Easter 1

Easter 1 _____________ING THOMAS 4/20 & 23/06

We gather to worship 4 days/(1 week) after Easter, but the context of our Gospel lesson is Easter evening. John describes it this way, “On the evening of that first day of the week…”(Jn. 20:19) which we know to be Sunday…Easter Sunday, in this instance. How are the 12 disciples doing only hours after Jesus was raised from the dead? Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, has killed himself…10 of the disciples, including the author of this reading, are “together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews.” (Jn. 20:19) The only other disciple, Thomas by name, is not with the other 10, behind locked doors, although his whereabouts remain a mystery.

As Peter and John, earlier that Easter day at the tomb, don’t say anything, neither do the 10 disciples speak when Jesus appears to them later in the evening of that same day. Jesus does all the talking! Jesus says twice to the fearful, huddled group of 10 disciples, “Peace be with you!” (Jn. 20:19, 21) No recorded response. Jesus shows these men “his hands and side.”(Jn. 20:20) No recorded response. Jesus speaks further, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (Jn. 20: 21) No recorded response. John continues in vss. 22-23 : “And with that he (Jesus) breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.’” I really like the way Eugene Peterson translates this in The Message: “If you forgive someone’s sins, they’re gone for good. If you don’t forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?” Good question, but still no recorded response from the ten disciples!

Jesus, apparently, leaves after this brief encounter, although the details of His departure are as scant as the details of His arrival. Somehow Jesus enters and exits the locked room where the disciples were staying. Sometime later, likely later that Easter night, Thomas joins the 10. We are given no details about his arrival…did he have a secret knock? Had the disciples established a secret password? We read in (vs. 20), that “The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.” Yet, we read in John 20:26 “…the doors were locked.” It appears that these “overjoyed” men were still living in no small degree of fear! It is amazing that the disciples---those closest to Jesus, those of such great faith---those who had seen the risen Christ---are hiding behind locked doors. It causes me to wonder, “What fears continue to keep us locked up and hiding from active discipleship? What doors does Christ need to break down or pass through to reach us?”

The ten disciples finally find their voice and tell the returning Thomas, “We have seen the Lord!” (Jn. 20:25) Does this brief proclamation sound, at least, vaguely, familiar? It should, for all who worshipped on Easter morning! After meeting the risen Jesus outside His tomb, Mary Magdalene went home and said to the male disciples: “I have seen the Lord.” (Jn. 20:18) I believe that, at least, John and Peter would have seen the Lord earlier on Easter if they had stayed in the cemetery just a little while longer…but, we read in Jn. 20:10 that “The disciples went back to their homes.” I’ve often wondered to myself, “What was the big hurry to return to their homes?” John, one of the “rapid-returnees”, doesn’t record that they had anything real pressing to do that Sunday morning! Did they want an early-seating for breakfast at the local restaurant?!

When Thomas hears that his 10 friends “have seen the Lord,” he simply asks for what they had, themselves, experienced earlier that evening. In short, Thomas wants to see, with his own eyes, the risen Christ. The other ten disciples didn’t seem overly convinced by the testimony of Mary Magdalene and Thomas doesn’t seem overly convinced by the testimony of the ten! There is amazing integrity to Thomas: he refused to say he believed something just to agree with others. Thomas had the courage to stand up to his colleagues and state a very unpopular opinion---one that has branded him a near “traitor” ever since. Thomas, thus, becomes a powerful example of standing up for our beliefs…even what we find hard to believe! Thomas also challenges us not to give assent to just any belief, but to grapple with our faith, to do our theology, to study Scripture, and to struggle with and ask our questions.

Jesus does not nor criticize, Thomas…why should we? Thomas wanted to believe and he asked for evidence upon which to build his belief. Jesus came to him, as---when invited---Jesus comes to each of us. Oh, one more fact: Thomas, our patron saint of critical inquiry, is the first person in all of history to proclaim of the risen Jesus: “My Lord and my God!” (Jn. 20:28) Perhaps we should begin to remember him, not as “doubting,” but as “Testifying Thomas.” Just a thought….. Amen.