John 20: 19-31 is a dramatic post-Resurrection account and pure John. The disciples are gathered and the door is locked "for fear of Jews." Imagine at that moment the rush of feelings that must be besetting Jesus' followers. First of all, they are surely feeling dread, not because of Jews, as the anti-Semitic John suggests, but because of the Romans. Pilate, despite John's attempts to convert him into a saint, was, in fact, a monster. And he had quite a reputation for making sure that he thoroughly killed off any movement loyal to a Messiah-King. So the disciples have good reason to fear for their lives.
A second dominant emotion must have been confusion. They believed Jesus, and like all good Jews at the time, expected Messiah to bring in the Kingdom of God in its fullness. Jesus was apparently just another failed Messiah. How could they have been so duped? A third feeling gripping the group must have been simple remorse. Can't you hear Peter complaining that he gave up a solid commercial fishing business? Or Matthew, that he had walked away from a highly profitable taxation scheme? And for what?
In the midst of this flurry of emotions, Jesus appears in their midst. That must have been a shocker! Will he pay them back LaHaye-style for abandoning him? Perhaps chop off their heads with a sword? No, instead Jesus comes to them in a spirit of love and acceptance, bearing "gifts."
His first gift is peace -- the peace that passes understanding and which will sustain them in confidence as they go forth in Jesus' mission. Next he breathes on them, giving them the "breath of life." Greek and Hebrew words for breath also mean "wind" and "spirit." He is actually conferring his Spirit so that his followers will be empowered to do his ministry. Jesus' third gift to his fledgling Church is the authority to forgive sins in his name. "Whose sin you forgive, they are forgiven; whose sins you retain, they are retained." Thus Jesus perpetuates in time an important element in his ministry: the relief of guilt and assurance of God's pardon to the penitent. And just as the priest stands in for Jesus as Host in the Eucharist, so the priest stands in for Jesus in Confession to assure God's pardon to the penitent.
The use of that Sacrament of Penance in the Episcopal Church takes two forms. We have general confession during the Eucharist, and that allows those present to repent of sin in their hearts and to hear words of absolution from the priest. Perfect for minor or venial sins. However, in situations of grave or besetting sin, we have auricular confession in which the penitent confesses privately, and in complete confidence, in the presence of the priest, who offers counsel and a "penance," an assignment to help the person deal with the issue. Thereafter, the priest declares God's forgiveness and begs the penitent's prayers in return. An old Episcopal saying with regard to going to Confession is: "All may, some should, none must." Today few avail themselves of Jesus' gift of forgiveness in that way, perhaps due to loss of a sense of sin in our chaotic culture or the trivializing of sin by fundamentalist Christians. There are obviously quite a few folks carrying around a burden of guilt that they need to unload in order to move forward in life. But that must be their decision.
So the Risen Christ has appeared to his inchoate faith community to empower them in peace and confidence to do his work in the world, forgiven and free.
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