Journey to Sunday - 2nd Sunday of Easter – April 12th - Reflection by Jeff Koch
Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 118; 1 Peter:3-9; John 20:19-31
Like newborn infants, you must long for the pure, spiritual milk, that in him you may grow to salvation, Alleluia”
As Jesus was on the cross, he had several words. The one that stands out for me this year is, “it is finished!” What was finished? Depending on which theologian you listen to, that can mean different things: the Law has been fulfilled and set aside, the ministry on earth has ended and it is time to go to the Father, or I have accomplished all the Father has send me to do. What did the Father send him to do? Let the world know what the Father God is really like, to remove the obstacles and begin to return humanity to the “very good” of creation that we were intended to live in, to enter death and defeat death and pay the ransom to death for humanity’s sin, to take into himself the sin of the world and pronounce forgiveness; another famous word from the cross. YES! All these things he has finished and taken care of for us. Halleluia!
What next? So many things, but I want to focus on one. His conversation with Thomas. Briefly, Jesus appeared to all the disciples the week before: He spoke peace to them, showed them His hands and side and spent some time with them, but Thomas wasn’t there. During the next week they all told Thomas of the stories. He said, I just won’t believe until I can put my finger in the nails scars in his hands and thrust my hand into his side. So, when Jesus came to them again on the first day of the next week, I believe he walked up to Thomas and said, “peace be with you,” and held out his hands to see and showed him his side. He said something interesting, Thomas, do not be unbelieving, but be believing. At this, we don’t read that He reached out and touched them, he just bowed down and said, “My Lord and my God!”
“Don’t be unbelieving but be believing!” I don’t think that he was condemning Thomas for his questions and doubts, he was simply saying don’t continue in the unbelieving doubt. Here, if you need to see me, look and believe. He wanted Thomas to not go through his life wondering, did he really rise from the dead? Those kinds of questions can styme our walk in following Jesus. Thomas, I want you to live in “believing.” I want you to lay this to doubt to rest and begin the work I have for you to do. Jesus is not condemning Thomas for questioning but warns him about the possibility of continuing in a state of unbelief. The call to “be believing” is a shift from skepticism to trust — from needing proof to trusting in God’s word and presence. There is nothing wrong with wanting to have a tangible encounter with Jesus to strengthen your faith and grow in your relationship with God and walk with Jesus. How can we do that? From the “be believing,” even if we haven’t seen His resurrection, we devote ourselves to the life that he has established us in. From the faith we have, we step into the life Jesus has provided for us, and we can know his presence. This is where the ‘blessing’ comes in. Peter says it this way, “According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead . . . Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” To grow in “the” faith is to bring into our lives those things he won and achieved for us and brings to our lives. Another way to say this is to participate in the life of Jesus, the resurrected Christ. As the early church, they devoted themselves to “the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Acts 2:42) To be active in the life of the church as we hear the apostles doctrine, we are faithful to the fellowship of our brothers and sisters in Christ, we gather at the Eucharist and sit at the table with Jesus, and we devote ourselves to the prayers, the prayer that we have been given. This life will put us into a position to resolve our doubts, to grow in our life with Jesus, and we will see him and his work manifested in our lives. As we do, we will see and know and be believing.
How did Thomas do? Just ask Christians that live in India; the Thomasine church or St. Thomas Christians that trace their faith to the ministry of Thomas. He established churches and mission outreaches. His work in India? He preached the gospel to Hindus and Jews, engaged in respectful dialogue, he healed the sick and raised the dead, he was able to share to good news within the cultures of that region in a distinctly Christian way. That Indian church has survived nearly two millennia. So, did he continue believing? Yep!
I can’t help but wonder what the life of the world would be like if we continued to devote ourselves to the things of God and stood in our believing in a way that impacts the world around us in the way Thomas was believing. No condemnation, just encourage us "to be believing!
God of everlasting mercy, who in the very recurrence of the paschal feast kindle the faith of the people you have made your own, increase, we pray, the grace you have bestowed, that all may grasp and rightly understand in what font they have been washed, by whose Spirit they have been reborn, by whose blood they have been redeemed. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.