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Gospel: John 20: 19-31
On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But he said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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I’m sure we’ve all visited or seen pictures of Niagara Falls. Its beauty comes from the height and sheer volume of water rushing over its’ edge – some 700,000 gallons per second.
Over the centuries, people have attempted death-defying stunts, such as going over Niagara Falls locked inside a barrel.
One person even tried – unsuccessfully – to swim across.
Then there was the daredevil known as the “Great Blondin,” who crossed Niagara Falls on a highwire multiple times. In one of his attempts, he planned on pushing a wheelbarrow across, balancing on a wire only several inches thick.
Before starting his long and delicate journey, a voice cried out from the crowd, “You’ll never make it across! Goodbye!”
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But the “Great Blondin” confidently pushed the wheelbarrow from one end to the other, then turned around and made his way back.
“Now do you believe I can do it?” He said to the skeptic.
“Yes,” the man conceded. “Now I believe.”
“Do you believe I can do it again?” Blondin asked.
“Of course. A hundred times!”
“If you really believe,” he said, “then get into the wheelbarrow!”
***
How many of us would’ve gotten into that wheelbarrow?
(Few, if any).
That’s how the Apostle Thomas felt about placing his trust in the Risen Christ before Jesus appeared to him.
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side,” Thomas said, “I will not believe.”
Because of his skepticism, Thomas is often referred to as, “Doubting Thomas.”
But that nickname seems a bit unfair to me. It’s not that Thomas is unwilling to believe. He simply reminds us how hard it is to believe in the topsy-turvy, upside down, right side up reality of the resurrection.
Faith can be difficult for us today. But it was no different for the Apostles.
Thomas reminds them that Jesus was brutally murdered on Good Friday; there were nailmarks in his hands and a spear thrust into his side! Then he was laid in a tomb.
How can he be alive again?
Going from the horror of Good Friday to joy of Easter Sunday requires a giant leap of faith, which some of the Apostles make after seeing the Risen Lord. But Thomas wasn’t there when Jesus showed up; he was grieving alone.
By not appearing to Thomas in isolation, Jesus teaches the Apostles an important lesson: he will only reveal himself to the community of faith. They must gather together in order to see.
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Isn’t there a bit of “Doubting Thomas” within all of us?
It’s that skeptical, unbelieving voice that pokes at the soft spots of our faith.
“Thomas” shows up when our children ask us questions about God and we don’t how to answer them.
He shows up when someone we love suffers or when an important prayer seemingly goes unanswered.
That “Doubting Thomas” within haunts us when we standing at the graveside, weeping.
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John includes this story about Thomas right after the resurrection in order to give us permission to be Thomas – to doubt; to question; to ponder.
It’s why the Church gives us seven weeks – nearly fifty days – to celebrate the Easter season. Christ’s resurrection changes everything.
We need time to ponder this… and to shape our lives accordingly.
Perhaps this is why the earliest Christians referred to themselves as followers of, “The Way.” They remind us that belief is not a sprint; it’s a marathon.
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So, what has my journey of faith been like? Am I still hesitant to place my faith in Jesus like Thomas once was? Am I questioning? Doubting? Pondering?
Or have I come to know Jesus enough to say, in Thomas’ words, “My Lord and my God!”?
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“If you really believe, then get into the wheelbarrow.”
Lord, help us to do just that – to place ourselves entirely into your hands, as you lead us safely along the highwire of this life into the life to come.
For you are risen! Alleluia!
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Image credits: (1) The Incredulity of Saint Thomas, Caravaggio (2) Niagara Falls, Reader’s Digest (3) Ibid., Caravaggio