Jn 20:19-31
Mary tells the other disciples that she has seen Jesus, but they are pretty skeptical about her story. They were still full of fear and hiding behind locked doors. They knew the body of Jesus was missing, but maybe it was a trap. Maybe Mary had been seeing things in her grief. It doesn’t seem like they believe until Jesus actually appears to them, mysteriously appearing in their locked room.
But one disciple wasn’t at that gathering- Thomas wasn’t there. I’m sure he heard Mary’s story. Then I’m sure he heard the disciples’ story. … But, grief can do strange things to people. He probably thinks everyone around him is going crazy.
Thomas describes the conditions by which he will change his mind, (probably being a bit facetious)- “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.” It is just too much. It is too big a thing to believe without seeing it himself. This is how Thomas gets his nickname- “Doubting Thomas”.
But, he’s not asking for anything that hasn’t been given to the other disciples. Mary didn’t believe until Jesus was standing right in front of her saying her name. The Disciples didn’t really believe until Jesus stood among them saying “Peace be with you” and showing them his scars. Thomas is merely asking for what has been granted to the other disciples.
We aren’t really that different from those disciples in the first century. Believing is hard- especially when we are talking about a miracle like the resurrection of Jesus. Most of us find it pretty easy to relate to Thomas’ skepticism. We want to see it in order to believe it.
We are constantly being sold something- literally and figuratively. Commercials are trying to convince us that if we buy that new kitchen gadget our lives will be changed for the better. If you don’t recognize the number on your call display, you will answer with skepticism, sure that there is a telemarketer on the other end. Political parties want to convince us that their ideas will lead to a utopia. People use social media to manufacture an image to present to the world. We are surrounded by attempts to convince us of this and that, and many of those ideas are contradictory.
We do have to make decisions, though. We have to believe in something. We have to decide what is important to us. We have to have values that direct our lives. How do we know what is right and wrong? What is true? What is real? We have to decide who we are, and who we belong to. … It is also important to consider the consequences of the belief. What kind of a person will we become if we believe it? Are we more likely to become a good and kind person? Or a selfish and cruel person? Will be become courageous or fearful? What are the consequences for a society if we believe these things?
What kind of information do we need in order to believe? We tend to value empirical evidence. That’s the kind Thomas is looking for- touching, seeing. We value the science of repeated testing, video recording, and dissection. We want to be able to put it in a test tube. We value that kind of evidence. Not every truth worth believing in can be examined this way, though. … Things like beauty and love and morals aren’t based on the scientific method.
Thomas is asked to trust the word of his close friends- even that is hard to do when it comes to a miracle. … But what about trusting the words of those we never knew? Are we to believe the witness of the disciples? Trust is hard for us- People hallucinate. People lie. People make mistakes.
This is actually a question for history in general. How can we trust what someone has said or written about past events and people? How do we know about Napoleon, or Nero, or Henry the 8th? Really, we only know because someone told us about them. We dig up a cannon ball and connect it to Napoleon, but it is because of the story that has been told to us that we make that connection.
As Christians we don’t want to be naïve. Scripture tells is to love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind. And John’s first letter chapter 4 says, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” We are not to believe everything that comes our way. We are to be discerning.
Thomas is not naïve and has stated the conditions under which he will believe. Thomas has to “see the nail marks in his hands and put [his] finger where the nails were, and put [his] hand into his side”. If Jesus allows Thomas to do these experiments, then he will believe. Until he is permitted to do this experiment, he will not believe.
Surprisingly, Jesus offers himself up to Thomas’ experiment one week later on the first day of the week- Sunday. We don’t know if Thomas actually did the experiment, but when Jesus appears Thomas believes and utters the profound statement, “My Lord and my God!” which is the climax of the Gospel of John. Jesus is Lord and God!
Thomas believes because he sees. In the Gospel of John some believe on the basis of direct experience. Seeing the resurrected Jesus- Touching Jesus- Hearing Jesus- this leads to believing that he has been resurrected. This is the kind of evidence we want. We want to touch his scars- to hug him- to talk to him. But, of course, this kind of evidence is not available to us. … Jesus promises a blessing for those who believe without having seen- That means believing on the basis of what trustworthy witnesses have said. We are asked to trust the words of those who experienced the risen Jesus Christ. Do we trust their story?
In February of 2010, Canada's last known First World War veteran, John Babcock, died at age 109. He was the last Canadian who could tell us directly about what it was like to be a part of the First World War. From now on we will have to rely on recorded words. We have to rely on the stories they have passed onto us. ... There was a point when the last of the original disciples who experienced the resurrected Jesus died. What we have left are their stories.
Is their story worth believing? … There are good reasons to believe their story. I think there are good reasons to believe in the resurrection of Jesus as a historical reality. That isn’t always what we are looking for. Usually the question we want answered is, does believing in the resurrection of Jesus make a difference in our lives?
The Early disciples went from a group of scared disciples huddled behind locked doors to proclaiming Jesus right in the midst of those who put Jesus to death and across the known world. … There is evidence that Thomas went to India teaching about the way of Jesus. There are Indian Christians who trace their roots back to the preaching of Thomas. They actually call themselves Thomas Christians (Also known as Malabar, or Nasranis). … So, as a consequence of their belief, these disciples were strengthened, they were emboldened, and they were set free from the fear of death. The “peace” Jesus spoke over them became a lived reality.
I believe that same peace can be available to us as we follow the teachings of Jesus. That is what we hope for our children when we baptize them. We hope they will live inspired lives. We hope they will grow to be compassionate and kind. We hope they will stand up for what is right even in dangerous circumstances. We don’t want them to be crippled by fear. We want them to be free to live because they know the peace of the resurrected Christ.
Jesus said to Thomas, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." We are not able to touch his scars, but we have been given the words of those who did. And their lives were transformed. When we see the effect this belief had on those early believers, that is a kind of evidence. We want that effect for us too.
We don’t always have all the proof we want. We cannot reach out and touch God with our microscopes and telescopes. We can't measure God with a thermometer. Doubt, for most of us will just be a part of what it means to be human. ... This does not leave us hopeless. We are invited to trust the stories of those who did encounter him. … Through their stories we can mysteriously encounter him too. Amen.
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