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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.
***
***
Many of you have visited – or at least seen pictures of – Niagara Falls. The beauty of the falls comes from the height and sheer volume of water that rushes over – some 700,000 gallons per second.
Over the centuries, people have attempted death-defying stunts, such as going over the falls locked inside a barrel.
One person even tried – unsuccessfully – to swim across them.
Then there was the daredevil known as the “Great Blondin,” who crossed the falls on a highwire multiple times.
In one of his attempts, he planned on pushing a wheelbarrow across the falls, 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! Goodbye!”
But the “Great Blondin” confidently pushed the wheelbarrow from one end of the falls 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,” Blondin said, “then get into the wheelbarrow!”
***
Like the skeptic bystander, Thomas refuses to believe that Jesus is raised from the dead.
“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,” he says.
For his lack of faith, Thomas is often referred to as, “Doubting Thomas.”
But that harsh nickname seems a bit unfair to me. It isn’t that Thomas is unwilling to believe; he just has more questions; he’s skeptical; he needs his own proof. Thomas is soul searching.
He reminds us just how hard it can be to grasp the truth of the resurrection.
***
Isn’t there at least a bit of a “Doubting Thomas” within all of us?
It’s that skeptical unbelieving voice within that pokes at the soft spots of our faith.
Thomas shows up when our children ask us a question about God and we don’t how to respond. He shows up when we’re standing at the graveside of a loved one, weeping.
Our inner Thomas shows up when we’re faced with temptation, an uncertain future, or when an important prayer goes unanswered.
And, Thomas shows up when we hear those words within, “If you really believe, then get into the wheelbarrow.”
***
***
It’s no coincidence that John includes this story about Doubting Thomas right after Jesus rises from the dead. John gives us permission to be like Thomas.
To doubt; to question; to ponder; to search our souls.
It can be hard to believe in the goodness of God – and the truth of his resurrection from the dead – when we’re faced with a constant barrage of sickness, violence, and death.
Belief is meant to be a journey.
Perhaps this is why the earliest Christians referred to themselves as followers of “The Way.” The seed is planted when someone tells us about the empty tomb. Then that seed needs time to grow and take root within us.
Faith needs to be nourished, even tested, before it becomes the solid foundation of our lives.
Like Thomas, it’s important to ask ourselves why we believe, and to question our faith, but always with a heart seeking the Truth; a heart open to Christ.
***
This is why the Church gives us seven weeks – nearly fifty days – to celebrate the Easter season.
In some Christian churches, Easter is celebrated only on one single Sunday.
While we ponder the miracle of the resurrection, they move on to other stories in the Gospels.
But it takes time to develop a resurrection faith, to journey along “The Way,” to become a community that believes in the life-shattering truth that Jesus Christ has overcome death, that he rose from the dead.
And so shall we.
***
It’s the most important truth we’ll ever learn, which is why we take it so seriously and ponder it slowly.
So, what is my faith in Jesus like? Am I soul searching like Thomas? Have I stalled in a stage of doubt? Or have I reached a point where Jesus is, “My Lord and my God!”?
You might ask, am I staring at the wheelbarrow wondering whether or not I should get in? Or am I seated in it, having embarked on the journey of faith?
***
Some believe in God, much like they believe that a stunt man can walk across Niagara Falls.
Christians get into the wheelbarrow.
We believe in a God who loves us. Who wants what’s best for us. Who’s leading us across Niagara Falls, as it were, into the safety of his kingdom, where he lives and reigns forever. Amen.
***
