4-14

OUR DOUBTS ARE SAFE WITH JESUS

John 20:19-20,​​ 24-29​​ 

Rev. Paul Wrightman  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ ​​ ​​ 4/14/24

 

 

AT THE BEGINNING OF HIS GOSPEL,

JOHN STATES "NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN GOD.

IT IS GOD THE ONLY SON, WHO IS​​ CLOSE​​ TO THE FATHER'S​​ HEART,

WHO HAS MADE HIM KNOWN." ​​ (John 1:18)

 

WHAT AN AMAZING​​ CLAIM​​ FOR SOMEONE TO MAKE!

 

WHAT DOES THIS CLAIM -- THAT JESUS MAKES THE FATHER'S HEART

KNOWN​​ TO US --​​ LOOK​​ LIKE​​ WHEN IT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING?

 

IN TODAY'S TEXT, WHICH ORIGINALLY TOOK PLACE

A WEEK AFTER EASTER SUNDAY, IT LOOKS LIKE​​ THIS:

 

A CONFUSED, DOGGED DISCIPLE,​​ DETERMINED​​ NOT TO BE TAKEN IN,

STANDING ON HIS RIGHTS NOT TO BELIEVE ANYTHING

UNTIL HE'S GOT SOLID​​ EVIDENCE,

 

CONFRONTED BY A SMILING JESUS WHO HAS JUST WALKED,

AS HE DID THE PREVIOUS WEEK, THROUGH A LOCKED DOOR.

 

THAT'S​​ WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!

 

AND OF COURSE IT BAFFLED THOMAS JUST AS IT BAFFLES US.

 

WHAT SORT OF PERSON ARE WE DEALING WITH IN THE RISEN JESUS?

 

THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS STORY IS THAT​​ THE RISEN JESUS

IS THE​​ SAME​​ JESUS WHO TAUGHT AND HEALED

AND REVEALED GOD'S HEART TO ANY WHO WOULD LISTEN.

 

HOW COULD THE DISCIPLES KNOW FOR​​ SURE

THAT IT WAS​​ THE​​ SAME​​ JESUS?

 

THE MARKS OF THE NAILS IN HIS HANDS.

 

THE WOUND IN HIS SIDE,

BIG ENOUGH TO GET YOUR HAND INTO.

 

THIS IS NO​​ GHOST.

 

NOR IS IT SOMEONE ELSE​​ PRETENDING​​ TO BE JESUS.

 

THIS IS​​ HIM.

 

THIS IS THE​​ BODY, THIS IS THE​​ PERSON,

THAT THE GRAVE-CLOTHES COULD NO LONGER​​ CONTAIN.

 

THE RESURRECTED JESUS COMES AND GOES

AS THOUGH HE BELONGS​​ BOTH​​ IN​​ OUR​​ WORLD

AND​​ IN A​​ DIFFERENT​​ WORLD,

 

ANOTHER WORLD WHICH​​ INTERSECTS​​ WITH OURS

AT VARIOUS POINTS, BUT DOESN'T USE THE SAME GEOGRAPHY.

 

THE MOST IMPORTANT VERSE FOR US IS THE LAST ONE, VERSE 29,​​ 

WHEN JESUS SAYS TO THOMAS:

 

"BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HAVE​​ NOT​​ SEEN

AND YET HAVE COME TO BELIEVE."

 

JESUS IS​​ NOT​​ PUTTING DOWN THOMAS HERE.

 

HE IS SIMPLY REASSURING FUTURE GENERATIONS OF BELIEVERS​​ 

THAT THEY TOO -- THAT​​ WE​​ TOO --

CAN BE BLESSED WITH THE REALITY OF HIS RISEN PRESENCE --

UNSEEN, YET NEVERTHELESS​​ EXPERIENCED.

 

IN OTHER WORDS, BEING A​​ FIRST​​ GENERATION WITNESS

IS​​ NOT​​ A PREREQUISITE FOR FAITH.

