one stubborn way to turn your back

this i've tried and now refuse...

The Holy Gospel according to St. John the 20th chapter!

Later on that first Easter, the disciples had gathered together, but, fearful of the jewish leaders, had locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.” Then he showed them his hands and his side. 

The disciples, seeing the master with their own eyes, were exuberant. Jesus repeated his greeting: “Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you.”

Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he said. “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?”

But Thomas, sometimes called the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We saw the Master.”

But Thomas said, “Unless I see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger in the nail holes, and stick my hand in his side, I won’t believe it.”

*-!!!-*

Okay, you may be seated; because before we finish the Gospel I want to say a few things.

The truth is, we’re all too tempted to wag our finger at Thomas, to make him a one-dimensional character, “the doubter,” right now.

Which doesn’t help us in our faith when we all come up against our own down. AND it’s also bad familiarity with our Bible…

You remember that back in chapter eleven in John, when the other disciples didn’t want to follow Jesus back to Judea to raise Lazarus, Thomas said “Let us go with Jesus, that we may die with him also,” right? 

And you remember back in chapter 14 Thomas, when Jesus said he must go to prepare a place for the disciples, retorted “We don’t know where you’re going, Jesus. How can we know the way,” too, right?

No, Thomas is much more of a well-rounded person...

*Screen cuts out*

Thomas: (shouting) ‘what’s going on?!?!

Pastor: I can’t believe it, it’s happening again!! …Wait, there isn’t anyone there…

Thomas: (popping up from the bottom of the screen, looking around) Who said that?!? What’s going on?!?

Pastor: Okay, this is hard to believe, but we’re a church, and we have this    screen that cross time and space…

Thomas: Huh?

Pastor: It’s hard to explain, suffice it to say we are a gathering of people    who worship the risen one, Jesus. 

Who are you? It looks like you’re from the past…

Thomas: Why I’m Thomas, the twin. I was one of Jesus’ disciples. That is, until he died. Now I’m laying low. After things cool down, I’m going to start a new life…

Pastor: No! After three days he was raised!

Thomas: Oh great, another one!

You know less than a week ago the rest of the disciples were telling me the same thing. Some folks can’t take reality, you know?

Not me, though. I’ve always been a realist. I had hoped Jesus would be the one to overthrow Rome, but they killed him. Those are just the facts, and you can’t change that. 

Time to move on…

Pastor: I know how it looks, but really, he was raised! He broke free from the tomb. He is risen!

Thomas: You need to move on, man! 

Pastor: But!

Thomas: (interrupting) Listen, I’ll tell you the same thing I told the other disciples; if I can see his wounds for myself, if I can put my hand in his side that I saw the Roman Guard gouge; then I’ll believe.

I’m a realist, I don’t suffer fools; and I won’t put up with mere wishful thinking. It’s a tough world out there…

Pastor: Wait; you haven’t gone back to the room to worship with the disciples???

Thomas: No, it isn’t the first day of the week for a couple more days.

Pastor: Well, you have to!

Thomas: I’ve been thinking about it. If nothing else, just to tell those other disciples to move on, and it nothing else to leave me alone. If they can’t deal with the facts, fine! 

Not me, though; I can handle reality.

Pastor: You keep talking about that, reality. Like it couldn’t happen.

Weren’t you there when Jesus raised Lazarus? Weren’t you the one who cajoled the other disciples to go with Jesus back to Judea to raise Lazarus?

Thomas: Yes, I was. 

And I had hoped that one who was able to bring the dead back to life was the master. He was crucified, though. He couldn’t save himself! If he’s dead who will raise him???

Pastor: God. 

I know it’s hard to wrap your mind around, but Jesus is even stronger than death. After three days he rose from the dead. He’s out, on the loose!

Thomas: That isn’t how it works! If the one who can raise people from the dead, dies himself; that’s it! Kaput! Don’t you get it?!?

Pastor: I know the way it seems…

Thomas: You’re telling me that Jesus is the one exception to reality??? 

Pastor: No! I’m saying that because Jesus has been raised, reality itself has changed. Death no longer has the last word! Don’t doubt this thing God has done…

Thomas: It’s not that I doubt it. I just can’t bring myself to believe it, either!

Pastor: (pausing) Yeah, that’s a much better description of the struggle of faith…

And you’re right, it does seem like nonsense, especially in the world we live in; where terrible, senseless things happen all too often! 

It isn’t easy to trust that God has raised Jesus from the dead, that Death itself has been defeated; I know.

But Jesus has been raised from the dead, he is the one we can trust… 

Thomas: If I were to trust something like that, the way I looked at the entire world would change… 

Pastor: Of course it would. Trusting the risen one changes everything.

Thomas: Well, that’s a nice thought; but I’ve never been one to be able to fool myself. Sometimes I wish I could, but I can’t…

No, I won’t believe unless I can touch the wounds I saw them make on Jesus’ hand for myself… 

Sorry, that’s just the way it is.

Pastor: Yeah, Jesus had something to say about that perspective…

Thomas: Huh? 

Pastor: Never mind… When did you say the disciples are meeting again?

Thomas: A couple more days, they meet on the first day of the week.

Pastor: Okay, well just promise me you’ll meet them.

Thomas: (growing frustrated) Why?

Pastor: Just do it… 

Thomas: (exasperated) Fine!

Pastor: Great! Well, we’ve got to go and finish reading the Gospel! 

Thomas: Huh?

Pastor: Never mind. Byeeeeee!

(Goes over & turns screen off)

Okay, let us finish the Gospel. I invite you to rise, trusting that as we read the sacred story together, the risen Jesus breaks into our locked rooms & creates faith for us, too.

Eight days later, his disciples were again in the room. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus came through the locked doors, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.”

Then he focused his attention on Thomas. “Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don’t be unbelieving. Believe.”

Thomas said, “My Master! My God!”

Jesus said, “So, you believe because you’ve seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing.”

The Gospel of the Lord!