Hello,
In the vast majority of Christian churches throughout the world, the
story of “Doubting Thomas” is read on the first Sunday after Easter. This story takes place just one week
after Jesus rose from the dead and the disciples had gathered behind locked
doors. They weren’t there reveling
together over the news that had been told them, that Jesus had risen. They were hiding, huddled in fear, held
in their doubts when suddenly there was another person with them. A person that they did not immediately
recognize. But when they saw the
scars from the nails in his hands and the wound in his side…..then they knew
who it was…it was the Lord….it was Jesus.
So, they went to tell their fellow
disciple and friend, Thomas, what had happened to them. When he heard their story….well….it
seemed too good to be true. And so
he told his friends that if he could see the very same things that they saw….
The nail pierced hands and the spear pierced side….he would believe, too.
And so it was, another week later, that the disciples were gathered
again in that closed-door room, and Thomas was with them. (Had they fallen back into doubt and
fear?) And just as had happened
the week before, another person was suddenly among them, who, without even
being asked, stretched out his hands and showed his side so that faith would
take hold in all of his disciples, including Thomas. It was the Lord.
As I said, in the vast majority of churches throughout the world,
churches that follow a common set of readings, this is the story that has been
selected to be read on the first Sunday after Easter. I wasn’t at the meeting where the decision was made that
this story would be the follow up story to what people had heard just the week
before on Easter, but my guess is that it was selected for this reason: the
Easter story is hard to believe.
It was then….and it is now.
To us who see graves stay shut, it seems more reasonable to believe in
the crushing power of death. To us
who see the power of might and missiles, it seems more reasonable to believe in
amassing our own power and to make “eat, drink and be merry” be the goal of our
lives. To us who see the bird in
our hand, and only hear the birds in the bush it seems more reasonable to
clutch our hands. The Easter story
of Jesus resurrection was hard to believe, and it still is hard to believe.
But notice two things from the “doubting Thomas” story: first, Jesus is neither surprised or offended by their disbelief;
second, Jesus knew what it would take to awaken belief in them so that they
might “have life in his name”, and he provided it (his cross wounded body).
I take great comfort from this story when I find myself mired in doubt
and fear (yes……pastors experience these things, too). I take great comfort that God is not surprised or offended
by my lack of belief. But I
take even greater comfort that God is determined not to leave me captured in
the pit of my unbelief. He knows
what is needed to break the shackles of doubt….his crossborn wounds….and he gives
them to me….every Sunday at the Altar.
“Take and eat. This is my
body. Take and drink. This is my
blood.” And as he takes his place
in the depths of my life, he boots doubt out the door, just as he did with
Thomas saying, “Doubt be gone, belief be here.”
“Belief be here….so that you may have life in my name.” Life not in the name of fear and
despair, but in hope and peace.
Life not in the name of success and failure, but in the name of victory. Life not in the name of pain and
suffering, but in the name of justice and mercy. Life not in the name of illness and death, but in the name
of the one who goes with us through the valley of the shadow of death to waters
of life.
Something…..or maybe better to say that someone….transformed those cowering
disciples into courageous comrades ….The Lord. Me, too, Lord…..please, me, too.
Have a great week.
God’s grace and peace,
Pastor Jerry Nuernberger
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