HONEST DOUBT – A SURE PATH TO GOD
John 20:19-20, 24-29
Rev. Paul Wrightman 4/30/23
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 STRILL 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.