Based on a sermon preached April 26, 2003 and April 11, 1999.
Preaching text: John 20:19-31
It’s a familiar story. In fact, this is one of those few Sundays
where I have to do only a small amount of sermon prep, because this Gospel
lesson never changes. Every year, the Sunday after Easter is “Doubting Thomas.”
Suffice to say, I preached this a lot and we’ve all heard this a
lot. It starts in a dark, dirty, upper room. We have the eleven remaining
disciples huddled together. It’s cramped, hot, the tension is thick enough to
cut. One of them, maybe Andrew, maybe James, peeks out the window every now and
then, expecting a howling mob at their door any minute.
Thomas gets up. “I’m leaving.” He says. Maybe he’s fed up, got
cabin fever, whatever. But what timing. Sometime after he leaves, Jesus comes
before those who remained, passing through the locked door. He speaks to them,
shows them his hands and his side and they rejoice at seeing him alive. After
spending some time with the disciples, Jesus then leaves.
And then Thomas walks into the room. His fellow disciples, rush
over to him. “Guess what? Jesus was here. We have seen him.” To Thomas, it must
have been almost like a cruel joke. Or perhaps worse. Maybe they’ve all gone
mad from the paranoia and the cramped space. Either way, he refuses to believe
his fellows. “I will not believe unless I see him myself and can touch his
wounds with my own hands.” And so Thomas forever gains his infamous nickname.
I cannot read this story without feeling sorry for Thomas. This is
not the only time he shows up in John’s recording of Jesus’ story. In fact,
he’s number three after Peter and John himself in number of appearances, so
he’s an important character. A solid and devoted disciple, questioning and
asking, always seeking the truths that Jesus offers. But no one remembers that
part of his story. Imagine for a second that the legacy you leave behind for
generations to come is to be known not for your strengths but rather for one
moment of weakness? A hero fallen from grace because your most famous escapade
isn’t some great deed, but a single bad one. Poor fellow. Does he really
deserve all that?
Of course not, but there’s more than just Thomas’ virtues that
make that argument too. It’s a common theme in the Gospels about how those
around Jesus did not understand what was going on when it came to the events of
Jesus’ death and resurrection. (That’s the core element, in fact, of Mark’s
Gospel.) They just didn’t get it. Jesus’ passion predictions went in one ear
and out the other, and despite having had everything Jesus say would happen
happen, it still came as a shock and a surprise.
Now, all of them, without exception, were confused, scared, and
dumbfounded. For them, it must have been like living a nightmare to watch their
friend, their teacher, arrested and killed. Therefore, consider this. Is
Thomas’ doubt any worse than the flight of the disciples when Jesus was
arrested? Was it worse than Peter’s thrice denial of Jesus? Was it worse than
Mary Magdelene at the empty tomb not even recognizing Jesus when he was
standing right in front of her?
Was Thomas’ doubt in any way different than those things? They all
reveal a simple truth. None of them understood. It was only when they saw with
their own eyes did they realize what was really going on. Jesus had indeed risen
from the dead.
So, the truth is, Thomas is just one of the guys. They doubted
just as much as he did. So why pick on him? It’s rather unfair to forever label
him as the “doubter,” since in one form or another all the disciples earned
that nickname.
But the evangelist John told us this story not to pick on his
buddy Thomas. I think he had another aim in mind. I think he wanted to give the
later disciples of Jesus someone to relate to. I think John told us about
Thomas because he wanted us, years removed from Jesus’ time on earth, to
understand we are not alone.
After all, who here can claim that they never have doubts about
what they believe? Who here has gone through some traumatic period in our life,
lost a job, lost a loved one, and not wondered “Where is God?” or “Why did God
let this happen?”
We’ve all been there. We’ve all had our times when this Jesus
stuff just didn’t make any sense to us. We’ve all been Thomas at some point or
another.
We don’t like those times. We don’t like doubt. We like being
certain of things. In truth, we fear doubt. We fear that if we doubt, then we
lack faith. And, of course, if we lack faith, we might find the kingdom of
heaven denied to us.
But let me remind you of what Jesus says to Thomas, or more
accurately, what Jesus does not say. “Blessed are those who have not seen
and yet have come to believe.” Notice what’s missing? There is no
condemnation in Jesus’ words. Nowhere does he say “cursed are you for not
believing without seeing.”
It would have been foolish for him to do so. Like I’ve been
saying, none of the first disciples were without their doubts. Not Peter, not
Mary, not Thomas, none of them. In fact, Jesus knew they would doubt.
Why else would he, when he walks into the room for the first time,
immediately show his disciples his hands and side? When he comes to Thomas, he
does the same. He answers their doubts.
Jesus’ expectations of us are no different. No, we probably aren’t
fortunate enough to have Jesus walk up to us and show us his hands and side in
the same fashion as he did for his first disciples. But he does understand that
we doubt, and he does not look down upon us for doing so.
In truth, it is in our struggles with doubt that we grow in faith.
One who is not challenged does not grow, and doubt challenges us. It challenges
our preconceptions, our long held, but perhaps incorrect or incomplete,
beliefs. Jesus provides us with the insight to move beyond our doubts and then
we find ourselves in a different place than we were before. And then we get
more doubts and process continues. We grow in faith, and we gain in
understanding of the wonder and mystery that is God’s love for us.
Thomas again shows us that this happens. For when he understands
the truth of the resurrection, he utters the confession “My Lord, and my God.”
He has gone from confusion to clarity, from doubt to certainty. Jesus does the
same for us, as we struggle with our own questions and our own doubts. And when
that struggle has ended, we will find ourselves in a new place with new insight
and new understanding. We will have grown, just like Thomas did. Amen.
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