John 20:19-21
Today we get to talk about Thomas, who has a reputation for being the disciple who doubted. It’s been held against him for centuries, and I think it’s a bad rap. Before we start on today’s story, I want to back up a bit to the story in which Lazarus was ill and his sisters sent word to Jesus, wanting him to come. Going to Lazarus at that moment was dangerous, because Lazarus lived in a small town just outside Jerusalem, and the authorities in Jerusalem had it out for Jesus. All the disciples advised against Jesus going. “If he's going to die anyway, you can’t do anything about it. Don’t risk you life on a fool’s errand.” Yet when Jesus seems determined, it was Thomas who said, “We might as well go too. If he’s going to die, we can die with him.” I always wish Thomas was remembered for loyalty and not doubt.
There’s a part of me that thinks doubt was a logical response to the story of resurrection. Sure Jesus had raised Lazarus, his friend, but can a dead man raise himself? And does anyone else among them have that power? Think of any one of the people you’ve known who have died recently. When you arrived at the funeral, would you have believed a story of resurrection? Don’t bother with the eulogy, let’s just have lunch together? I’m thinking not.
I’ll bet Thomas wanted to believe the resurrection stories, but a little healthy skepticism can be a good thing. Don’t believe he’s risen until you see the wounds on the body. Don’t buy the timeshare until you’ve checked out the reviews. Don’t take the miracle cure until the FDA has weighed in on the safety. Don’t believe everything you read on Facebook. A little doubt in the beginning can save you a heap of trouble in the long run. Some days I’m wishing doubt was a skill more folks had perfected.
Over the years the story of Thomas has been used to teach good church folk the nature of faith. “Blessed are those who believe without seeing.” In some church circles, you get more points for faith that believes the impossible. The more unlikely a doctrine is, the more credit you get for believing it. God works in mysterious ways, so if we don’t understand something, it must be more holy.
There is indeed a lot of mystery in this world, and there are still many things we can’t explain. That’s one reason research is so important to push back the boundaries of the unknown. It’s the reason we hold out hope for people who seem lost and situations that seem hopeless. You never know what new life just might rise up.
On the other hand, there’s been plenty of religious snake oil sold on faith. I’m inclined to caution against believing everything you hear is true, even from a pulpit; even from me. Thomas saw and then believed, and that might be a good model for us all.
Does that mean those of us living thousands of years after the first century have no chance of believing? No, because there’s more than one way to see. A resuscitated Jesus isn’t going to walk into the sanctuary today, but that doesn’t mean we’re not going to see Jesus among us. If we’re watching, we see God moving in our lives every day.
When I tell people about Family of God, I most often tell them about our practice of naming Light Signs every Sunday. I think we started doing that by accident, but it’s been a happy accident. It reminds us that God shows up in all the places we live every day. How do we know that God is there? By the ways we see life happen. Jesus told us that God is love. I suspect that’s his most important teaching that we can remember. If there is love, God is there. If there’s no love, then whatever is happening isn’t a God thing.
Think about the times in your life when you most felt the presence of God. It may have been when you were in a place whose beauty took your breath away and you felt in your bones what it means to be one with the world. It may have been when you were grieving a terrible loss and suddenly realized you weren’t grieving alone. It may have been when you were scared to death about something about to happen and were filled with a strength you never knew before.
I’d like to suggest that we are not people of faith because we believe even though we haven’t seen resurrection. We are people of faith because we have seen resurrection in places we never expected to find it. It found us. God holds us when we have no strength. God comforts us when we are beyond comfort. And day after day God gives us hope.
The older I get the less I care about knowing the right doctrines about God and Jesus and teaching them to folks. I care a lot about what you believe, but not much at all about that being the right stuff. I just want you to know that God is alive among us, and we can see God every day. I want you to know that God loves you and will give you the power you need to love each other. I want to invite you to join together to create the reign of God right here, right now. I want us to be a joyful sign of resurrection for the whole world. If you doubt that’s possible from time to time, that’s OK. We’re in this together, and we can take turns with the doubt as long as there’s a friend to keep the faith until ours comes back. As long as there’s even one voice to say, “God is alive! Look! God is moving among us right there.”