Thomas and Us

John 20:19-31

Easter 2

Albertville

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4/19/09

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”

Thomas demands to see the scars of Jesus. It is nothing that the other Disciples hadn’t already seen. Jesus had shown them to the others when he said “Peace be with you.” The others had told Thomas all about it. He simply wanted to see what they had seen.

As a result of this, later generations would give him a nick-name “Doubting Thomas.” But this is kind of like referring to the so-called “patience of Job.” Job is a long book in the Old Testament and the man named Job lost his patience in the early chapters. He spends most of his time whining about his problems. Job was not so patient. And Thomas was not so doubting. Throughout most of the written record that we have about this man, Thomas was a man of courage and faith.

From my perspective, it would have been unacceptable for Thomas to have done anything else. I’m glad he expressed doubts. He was one of the all important, primary witnesses of the resurrection. And he was simply being objective. He knew that Jesus had, in fact, died. He knew that death is quite fatal. He also knew that it was way out of the ordinary for someone who was dead, to come back to life. Though the other disciples were his friends, he knew that they were grieving. Were they telling him fanciful stories that grieving people will sometimes imagine as they wrestle with the finality of death? Were they fooled by some impostor? He didn’t know. He had to make sure. He had to see for himself. He had to see those wounds. Was this the very man who was nailed in his hands and feet? Was this the very same man who had been pierced in his side? Is it? It Is! “My Lord and my God!”

In our modernistic smugness, we often imagine that the people of days gone by were not quite as clever or smart as we are; that they were easily snookered and easily taken advantage of. Such views come from a darwinistic understanding of human beings (the idea that we are getting better and better) which I do not subscribe to. Thomas displays here all the skepticism and objectivity of any modern person. Thomas wasn’t about to throw himself all-in to something without some tangible proof. He wanted something he could touch and see before he would believe. And I’m guessing that the other disciples, had they not seen him before, would have required the same thing. The disciples were not well-programmed suckers. These were objective, sound-minded people like you and me, given the high privilege and responsibility of being eye-witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus. They had his church on earth to start, and start it they would!

For soon we see quite an amazing change in them. Before the resurrection they hid behind locked doors, as the text says “for fear of the jews.” But then, after the resurrection, and more specifically after Pentecost all such fear was completely gone! As they proclaimed Jesus to the crowds on Pentecost rather than scurrying away like they did just 50 days before, they stood up to be counted and revealed to all who would hear that they were followers of Jesus! This they did in the open, in the very same city were Jesus died for what they were now proclaiming; in earshot of the very same Jewish officials who had handed Jesus over to be crucified! It was almost as if they didn’t fear death anymore!

And they didn’t! They didn’t fear death! And you know why? Because Jesus showed them that death was not to be feared by his resurrection from the dead. That’s the only thing that could account for this change in them. No pep talk, no group think, no pleasant recollections of their early days with Jesus, no clever scheme to start a new religion could account for this change in their demeanor. Nor could this account for their willingness to die for him. They quite obviously saw something! They saw risen Lord Jesus! They saw him with their eyes and touched him with their hands. And so their testimony would serve as the foundation for his church.

Now I know, you’re probably feeling just a bit jealous of the Thomas and the other disciples. You would like to have such an opportunity to see, to touch and to embrace the risen Savior even as they did. Perhaps you even feel like you’ve gotten the short end of the stick because you haven’t had the same opportunities as them. Like the youngest child in the family who never gets to wear new clothes; only hand-me-downs, you feel that your faith is somehow a hand-me-down from the apostles or from your Parents. But I would disagree, and so would Jesus. Here what he said to Thomas “Because you have seen me, you believe; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Do you see what he’s saying? Thomas who saw the risen Jesus was blessed in one way, but you who have not seen and still believe are blessed in another way. Yes. You have been blessed too!

Have you ever taken a moment to think about how odd it is that we even believe? I mean look at what we do! We go to church every Sunday; when we don’t, feel guilty. Why? We pray. When we are in great distress we even fall on our knees and pray. Why? Oh, and then when we think of people who don’t know Jesus we are filled with concern for them? Why? And then we give! Sometimes large sums of money to help the cause of Jesus in this locale and around the world. Why? Others look at us a laugh, but to us, this stuff is no laughing matter. What would cause this amazing difference between us and other people in thought, word, and deed? We must have seen something! We must have felt something! Not with our eyes; not with our hands but with the faith that God has given us in his holy Spirit! This is the blessing that Jesus was talking about. We have seen, we have touched, we have felt the presence of Risen Jesus in our lives and it has changed us! Changed the way we think and feel and look at the world!

Don’t ever feel like God has given you a raw deal! Don’t ever think that he has given you too little to go on. Don’t accuse him of that! Yes it was a amazing and wonderful that Thomas would get to touch the risen savior, but I would contend that it is even more amazing how the risen Savior has touched your life! If anything, instead of feeling left-out and Jealous, after sensing the presence of his spirit in your life you should join Thomas in exclaiming “My Lord and My God!”

But Hold on, there is still more! At the end of today’s Gospel lesson the Apostle John write steps out of the narrative and offers a comment directly to us. He says: “ Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

That’s a note to you and me and to all who would later come to read this Gospel of John. “These words are written so that YOU may believe” Thomas and the other disciples believed by seeing, but you, you would believe by hearing these words....and not only the words of John’s gospel but all of the scriptures too. As the Apostle Paul so aptly said “Faith comes by hearing.” With his Word God created. With his word he now creates again......he creates faith in you and in me. Sinful and southbound as we were in our nature he has turned us back to himself. Again, in all surprise and humility we must again exclaim “My Lord and My God.”.

The way that the disciples experienced The Risen Christ was nothing short of life-changing. And the way that you have experienced him is equally life-changing. Don’t you think? AMEN