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I thought love was only true in fairy tales/Meant for someone else but not for me/Love was out to get me/That's the way it seemed/Disappointment haunted all of my dreams
The disciples are gathered behind locked doors - scared, demoralized, uncertain. They thought they understood who Jesus was. He was the Messiah. The Messiah was supposed to deliver Israel from slavery. He was going to lead the revolt against the occupying powers. But three days ago, the religious leaders handed him over to the authorities and he was executed.
As if that wasn't enough, Mary Magdalene told them this crazy story earlier today about seeing Jesus in the garden. Surely she was delirious with her grief; they were especially close after all. But John and Peter had run off afterwards and seemed pretty shaken when they came back.
I thought love was more or less a given /Seems the more I gave the less I got/What's the use in tryin'/All you get is pain?/When I needed sunshine, I got rain
The disciples had dedicated the last few years of their lives to following Jesus. They knew he was the one to lead them into the future. They had traveled with him - learning, healing, teaching. But now he's dead and the religious leaders are still collaborating with the Roman occupiers. There are troops scouring the city looking for them even now.
Oh, love was out to get me/Now, that's the way it seemed/Disappointment haunted all of my dreams
What are they going to do now? Things were changing; they could sense it as they talked to people. Every town and village they passed through, the crowds grew. Surely it was almost time. And then Judas brought soldiers in the middle of the night. They wanted to fight back, but Jesus told them to stop. Peter watched them lead him away, saw them question him, beat him, torture him. Now what? It can't all be over now can it.
Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer/Not a trace of doubt in my mind/I'm in love/I'm a believer, I couldn't leave her if I tried
Suddenly, Jesus is there with them in that locked room. How can that even be, but it is truly him. There are the holes in his hands from the nails. There is where the spear stabbed him in the side. It's really him! Alive!
The woman was telling the truth. She wasn't just seeing things. No wonder she was hysterical.
But wait. Thomas isn't here. How are we going to explain this to him?
And now Jesus is breathing on us and talking about forgiveness. Why is he always talking about forgiveness? And yet, we can feel the change within us.
And now, he's gone again. But now it's different. Where before there was despair, now there is hope. Maybe death is not the end. Maybe things can change.
But Thomas wasn't there that night. They tried to tell him; tried to convince them. He could tell that something had changed with them. They seemed energized again, just like when they were following the Teacher. But he is dead. How can they think otherwise? Without proof, he just can't believe them.
Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer/Not a trace of doubt in my mind/I'm in love/I'm a believer, I couldn't leave her if I tried
A week later, they gathered again. They shared a small meal together and shared stories about Jesus. The energy was much different than a week ago, even though Thomas is still sitting with his sadness.
Then just as before, Jesus was suddenly there with them. No one saw him come in and the doors are still locked, but there he is with them. Thomas turns pale. The Teacher turns to him and holds out his hands, offering them to Thomas. We all can see the wounds there. But Thomas simply fall at the Teacher's feet.
"My Lord and my God!" he sobs, holding on to Jesus' feet still not sure what to believe.
Now they understand. God's love wins out. This is the result of Jesus' focus on love, forgiveness, and healing. A few days ago, they were all in despair. But now. Now they want to tell everyone they can find about Jesus. There is no turning back now.
They will have their revolution, but it doesn't look like anything they expected.
Instead of claiming power for themselves, instead of crushing their oppressors , they lead a different kind of rebellion...
A rebellion built on hope.
A rebellion built on love.