Davison's Doodle

My Friend Thomas

The traditional Lectionary reading for the first Sunday after Easter is a story from the Gospel of John about Thomas (called the twin).  Many years ago I wrote a version of this sermon and it continues to develop.  This is how it was presented today.

Scripture Text: John 20:19-31

Shall we pray together.  Open our ears and our hearts, O God, that our words and our meditations will be acceptable to You, who creates, who redeems, and sustains all of creation; and our lives.  Amen.

A couple of weeks after Easter a minister was speaking to a group of second graders about the resurrection of Jesus when one student asked, “What did Jesus say when he came out of the grave?” The minister explained that the gospels have a lot of details, but really not much about what Jesus said when he came out of the grave.  And the hand of one little boy shot up.  “I know what he said. Ta Da!!!!”

In our calendar it has been a week since the events of Easter.  In John’s gospel time has past since Mary Magdalene and the other women shared what they experienced.  Peter has run to the tomb and back.  Just like Mary said, it was empty.  What did that mean?  What does that mean today?  The disciples have kept a low profile in their community.  The other gospels tell us that some have gone back to the lives they knew before meeting Jesus of Nazareth.  It is what some of us do when we are grieving — stay busy, try to go back to the familiar, or after the crowds and family leave, hide at home.  If it were not for Mary Magdalene, the disciple whom Jesus loved, and a few nameless others there would be no resurrection story.  Even though they spoke, few listened and even less believed.  Though Jesus was a martyr for some, the stories about his miracles and him rising from the dead were greatly exaggerated.  Even those closest to him were quiet, in doubt that Jesus was who they claimed him to be.  The gospel narratives tell us that Jesus made cameo appearances to different people after his death because people didn’t remember, didn’t believe, could not believe it. Even with the appearances, people didn’t recognize Jesus until he made it obvious before their eyes.

What does the word, doubt, mean?  There is a general acceptance that as a verb doubt means something or someone is questionable, or distrusted, or feared.  As a noun doubt means something like a feeling of uncertainty about the truth, reality, or nature of something or someone.  I think it is the motivation that creates doubt that makes all the difference.  In our culture doubt and cynicism have become synonymous verbs that fuel a political culture and tribal mentality that impugns the character or principles of those with whom we disagree or distrust.  Instead of dialogue about our different interpretative lens or ideological approach to basic facts, principles, or rules that hold humanity together, and challenge humanity, this cynical doubt has created its own facts, counter narrative of rules and principles that must reign and cannot be questioned.  Cannot be doubted.  That cynical doubt has found its way into all kinds of religious life; and into the pews of every expression of Christianity.

Can you imagine how our world would treat one who claimed to have returned from the dead?  How would we know or recognize the presence of Jesus in our midst?  Many Christians would like to think that we would meet Jesus at Church, and there are some claiming that THEIR church is THE place, the ONLY place, where Jesus will make his grand reentry into our historical context.  Is that consistent with the Jesus of Nazareth we know from the gospels?  My guess is we might read about the return of Jesus on the front page of one of those magazines in the rack at the check-out lane.  The headline: 

Man claims to be Christ and has risen from the dead.  Says he feels fine.

Maybe the story would make it to one of the 24hr cable news channels. 

• In the Situation Room: people who were raised from the dead and lived to tell about it.
• Welcome to Hardball — tonight members of the clergy debate the second coming in response to the man claiming to be Jesus Christ.
• Next on Fox and Friends, the man claiming to be the second coming of Christ discusses socialism and taxes.

Stories would show up on the Internet at Breitbart, Drudge, DailyKos, HuffingtonPost, and Pathoes.  Media Matters would cover how the media covered it. There would be stories on Facebook and Twitter from sources no one has heard of, but seem compelling, maybe even credible.

When Mary Magdalene and the other women tell the disciples about seeing Jesus the gospels show us a mixed response.  In Luke we are told, “But they did not believe the women because their words seemed to them like nonsense.”  In Mark the women fled the tomb and told no one because they were afraid.  Matthew does not tell us about their encounter with the disciples, and in the gospel of John the disciples do not respond to Mary’s witness at all.  Then there is this story about my friend Thomas.  “Unless I touch the nail prints in his hands, I will not believe.”

A friend told me a story about how she asked her four year old daughter to get a can of soup from the pantry.  The daughter replied, “But mom it’s scary and dark in the pantry.”  “You don’t have to be afraid.” came her mother’s calm reply.  “Jesus is always with you.  Even in the pantry.”  The girl thought for a moment.  Walked to the pantry, opened the door and called out, “Jesus if you’re in there could you hand me a can of soup.”

The disciples are hidden away, behind locked doors, and Jesus came and stood among them.  It had to have been an overwhelming, exciting, fear-filled, doubt-filled moment.  Jesus tells the disciples, in that room and this one, that they are to continue the ministry that he began.  The gospel writer picks up the symbolism of the breath of God and Jesus exhales the Holy Spirit on the disciples in that room and in this one.  Then Jesus gives the disciples a responsibility that I would rather leave to God’s wisdom, “If you forgive anyone their sin it is forgiven, and if you do not forgive them they are not forgiven.”  Had I been there I might have said, “Umm, pardon me? Really?  Isn’t that just common sense?” I would have gotten lost in my own thoughts. 