 

JESUS IS MAKING THE CLAIM​​ 

THAT HE IS AS REAL FOR EACH OF US​​ TODAY

AS HE WAS FOR THOMAS AND THE OTHER DISCIPLES

GATHERED IN THAT UPPER ROOM​​ SO​​ LONG​​ AGO.

 

ALISTER McGRATH, A MAJOR ENGLISH THEOLOGIAN, WRITES:

 

"MY AUNT DIESD​​ SOME TIME AGO, HAVING LIVED TO BE EIGHTY.

 

SHE HAD NEVER MARRIED.

 

WHILE CLEARING OUT HER POSSESSIONS,

WE CAME ACROSS A BATTERED PHOTOGRAPH​​ 

OF A YOUNG MAN WHOM MY AUNT HAD LOVED.

 

THE WERE ENGAGED TO BE MARRIED,​​ 

BUT THE RELATIONSHIP ENDED SADLY WITH HIS DEATH.

 

MY AUNT NEVER LOVED ANYONE ELSE

AND KEPT FOR THE REMAINER OF HER LIFE

A PICTURE OF THE MAN WHOM SHE HAD LOVED SO DEEPLY.

 

WHY THE PHOTO?

AS SHE AGED, SHE KNEW THAT SHE WOULD HAVE DIFFICULTY​​ 

BELIEVING THAT, AT ONE POINT IN HER LIFE,

SOMEONE HAD ONCE CARED FOR HER

AND REGARDED HER AS HIS EVERYTHING.

 

IT COULD ALL HAVE SEEMED A DREAM, AN ILLUSION,

SOMETHING SHE HAD INVENTED IN HER OLD AGE

TO CONSOLE HERSELF​​ IN HER DECLINING YEARS ​​ --

EXCEPT FOR THE PHOTO.

 

THE PHOTO​​ REMINDED​​ HER THAT SHE REALLY HAD

LOVED SOMEONE ONCE AND WAS LOVED IN RETURN.

 

IT WAS HER SOLE LINK TO A WORLD

IN WHICH SHE HAD BEEN DEEPLY VALUED AND LOVED."

 

McGRATH​​ GOES ON TO MAKE​​ A BREATHTAKING CONNECTION:

HE WRITES:

 

"COMMUNION BREAD AND WINE, LIKE THAT PHOTOGRAPH,

REASSURE US THAT SOMETHING THAT SEEMS​​ 

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE -- GOD'S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FOR US

IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING -- REALLY​​ DID​​ HAPPEN."

 

COMMUNION IS A MAJOR WAY IN WHICH​​ 

JESUS' CONTINUING PRESENCE CAN BE EXPERIENCED.

 

CONVERSATIONAL PRAYER -- SIMPLY TALKING WITH GOD

AND SHARING WITH GOD WHAT'S ON OUR MIND AND HEART --

IS ANOTHER.

 

OF COURSE WE'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO EXPERIENCE

GOD'S PRESENCE WITH US EVERY SINGLE DAY,

BUT THE REALITY IS THAT IF PRAYER​​ 

BECOMES SECOND-NATURE TO US,​​ 

WE WILL BE GIVING GOD MANY MORE OPPORTUNITIES​​ 

TO CONNECT WITH US.

 

I KNOW THIS IN MY OWN PRAYER LIFE.

 

I FIND THERE'S A VERY STRONG CORRELATION

BETWEEN MY​​ NOT​​ PRAYING AND FEELING​​ DISTANT​​ FROM GOD,

 

AND AN EQUALLY STRONG CORRELATION BETWEEN

HANGING IN THERE WITH PRAYER --

 

EVEN THOUGH SOMETIMES IT​​ SEEMS​​ LIKE NOTHING IS HAPPENING --

 

AND MY FELING​​ CLOSE TO AND CARED FOR BY GOD.

