EDITOR'S NOTE: On Oct. 23, 2021, I was ordained as a minister of word and sacrament in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and installed as pastor at Faith Lutheran Church in Wolverton, Minn. I also served the same church for four years from October 2017 to October 2021 a synodical authorized minister. The journey together these past seven years has been an amazing one, full of learning, growing and a deepening of my theological mind. This sermon took place on the Second Sunday of Easter, April 7, 2024.
This week's gospel: John 20:19-31
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
Jesus and Thomas
24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 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.”
26 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.” 27 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.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 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.”
The Purpose of This Book
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
The message:
Faith Family … we gather here today to set the record straight after more than 2,000 years. … We gather to address a character assassination that is not only categorically unfair … but rather also is historically incorrect.
My hope over the course of the next few minutes is to get everyone in this room to agree that … we owe it to the poor guy to stop using the moniker “Doubting Thomas.”
I mean, it’s just not fair!
Thomas the disciple was no less faithful than any of the rest of Jesus’ devoted band of 12. … It was just that he too wanted to be visited and reassured by the risen Christ just like all of the other disciples.
And yet some 2,000 years later there seems to be some questioning of whether Thomas was as devout of a believer as the other disciples.
So, let’s put that to rest shall we?
And I hope that after this morning, we can all agree to do just that!
Let’s set the scene here for some context …
It’s the first century Middle East, and you are Thomas, one of Jesus’ inner 12 … one of his closet disciples.
You and the other 11 disciples have been hiding somewhere in Jerusalem behind lock doors for the past eight days since your leader was crucified. … And while there is word that Jesus is risen, you can’t quite count on all the rumors these days can you?
And as for the hiding out, well, if the religious leaders of the day were willing to sacrifice Jesus to keep the earthly religious and political status quo in place … then what might they do to Jesus’ closest followers? … No, indeed, it is simply smart to lay low for a while.
So, back to Thomas. … Imagine yourself in Thomas’ shoes, and for some reason you had to go out. … I’m not sure what the urgency was, but something was important enough that you risked the safety of hiding out with the other 11 disciples. … And so you were gone for a bit.
And then when you do get back, the first thing you hear from the other 11 is the unbelievable tale of Jesus coming to visit them … right there in the locked room! … to allay their fears and reassure them.
But not only does Jesus … the leader you thought was dead … come to offer them peace … Jesus also breathes out the Holy Spirit on the other disciples, and encourages them to go forth in his name!
Talk about stepping out at the wrong time!
I mean … can you only imagine what Thomas must have felt like after hearing this news? … You step out for a hot second … a New York minute … and your risen Lord and Savior drops by to give the team a morale boost.
So full disclosure here: I can’t blame Thomas one bit for uttering his now famous line: “Unless I see the mark of the nails his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
Who else here today is with me? … Who else would have looked at the other 11 present and said, “Well, that’s all fine and good for the bunch of you, but what about me? … Where’s my assurance?”
Because I know I would have. … And so, I am empathetic to Thomas, whom I think has been unfairly characterized these past two millennia as the disciple who was somehow less faithful than the rest.
When in truth … I believe that Thomas actually was just like each and every one of us … people longing to see proof of our savior’s resurrection.
But you know what the Good News is this morning, Faith Family?
The Good News is that Jesus understands all of this. … He understands who Thomas is, and thus he understands who we are. … And so what does he do in his loving way?
A week after having visited the other 11 disciples, Jesus appears a second time. … And this time Thomas is home with the others. … And Jesus offers his peace a second time: “Peace be with you.”
But Jesus doesn’t stop there … does he? … No, because Jesus is a loving God, and he knew what Thomas needed. … and therefore what we need … and holds no grudges because of it.
Rather than scold Thomas … Jesus invites him to “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.”
And in doing so he lovingly provides Thomas exactly what it is he needs to believe.
No shame. No vilification. … No silly demeaning moniker to make him feel less worthy. … Just pure pastoral love on behalf of a risen God who knows how hard it is to be human.
“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” … That’s how today’s gospel reading ends.
You see, Faith Family, with Jesus … there are no litmus tests. … He doesn’t point to Thomas and say, “You’re less of a disciple than my other 11.” … No, but rather he actually seeks Thomas out specifically so that he can attend to his needs. … Because that is the loving God who Jesus is.
And I pray this morning Faith Family that you leave here knowing two things …
First, you’re in agreement with me that we need to strike the phrase “Doubting Thomas” from our lexicon.
And second, that Thomas’ experience actually brings to light an important fact about Jesus, our risen Lord and God.
And that fact is … that he is such a loving God, he will come to meet us in our time of disbelief and even suffer the human humiliation of having his body poked to reassure us of his faithfulness and of his promises.
Faith Family, our God is not the aloof, distant Gods of old mythology. … Not in the least! … Our God, who came to live among us in the flesh … is a God of intimacy and grace and mercy, and is more than willing to show up in our times of disbelief to take away our fear, instill the Holy Spirit in us … and send us into the world to do the same on his behalf.
Because he knew Thomas … and he knows each of us.
And that is the Good News on this Easter Sunday, April 7, 2024. … Amen.