I doubt Jesus ever said those words with the doctrinal intent that orthodox Christianity has applied them.  To me it sounds like Jesus is providing his ID, proving he is who he claimed to be by helping the disciples in that room and in this one, remember those teaching stories that create doubt.

• Forgive seventy times seven?
• Love God and your neighbor as yourself.  All the commandments are based on these two?
• Pray for my enemies and those that persecute me?
• The last will be first and the first last?

Where is Thomas while all of this is going on?  Why wasn’t he with the disciples?  Did he dare wander Jerusalem and risk being seen or being identified as a disciple of Jesus?  We don’t know.  Thomas is generally thought of in a negative way, the great doubter of the risen Jesus. Christian tradition tends to forget that the rest of the disciples didn’t believe until they saw Jesus as well.  For some reason Thomas has gotten a bad rap through out the centuries.  “Don’t be a doubting Thomas.”  I heard this phrase from my mother more than once when I was a child.  To hear her tell it I was the king of, “but why” as a child.  For some reason Christian tradition equates doubt with having weak or little faith.  But why?  Our lives are immersed in skepticism, doubt, and we hold some of these to be very important.  Christianity teaches us to love and respect all humanity, but we teach children not to talk to strangers.  We doubt a stranger could have our best interest in mind, and usually, we are suspicious if someone we don’t know wants to help us.  There is that little voice, you know the one that asks, “What is this person hoping to gain from helping me or take by appearing to help me?”  I doubt he is just a good Samaritan.  We use doubt as a layer of protection.

Maybe Thomas, our Twin, has gotten a bad reputation because we want to believe that when you meet the risen Jesus life becomes more clear, more certain, less conflicted, and choices become easier.  For some, maybe it does, but what I’ve experienced in my years of living is that following Jesus makes living more complicated.

Blogging about this text, Nancy Rockwell writes, “What Thomas is asking for is proof that Jesus is not just alive, but still loves. Because what would be the point, if Jesus had come back angry?”  I embrace the skepticism of my friend Thomas as a positive quality. 

Don’t misunderstand.  I am not suggesting question for questioning sake or to respond to every answer with a child’s cadence, “but why?”   Believers, if you can’t have doubts with those who are closest to you within the community of faith, where can you have healthy doubt? What is reasonable doubt when applied to Jesus and to God?  What I’ve discovered over the years is that voicing doubt in front of people requires trust.

The first disciples asked questions about their religious traditions, about the symbols, the laws, and from those questions about what was important, the life and death of Jesus of Nazareth was resurrected to become the Christ of faith.  Healthy doubt has kept the Church alive and relevant for a long time.  I am convinced that people don’t doubt their faith, they ask questions about their belief.  Faith, it seems to me, is the experience that draws a person to God.  It is a grounding experience, of hope or love or acceptance or awe or something else.  Faith is that DNA instinct to feel inspiration or connected to the source of being, to God, however one wishes to name God.  I don’t think that can be lost.  Thomas shows us that it can be misplaced or forgotten or ignored or hidden, but not lost.

In working out our beliefs we give meaning and explanation to our faith experience.  When we have doubts or ask questions, we are engaged in the growing process.  It is a necessary experience more than once in life.  One of the best and most frightening moments in life is when one’s experience and beliefs conflict.  It is then when one asks, “Do my beliefs make sense?  Not, do my beliefs make me feel better about myself or the way I live.  But, given all that I have experienced and learned do my beliefs make sense?”

Christian tradition and Church history are riddled with doubt.  The Jerusalem Council and Paul argued over what the Gentiles must do to be consider, “Christian.”  In 325 CE the Council at Nicea tried to end doubt through the establishment of official Christian belief in the form of the Nicene Creed.  Martin Luther nailed pages to a door refuting official Christian belief and practice in his time.  Our denomination was birthed out of the doubt that creeds unite, and communion is meant only for those that agree with the creed.  When the Church has no more challenges for itself, or for the followers of Jesus, or for culture, it becomes a salt that has lost its taste, set in its ways, co-opted by culture, and it does not provide a relevant witness to the world.

Some Christians are looking for empirical proof, an existential guarantee, or a theological certainty; and what Jesus offers, what the Christ of faith offers, is presence.  Presence with an abundance of grace.  Presence that lives as if the kindom of God is at hand.  Presence that embraces, connects and speaks truth to power.  When Jesus appeared Thomas’ doubt was transformed to courage, and words of witness to the power of God.  “Have you believed because you have seen?”

Each time we worship and serve together pentecost moments can happen that bring about reconciliation and transformation.  That is different than winning.  Who has to walk through that door to transform your doubt into courage?  Maybe it’s safer to ask Jesus to hand you a can of soup.

Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples which are not written in the gospels.  They are written on your heart.  Blessed are you who have not seen, but believe.