John 20:19-29
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." But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."
A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."
Today is the Sunday after Easter. We’re coming down from our jellybean-high, the deviled eggs are finally all eaten.
We are, liturgically, still smack in the middle of Easter season, but it feels like all that Lent/Easter fuss and bother is over. There are just a few last-minute things like the Ascension and Pentecost to take care of and then we can slide into Ordinary Time until Advent rolls around again.
It may feel that way, but in actuality these are some of the most important weeks in the church year. These are the weeks when we join the early disciples in trying to figure out just what it means that the one we pin our hopes on died and then, somehow, is back again. How can that be, and what do we do with it?
The whole Easter story is one of those bible stories that we’ve heard so often that it seems entirely normal to us. There is no element of surprise. We’ve read the book and know how the story ends. We’ve never known another ending – Jesus lives! – ho-hum. We still have to get up and go to work tomorrow morning.
But it was anything but ho-hum for those who were there that week. Those who saw Jesus die – even if from a safe distance. Those who, a few days later, somehow saw him alive again. That would have been anything but a ho-hum event in their lives.
We all know today’s piece of the larger story, the one we always call “Doubting Thomas,” although it is quite clear that Thomas is not the only doubter here. The rest of the disciples aren’t locked up inside that room because they have such perfect faith that Jesus is going to show up and everything will be fine. They are there because everything has fallen apart and they are scared spitless that what happened to Jesus may be going to catch up with them and happen to them, as well.
And if any of them had thought that Jesus might, possibly, still be coming back, they might feel a little apprehensive about that, too. After all, most of them did fade into the woodwork rather quickly once Jesus was arrested. Only the women – and in one gospel, John also -- stuck around to be with Jesus to the end. Peter had been so afraid that he denied ever even knowing Jesus, right out in public. The disciples might well be thinking that even if Jesus should come back again, he would be a little ticked-off with them.
And then, there’s Thomas. One of those people that Nadia Bolz-Weber refers to as accidental saints – “people who inadvertently stumble into redemption like they were looking for something else at the time.” Thomas had apparently not worked himself up to the same level of panic that the other disciples had. He wasn’t locked in, hiding with the rest of them. We don’t know where he was – but he wasn’t there. I recall Frederick Buechner, in his story of Thomas, which is one of my favorites, saying something like “maybe he was just out looking for a good cup or coffee, or sitting in the park feeding the pigeons.” Anyway, he wasn’t hiding out with the others, which has always led me to question just who was the real “doubter” in this story.
I said at the beginning here that these next few weeks are important because these are the days we watch the first followers of Jesus try to figure out what the heck just happened. And it is important for us to be part of that process because it is what determines, in many ways, what we are doing here today.
Because – listen, because this is really important – because these were imperfect people, all of them – Thomas and all the rest. Stumblers. Bumblers. Dumb as rocks sometimes. Just like the rest of us. And yet they still, mostly, stuck with Jesus. Called to do so by something they couldn’t begin to identify.
And Jesus stuck with them. He didn’t say “oh, good grief!” and start over again with a better group of disciples. Not only did he stick with them, but these are the ones he sent – stumblers and bumblers all -- out to tell the rest of the world about it all.
And, the most important point, and here I have to quote Bolz-Weber one more time: “Never once did Jesus scan the room for the best example of holy living and send that person out to tell others about him. He always sent stumblers and sinners. I find that comforting.”
Well, I find it comforting, too. Because -- stumblers and sinners -- that’s us, too. Just as bumbling as those disciples we love to shake our heads at. We think we are qualified, but when was the last time you were really tested on your faith? We are as unready as anyone in those gospel accounts or in the Book of Acts. But – and this, too, is important – Jesus doesn’t see our weaknesses, our imperfections. He just uses us in spite of our imperfections. Our imperfections are where Jesus does his best work.
Jesus keeps calling, and we keep showing up – imperfections and all. Because Jesus lives – alleluia! Just don’t ask me how.
We are, liturgically, still smack in the middle of Easter season, but it feels like all that Lent/Easter fuss and bother is over. There are just a few last-minute things like the Ascension and Pentecost to take care of and then we can slide into Ordinary Time until Advent rolls around again.
It may feel that way, but in actuality these are some of the most important weeks in the church year. These are the weeks when we join the early disciples in trying to figure out just what it means that the one we pin our hopes on died and then, somehow, is back again. How can that be, and what do we do with it?
The whole Easter story is one of those bible stories that we’ve heard so often that it seems entirely normal to us. There is no element of surprise. We’ve read the book and know how the story ends. We’ve never known another ending – Jesus lives! – ho-hum. We still have to get up and go to work tomorrow morning.
But it was anything but ho-hum for those who were there that week. Those who saw Jesus die – even if from a safe distance. Those who, a few days later, somehow saw him alive again. That would have been anything but a ho-hum event in their lives.
We all know today’s piece of the larger story, the one we always call “Doubting Thomas,” although it is quite clear that Thomas is not the only doubter here. The rest of the disciples aren’t locked up inside that room because they have such perfect faith that Jesus is going to show up and everything will be fine. They are there because everything has fallen apart and they are scared spitless that what happened to Jesus may be going to catch up with them and happen to them, as well.
And if any of them had thought that Jesus might, possibly, still be coming back, they might feel a little apprehensive about that, too. After all, most of them did fade into the woodwork rather quickly once Jesus was arrested. Only the women – and in one gospel, John also -- stuck around to be with Jesus to the end. Peter had been so afraid that he denied ever even knowing Jesus, right out in public. The disciples might well be thinking that even if Jesus should come back again, he would be a little ticked-off with them.
And then, there’s Thomas. One of those people that Nadia Bolz-Weber refers to as accidental saints – “people who inadvertently stumble into redemption like they were looking for something else at the time.” Thomas had apparently not worked himself up to the same level of panic that the other disciples had. He wasn’t locked in, hiding with the rest of them. We don’t know where he was – but he wasn’t there. I recall Frederick Buechner, in his story of Thomas, which is one of my favorites, saying something like “maybe he was just out looking for a good cup or coffee, or sitting in the park feeding the pigeons.” Anyway, he wasn’t hiding out with the others, which has always led me to question just who was the real “doubter” in this story.
I said at the beginning here that these next few weeks are important because these are the days we watch the first followers of Jesus try to figure out what the heck just happened. And it is important for us to be part of that process because it is what determines, in many ways, what we are doing here today.
Because – listen, because this is really important – because these were imperfect people, all of them – Thomas and all the rest. Stumblers. Bumblers. Dumb as rocks sometimes. Just like the rest of us. And yet they still, mostly, stuck with Jesus. Called to do so by something they couldn’t begin to identify.
And Jesus stuck with them. He didn’t say “oh, good grief!” and start over again with a better group of disciples. Not only did he stick with them, but these are the ones he sent – stumblers and bumblers all -- out to tell the rest of the world about it all.
And, the most important point, and here I have to quote Bolz-Weber one more time: “Never once did Jesus scan the room for the best example of holy living and send that person out to tell others about him. He always sent stumblers and sinners. I find that comforting.”
Well, I find it comforting, too. Because -- stumblers and sinners -- that’s us, too. Just as bumbling as those disciples we love to shake our heads at. We think we are qualified, but when was the last time you were really tested on your faith? We are as unready as anyone in those gospel accounts or in the Book of Acts. But – and this, too, is important – Jesus doesn’t see our weaknesses, our imperfections. He just uses us in spite of our imperfections. Our imperfections are where Jesus does his best work.
Jesus keeps calling, and we keep showing up – imperfections and all. Because Jesus lives – alleluia! Just don’t ask me how.
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