April 15, 2007
It was Palm Sunday and, because of a sore throat, five-year-old Johnny had stayed home from church with his mom. When the rest of the family returned home, they were carrying several palm branches. The boy asked what they were for, and his sister explained that "people waved them over Jesus' head as he walked by."
Johnny looked angry and said "Wouldn't you know it, the one Sunday I don't go, HE shows up!"
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On this the first Sunday after Easter (low Sunday as many call it, because attendance in most churches is down from last week) ... we can chuckle about "missing something" because you weren't there. No doubt we have experienced that ... being somewhere else when something wonderful happens.
Like Thomas ... in today's gospel:
That first Easter had been a VERY eventful Day:
There was the early morning visit to the tomb by the women,
- the discovery that the tomb was empty,
- their rush back to the disciples to report what they found, the RETURN trip to the tomb (Peter & John),
- that personal appearance to Mary (the first encounter with the risen Christ),
- the appearance on the Road to Emmaus,
- their report back to the others in Jerusalem,
- and finally . the evening appearance to the disciples
(which we read about this morning).
It was evening .... All those other things had happened, and the reports had come back to the disciples. There were also reports that the authorities were angry that the name Jesus was still being discussed .... and that stories of a resurrection were being spread about so freely.
The disciples were experiencing a mix of emotions ... confusion, hope, anxiety, nervousness, longing, love, ... and especially fear. They had seen firsthand what had been done to Jesus (which could easily have been done to them). And so they were still in hiding ... locked away in the same upper room where they had gathered three days before with him.
Suddenly he was there ... standing with them. It couldn't have been their imaginations ... because everyone in the room saw it. It wasn't a ghost because it took form, and spoke and even carried the same marks of the crucifixion. And he greeted them . and empowered them to carry on.
There were SO many encounters and appearances that day ... but Thomas was not there for any of them. He's been nicknamed "Doubting Thomas" --- but given the list I've just recited, he could easily be called "Absent". We are never told where he was, and it really doesn't matter. He may have been hiding elsewhere, or out trying to get on with his life, or any number of things . but the gospels never tell us, because it's not all that important.
What matters is that he wasn't there ----
But when he returned ... was greeted by happy, joyful, spirit-filled companions. The same people who (only a few hours earlier) had been quiet, fearful, desolate and lost, had undergone such a radical transformation ... he could hardly belief what he saw before his own eyes, let alone what they were asking him to believe.
The cause ... the cause of this transformation was that Jesus himself had come to them. He had proven to them that the rumours and sightings were true .... He was alive.
But Thomas could not believe all of this for himself ... he needed proof. He had to SEE for himself, before he could believe anything. And we can all relate to that .... Because we've heard that phrase countless times in our lives, maybe even said it ourselves ...
CAN YOU PROVE IT ??
Ours is a world in which it seems everything must be PROVEN. Whether it is something simple or something complex, ours is a world which demands proof. Maybe its because we've become so advanced as a society ~~ more educated than any generation before us ~~ that it is just part of our human nature to EXPECT that things can be proven.
In order to reach conclusions/prove thesis' Scientists usually demand multiple confirmations of the same piece of data.
In a court of law, you can usually hear three or four witnesses each giving the same testimony as to what they saw.
Money Managers look to proven money-makers, before setting up an investment portfolio.
Coaches in professional sports watch new prospects very closely (especially how they perform in pressure situations) before signing an athlete to a contract.
But not all things can be proven ... and to believe in THOSE things, takes faith.
Sometimes people take a chance on someone despite their track record. Or they have a "gut feeling" about a particular investment or proposal or person. To do so, is to take a leap of faith. Faith is a funny thing ... especially in this day and age. Believing in something that cannot be proven.
And to do that, to go against societies practice, and believe in something we cannot physically prove, can be very challenging ...
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You and I are far removed from Thomas and that second visit to the upper room. But we are still mentioned in this story. "All those who have not seen but have come to believe". That's us !!
We have not physically seen the resurrected Jesus, but we have seen what was accomplished by those who did see him. Their lives changed. They went out into the world (in his name) and carried on his ministry. They put their lives on the line every time they said they believed ... and refused to back down even when under severe torture and persecution .... Because they HAD seen, and knew for sure what had happened.
The lives of Thomas, and the disciples, and those early followers of Jesus, stand as our proof ... And while it may not be the kind of proof our world can accept ... it is enough for us. As is the thousands of years of history we have witnessed ... and all that has been accomplished in the name of our Risen Lord, and the promise of everlasting life.
... and knowing all of that, how can we do anything BUT believe.
