East2A20.  Acts of the Apostles 2:42-47.   The newly established community of Christians “devoted themselves to the teaching of the Apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.”  “They would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each’s needs.” Their intense focus on being wholly and thoroughly devoted to cultivating their spiritual life in Christ seems to me to offer the paragon, the ideal of Christian life for all ages to come.  However, there has been some controversy as to whether or not they were expecting Jesus to come quite soon and so they deposed themselves of only the material things  they needed up to the time that Jesus would take them to heaven.  What is known is that Paul often appealed to his converts (Acts of the Apostles 24:14; Romans 15:25-28; 1 Corinthians 16:1-3; 2 Corinthians 8:1-15; 2 Corinthians 9:11-13) “to make some contribution for the poor among the holy ones in Jerusalem.” (Romans 16:26b)

John 20:1-9.   Fear is the natural reaction to the perceived threat of danger.  In this earthly life we are always in danger of spiritual harm.  When we live each day in the almighty Lord there can be no reason for fear because he is always saying to us, “Peace be with you.”

Then he says to his disciples, “Receive the Holy Spirit,” who helps them to mature in holiness themselves as well as to enable others to be holy.  In Matthew 5:48, Jesus says, “So be perfect (holy), just as your heavenly Father is perfect (holy).”  In the synoptic parallel to that verse Jesus says in Luke 6:36, “Be merciful (loving), just as [also] your Father is merciful (loving).”  Jesus enables his disciples to be instruments of the Spirit in the Spirit’s task to bring holiness to those who live by the life of the Holy Spirit within them by giving his disciples the merciful power to forgive sins.  However, to those who reject the life of the Spirit, the disciples can retain their sins, since they have rejected the mercy of God.    In John 14:1a Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. “ (Be at peace)  Then in John 14:4 Jesus said, “Where [I] am going you know the way.” Thomas, forever the everyday day realist of this down-to-earth world, said in John 14:5, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?”  Jesus was speaking of the spiritual way and not of an earthly road trip.  In today’s gospel Thomas thinks as any ordinary down-to-earth person thinks, ‘When you’re dead, you’re dead.  That’s all there is and there is nothing else.  When the once-dead Jesus and now-alive Jesus tells Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands and bring your hand and put it into my side,” Thomas’ rock hard earthliness comes crashing down.  In this stunningly quick turn of events, he has learned that the spiritual is more real than the material.  In 2 Corinthians 4:18b Paul said, “For what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal.”  We ourselves can learn from an inner spiritual life that the Holy Spirit gives us that what is more vibrant and fulfilling is not what is seen in the outward visible world.  We can come to the realization that what feels real in the outer world will soon fade away and disappear  but what is real and true forever comes from our relationship with the invisible Christ.   “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

1 Peter 1:3-9.   From Christ we have “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith, to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time.”  “Although you have not seen him, you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you will rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”