 

GOD'S WORDS TO ME MAY NOT BE AUDIBLE,

BUT WHEN I GET THOUGHTS​​ 

THAT I KNOW ARE WAY BEYOND MY PAY GRADE,

WAY BEYOND THE STUFF I CAN COME UP WITH BY MYSELF,

I FEEL LIKE GOD KNOWS AND CARES ABOUT ME PERSONALLY.

 

ANOTHER WAY OF FEELING CONNECTED TO GOD​​ 

IS TO ALLOW THE WORDS OF SCRIPTURE TO BECOME ALIVE.

 

THIS IS CHALLENGING, BECAUSE THE BIBLE IS ONE​​ 

OF THE MOST DIFFICULT BOOKS ON THE PLANET.

 

AFTER ALL, IT'S​​ A BOOK​​ SPOKEN AND WRITTEN​​ ​​ 

OVER THE COURSE OF TWO THOUSAND YEARS,​​ ​​ 

AND CONTAINS PLENTY OF PROBLEMATIC MATERIAL.

 

I'VE FOUND THAT FOCUSING ON THE GOSPELS --

THE WRITINGS THAT REVEAL JESUS TO US​​ 

AS THE HUMAN FACE OF GOD --

 

LIGHTS UP A WHOLE NEW WAY OF LIFE FOR ME,

AND GIVES ME THE GUIDANCE I NEED TO BECOME

THE UNIQUE IMAGE OF GOD THAT GOD MADE ME --

AND EACH OF US -- TO BE.

 

I FIND THE FOLLOWING STORY TO BE A METAPHOR

FOR THE WAY​​ GOD​​ CONNECTS WITH US IN SCRIPTURE​​ 

AS A CARING GUIDE.

 

LARRY LIBBY WRITES:

 

"BOB, MY FATHER-IN-LAW, HIKES​​ EVERY FALL

IN THE MOUNTAINS OF CALIFORNIA.

 

A NUMBER OF FARMERS AND RANCHERS IN THE AREA

ARE WILLING TO LET INDIVIDUALS OR SMALL GROUPS​​ 

HIKE​​ ON​​ THEIR PROPERTY -- IF THE HIKERS​​ ASK PERMISSION

AND SHOW RESPECT FOR THE LAND.

 

LAST YEAR MY FATHER-IN-LAW ASKED IF HE MIGHT

DRIVE THROUGH A CERTAIN GATE​​ 

AND DO SOME HIKING​​ IN THE EVENING.

(BY THE WAY, THIS HAS NOW BECOME A “THING” FOR SOME –

HIKING IN THE DARK!)

 

THE RANCHER GAVE BOB A THOUGHTFUL LOOK AND SAID,

'YEAH, YOU CAN COME ON THE LAND.

 

BUT YOU'D BETTER LET ME RIDE WITH YOU​​ 

IN THE TRUCK FOR A WHILE.

 

I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOME THINGS.

 

BOB COULD HAVE ARGUED, BUT HE DIDN'T.

 

SO THE PAIR DROVE THROUGH THE GATE ONTO THE RANCH.

 

THEY HAD BEEN SKIMMING ACROSS A WIDE,

SEEMINGLY FEATURELESS FIELD,

WHEN THE RANCHER SUDDENLY SAID,

 

'YOU'D BETTER SLOW DOWN."

 

BOB PULLED HIS FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR.

 

AS FAR AS HE COULD SEE,

THERE WERE NO CREEKS, GULLIES, OR FENCES.

 

JUST A WIDE PASTURE STRETCHING OUT TO THE DUSKY FOOTHILLS.

 

'PARK RIGHT HERE,' THE RANCHER SAID.

 

"I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING.'

 

THEY GOT OUT OF THE TRUCK AND BEGAN WALKING.

 

THEN THE RANCHER PUT HIS HAND ON BOB'S SHOULDER AND SAID,

'LOOK UP AHEAD.'

 

MY FATHER-IN-LAW STOPPED DEAD IN HIS TRACKS.

