Peace In A Time Of Anxiety

April 19, 2020

Hope Lutheran Church

Pastor Mary Erickson

John 20:19-31

Peace in a Time of Anxiety

Friends, may grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and Christ Jesus our Lord.

The disciples were locked up inside their house. They’d barricaded the door. Earlier that morning, they’d heard some outrageous news from some of their women friends. The women had travelled to Jesus’ grave. But when they got there, his tomb was empty! Peter and John ran to the tomb to check things out. They found it just as the women had said. Empty!

As the day wore on, their anxiety grew and grew. Now they’d sheltered in their house to avoid danger.

Doesn’t that sound eerily familiar? Sheltering in place? 2000 years later, here we are, self isolating.

The disciples set themselves apart from fear of danger. The same is true for us. We’re fearful of the things that might harm us. We’re wary of the Coronavirus. And if we would get sick, we fear we might be one of the unfortunate ones who end up dying from it. We’re afraid of what this pandemic means for us economically. Business owners fret over the fate of their companies. Workers fear they may lose their jobs. And people who already are unemployed wonder how they’ll make ends meet.

No, there’s no lack of anxiety these days. And for some, the self-isolating adds to their stress. I saw a story this past week on the NBC news. The reporter was talking to parents who find themselves at home with their children. At the same time they’re working from home, they’re also overseeing their children’s online school lessons. These parents are nearing their overload point.

Stress is on the rise. So we can definitely relate to the disciples and their fear. We get it!

But then the risen Jesus breaks in through their locked door. Jesus enters their anxiety-filled room and, of all things, he says, “Peace! Peace be with you!”

Into their fears, Jesus – the risen Jesus – brings peace. And he doesn’t bring just any old peace. He brings his peace. For he is peace. His very presence is the source of their peace.

Little children grow anxious when their parents aren’t around. Years ago, I was visiting my sister and brother-in-law. Their daughter Allison was about a year old. Sarah and Paul said they’d like to go for a walk. I stayed behind and watched Allison. At first, everything was hunky-dory. But after a little while, Allison noticed that her parents weren’t there. She started to fret.

I explained to her, “Allison, Mommy and Daddy went out for a walk. They’ll be back real soon.” She understood. And for a while, that was ok. But as more time went by, her little brow started to furrow. She was stressed! Eventually, Mom and Dad returned from their walk. And when she saw they were home, all her anxiety melted away. They were her peace.

For the disciples, Jesus was their peace. When they were in his presence, their anxiety melted away. His presence was peace.

Anxiety can breed anxiety. When you walk into a situation where people are tense, you naturally tense up, too. Maybe it’s a holdover of our herd mentality. A herd gets spooked. It’s a survival thing.

But the opposite is true, too. One person can walk into a tense situation and restore peace and calm to everyone there. Their peace spreads to everyone else. Peace begets peace. And a single peaceful presence can allay our fears.

Psychologists talk about how a person can have a non-anxious presence. The non-anxious person conveys an atmosphere of equilibrium to the people around them. They don’t easily get ruffled and agitated. With their peaceful presence, they convey a sense that things will work out all right.

Jesus is the paramount non-anxious presence! And why? First of all, he’s the author of life. He’s the Word made flesh! All things have come into being through him. And without him, nothing could exist. Jesus is the word of God, winging into the universe, into all of time. He’s the Alpha and the Omega, he’s the beginning and end.

And secondly, his presence is peace because he’s been through it all! He’s been there and done it. He has experienced utter rejection, even by his closest peers. He’s been condemned and cursed. He’s been whipped and chastised, taunted and tortured.

Jesus has carried the weight of all the world’s sin and woe. As the prophet Isaiah said, “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.”

Jesus underwent an agonizing death on a cross. His deceased body was laid in its grave. But then he overcame even death. Jesus is peace because he’s literally been to Hell and back. He’s walked victorious from his grave. There is nothing that he hasn’t overcome.