John 20:19-23
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’
Reflection
How would you have like to have seen that? The resurrected body of Jesus right before your eyes. Jesus showed his hands and his side. Somehow here stands the one we love alive from death in the flesh!
Think of that day when our resurrected bodies will stand together. No pain or tears or worries. No illness... no death! We will be full of the Spirit of God.
But wait! Jesus did breath the Holy Spirit upon the disciples that day. And he freed the disciples to live a life of forgiveness and a life to forgive the sins of those God gives to us. Not only did Jesus come to free the disciples but now the disciples live to free the world too.
The breath of Jesus and the Holy Spirit has changed everything. We live as Jesus lives to forgive one another. We live and we die as Jesus lived and died to love and forgive all the people. We aren't tied down in the hatred and fear of revenge, of that get even spirit when we have been wronged, of that attitude of getting ahead at the expense of another, of that mean spirited competition that is so easy to fall into the trap of living.
No we are now called by the Holy Spirit, given life through Jesus, and created to live a life free from the hatred that comes with sin and live a life that comes with the freedom to live a life of forgiveness for ourselves and granting forgiveness and love to those God gives to us. We are free, not only of the pains of this flesh and the wounds of hatred, but we are free of the bondage and baggage that all of this type of attitude brings into our lives. We are free to live like we are free! We are free to live a life of peace.
Thanks be to God that we can turn to the Holy Spirit and the Word when we feel the pull of that old bag of sinfulness that we continue to live with in this world. We must focus on Jesus and declare our baptism to all the world when sin and the devil attempt to pull us away from this wonderful gift of freedom we have been given. Yes, we declare through the name of Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit that we are free and we are baptized! Feel the breath of God and awake to the freedom of living a forgiven life! Thanks be to God!
Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSzU9Ji-tV8
Prayer
Lord, when I feel the pull of sin enter my life, help me to see the freedom you have given. May I feel the breath of life in the Holy Spirit sweep through my flesh and spirit that I may stand in the freedom of life and forgiveness that only you could grant... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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