 

CLEAVING AT RIGHT ANGLES ACROSS THEIR PATH​​ --

AND ACROSS THE PASTURE AS FAR AS HE COULD SEE

IN BOTH DIRECTIONS --

 

WAS A GAPING, BLACK TEAR IN THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH.

THE CRACK WAS PROBABLY THIRTY FEET ACROSS.

 

PEERING OVER THE EDGE, THE HAIR ON BOB'S NECK BRISTLED.

 

THE SHEER, ROCK-RIBBED SIDES OF THE GREAT VOLCANIC FISSURE

PLUNGED TO UNKNOWN DEPTHS.

 

COLD, STILL AIR SEEMED TO EXHALE FROM THE BLACKNESS BELOW.

 

WALKING BACK TO THE TRUCK,

BOB MARVELED AT HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS

TO SEE THE FISSURE FROM JUST YARDS AWAY.

 

HE SMILED.

 

HAVING A GUIDE WASN'T SUCH A BAD THING.

 

HE HAD A NEW APPRECIATION FOR A MAN​​ 

WHO KNEW THE TERRAIN -- AND WHERE TO PARK THE TRUCK."

(END QUOTE)

 

USING THIS STORY AS A METAPHOR,​​ 

BOTH FOR UNDERSTANDING​​ SCRIPTURE​​ AND UNDERSTANDING​​ LIFE,

 

THE MOST IMPORTANT STATEMENT IS:

 

"HAVING A GUIDE ISN'T SUCH A BAD THING."

 

THE RISEN JESUS CAN GUIDE US THROUGH SCRIPTURE

AND THROUGH LIFE.

 

HE CAN POINT OUT DANGER AND REVEAL TO US

BEAUTY, TRUTH, AND GOODNESS​​ 

WE COULD NEVER HAVE​​ SEEN ON OUR OWN.

 

(PAUSE)

 

OUR SCRIPTURE TEXT THIS MORNING

IS ONE OF THE​​ STRANGEST​​ TEXTS​​ 

THAT HAS BEEN PASSED ON TO US FROM THE ANCIENT WORLD.

 

THE DISCIPLES ARE HIDING BEHIND LOCKED DOORS

FOR FEAR OF BEING ARRESTED JUST AS JESUS HAD BEEN ARRESTED.

 

WE ARE TOLD THAT THE RISEN JESUS

SIMPLY​​ IGNORES​​ THE LOCKED DOORS​​ 

AND APPEARS TO THE DISCIPLES.

 

MANY PEOPLE FIND THIS ACCOUNT IMPOSSIBLE TO TAKE

AT FACE VALUE, AND GIVE IT A "SPIRITUAL" MEANING.

 

THEY HAVE JESUS BEING RESURRECTED

NOT IN​​ OUTWARD​​ REALITY, AS THE TEXT​​ TELLS​​ US IT HAPPENED,

BUT IN THE​​ HEARTS​​ AND​​ MINDS​​ OF HIS​​ FOLLOWERS.

 

PERSONALLY, I DON'T THINK IT MATTERS TO​​ GOD​​ ALL THAT MUCH

WHAT​​ WE​​ HAPPEN​​ TO​​ BELIEVE OR​​ NOT​​ TO BELIEVE​​ ABOUT​​ JESUS.

 

MATTHEW, MARK, AND LUKE CONSISTENTLY MAKE THE POINT

THAT WHAT GOD​​ REALLY​​ WANTS FROM US

IS CONCRETE, PRACTICAL​​ LOVE​​ OF GOD AND NEIGHBOR.

 

TO PARAPHRASE ST. PAUL IN HIS FAMOUS HYMN TO LOVE

IN HIS FIRST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS, CHAPTER 13:

 

"I CAN GO​​ SO​​ FAR​​ AS TO AFFIRM THE​​ DIVINITY​​ OF JESUS,

BUT IF I DON'T​​ PRACTICE​​ LOVING THE WAY​​ HE​​ PRACTICED LOVING

 

I GET NO FURTHER THAN BEING A NOISY GONG

OR A CLANGING CYMBAL."

