time … We are called to be that Jesus to our neighbor, to share the vision of that great rebirth, to extend a hand, and, maybe, bring Thomas back with us.