(See 1 Corinthians 13:1)

 

HAVING SAID THIS, I STILL FEEL THAT I NEED TO​​ GO​​ ON​​ AND SAY

THAT I THINK WE MODERNS CAN "SHOOT OURSELVES IN THE FOOT,"

SO TO SPEAK, WITH OUR​​ OVERLY-RATIONAL-SOPHISTICATION.

 

WE CAN, IN OTHER WORDS,​​ SHORT-CHANGE​​ OURSELVES

 

FROM AFFIRMING THIS​​ SINGULAR EXPRESSION OF GOD'S​​ LOVE

 

AND THIS​​ SINGULAR EXPRESSION OF GOD'S​​ NATURE

 

AS​​ REVEALED TO​​ US BY THE RISEN JESUS.

 

THE​​ REALLY​​ STRANGE PART OF TODAY'S TEXT

IS​​ NOT​​ THE CLAIM THAT THE RISEN JESUS

SOMEHOW MADE IT​​ THROUGH​​ A​​ LOCKED​​ DOOR​​ --

 

AFTER ALL, WE NOW KNOW FROM NUCLEAR PHYSICS

THAT MATTER, SAY THE RISEN BODY OF JESUS,

CAN EASILY PASS RIGHT THROUGH OTHER MATTER,

SAY A LOCKED DOOR.

 

NO, THE​​ REALLY​​ STRANGE CLAIM IS THAT THE RISEN JESUS,

INSTEAD​​ OF COMING BACK IN VICTORIOUS​​ WARRIOR-KING​​ MODE

AND​​ ANNIHILATING​​ ALL HIS​​ ENEMIES,

 

COMES BACK WITH THE​​ VERY​​ SAME​​ WOUNDS

WITH WHICH HE WAS CRUCIFIED,

DEMONSTRATING CONTINUING LOVE FOR HIS ENEMIES.

 

ALL MY FAVORITE BIBLICAL SCHOLARS AND THEOLOGIANS

ARE IN UNANIMOUS​​ AGREEMENT​​ THAT​​ THIS​​ IS GOD'S WAY

OF REVEALING TO US​​ ONCE-AND-FOR-ALL

 

THAT THE​​ AT-ONE-MENT, THE RADICAL​​ FORGIVENESS​​ AND​​ LOVE

THAT HAPPENED ON THE CROSS​​ 

IS GOD'S​​ DEEPEST​​ AND​​ TRUEST​​ WORD TO US.

 

THE CROSS, AND THE AFFIRMATION OF ITS MEANING

IN THE RESURRECTION,​​ IS GOD'S WAY OF SAYING TO EACH OF US:​​ ​​ 

 

"THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO

THAT WOULD MAKE ME LOVE YOU LESS."

 

(PAUSE)

 

THE APOSTLE THOMAS​​ HAS BEEN SADDLED

WITH THE REPUTATION OF BEING A DOUBTER;

 

BASED ON THIS MORNING'S SCRIPTURE READING,

HE IS KNOWN TO THE WORLD AS "DOUBTING​​ THOMAS."

 

YET THOMAS DID NOTHING DIFFERENT

THAN THE OTHER MALE DISCIPLES,

WHO​​ ALL​​ DOUBTED UNTIL THEY ACTUALLY​​ 

EXPERIENCED​​ THE RISEN JESUS​​ FOR​​ THEMSELVES.

 

THOMAS HAD THE MISFORTUNE​​ 

OF BEING A WEEK​​ LATE​​ TO THE UPPER ROOM.

 

HE WAS ODD-MAN-OUT IN TERMS OF NOT HAVING HAD

THE SAME EXPERIENCE AS THE OTHER DISCIPLES.

 

AND AS IS OFTEN THE CASE WHEN WE'RE THE ODD-ONE-OUT,

THOMAS DEMANDED​​ MORE​​ IN ORDER TO BE CONVINCED HIMSELF:

 

"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."

 

GIVEN THE FACT THAT THOMAS' DOUBT WINS FOR HIM

ONE OF THE MOST​​ PERSONAL​​ AND​​ INTIMATE​​ ENCOUNTERS

WITH THE RISEN JESUS IN THE ENTIRE NEW TESTAMENT --

 

THOMAS' DOUBT IS NOT A​​ LIABILITY​​ BUT AN​​ ASSET.

 

IT IS AN​​ ASSET​​ AND NOT A​​ LIABILITY​​ 

BECAUSE HIS DOUBT​​ EMPOWERS​​ THOMAS' SEARCH

FOR MEANING AND TRUTH.

 

ONE OF THOMAS' GREAT VIRTUES WAS THE​​ VIRTUE​​ OF​​ DOUBT.

 

HE ABSOLUTELY​​ REFUSED​​ TO SAY​​ THAT​​ HE UNDERSTOOD

WHEN, IN REALITY, HE DID​​ NOT​​ UNDERSTAND,

OR THAT HE​​ BELIEVED​​ WHEN HE COULD​​ NOT​​ BELIEVE.

 

THERE IS AN UNCOMPROMISING​​ HONESTY​​ ABOUT HIM.

 

HE WOULD NEVER QUENCH HIS DOUBTS

BY​​ PRETENDING​​ THAT THEY DID NOT EXIST.

 

HE WAS NOT THE KIND OF PERSON

WHO WOULD RATTLE OFF A​​ CREED​​ 

WITHOUT​​ UNDERSTANDING​​ AND WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO AFFIRM

WHAT IT​​ MEANT.

 

IN HIS POEM​​ IN MEMORIAM, ALFRED LORD TENNYSON WROTE:

 

"THERE LIVES MORE​​ FAITH​​ IN HONEST​​ DOUBT,

BELIEVE ME, THAN IN HALF THE​​ CREEDS."

 

THOMAS'​​ OTHER​​ GREAT VIRTUE

WAS THAT WHEN HE​​ WAS​​ ABLE TO MAKE HIS STEP OF BELIEF,

HE WENT THE​​ WHOLE​​ WAY.

 

"MY​​ LORD​​ AND MY​​ GOD! HE EXCLAIMED.

 

THERE WAS NO​​ HALF-WAY​​ ABOUT THOMAS.

 

HE WAS NOT​​ AIRING​​ HIS​​ DOUBTS

JUST FOR THE SAKE OF​​ MENTAL​​ ACROBATICS.

 

HE​​ DOUBTED​​ IN THE HOPE OF​​ BECOMING​​ CONVINCED.

 

THOMAS, I THINK, WOULD HAVE BEEN RIGHT AT HOME

HERE AT COMMUNITY CHURCH, BECAUSE LIKE SO MANY OF US,

HE WAS AN​​ INDEPENDENT-THINKER.

 

AND IF YOU'RE AN INDEPENDENT-THINKER,

LIKE SO-CALLED "DOUBTING THOMAS" --

 

NEEDING TO​​ PUT​​ THINGS​​ TOGETHER​​ FOR​​ YOURSELF--

 

GOD HAS​​ ALREADY​​ BLESSED YOUR INDEPENDENCE​​ 

AND YOUR THINKING AS VITAL PATHS LEADING YOU

A VITAL ENCOUNTER WITH THE LIVING GOD.

 

MAY​​ EACH​​ OF US BE​​ FILLED​​ WITH THE KIND OF​​ DOUBT

WHICH LEADS TO​​ CREATIVE​​ QUESTIONING,

 

CREATIVE QUESTIONING WHICH, IN TURN,

 

LEADS TO AN AWESOME​​ ADVENTURE

 

OF​​ SEEKING​​ AND​​ FINDING​​ TRUTH,

 

TRUTH​​ INTO​​ WHICH WE CAN​​ LEAN​​ AND​​ LIVE.

 

AMEN.

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