Easter 2: not just the story of 'doubting' Thomas...

 John 20:19-31

You might think that the story of doubting Thomas is not a very good choice for a church anniversary. Don’t we want to celebrate the sure foundations on which this chapel was built? Don’t we want to talk about faith and certainty and vision and hope for the future? It’s hard to think there would be a chapel here now if everyone then had based their lives and their actions on doubt!

 

But this is not actually a story about doubt at all: in fact the word ‘doubt’ only appears once in this story, when Jesus says to Thomas ‘do not doubt’.

Meanwhile the word ‘believe’ is used six times.

This is a story about believing.

 

Having missed out on the appearance of the risen Jesus to the disciples, Thomas is clear that he needs to see for himself in order to believe that Jesus is risen – he rather  gruesomely states that he wants to feel for himself the wounds Jesus suffered at the end of his life:

 

"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."

 

Thomas cannot believe that the person the disciples have seen is really Jesus – he thinks that only by seeing and feeling the wounds will it be proved to him – only then will he be able to believe.

 

Yet when Thomas then sees Jesus and hears for himself the words “Peace be with you”, he does not need to take up Jesus’ offer of touching his wounds, or placing his hands in Jesus’ side – he can believe and says “My Lord and My God”. Believing Thomas is now born.

 

This isn’t a story about doubt – it’s about faith.

 

So instead of the story of Doubting Thomas we have the story of Believing Thomas.  

But it isn’t really a story about Thomas, at all, as the next words of Jesus make clear

 

"Have you believed because you have seen me?

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."

 

This is really a story about every one of the followers of Jesus who come after Thomas: everyone who does not meet the risen Jesus as the eleven do, and yet who believes in Jesus, the Son of God -  the one raised by God the Father to be with all his followers, always.

 

And John, in his gospel, makes it clear that he is not telling us this story so that we can be judgemental of doubting Thomas, or admiring of believing Thomas, but so that we will believe.

 

'Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book.

But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.'

 

This story of the risen Jesus and his disciples is written for our sake, so that we might be believers, followers of the risen Jesus Christ, recipients of the new life which is shown in Christ’s resurrection and promised to all who follow him.

 

The heroes of this story are all those people who were not there in that locked room 2000 or so years ago, but who heard the story, believed the good news, and gave their lives to follow Jesus.

The heroes of this story are those who gathered here in Wolfsdale to worship together.

The heroes of this story are those who gave money and skills to build and re-build this chapel.

The heroes of this story are all those who have worshipped and witnessed here through the years.

The heroes of this story are us – who now count ourselves among those who follow Jesus here and now.

The risen Jesus says to all of us “Blessed are you who have come to believe”.

 

So maybe this is not such a strange story to read at a Chapel anniversary.

 

But there is more to hear and to know if we are to follow Christ faithfully in the here and now.

 

We could read more parts of John’s gospel – where we will hear Jesus describe himself as the Good Shepherd who cares for the sheep.

We may not see the risen Jesus as those first disciples did, but we are not left alone – we have the presence of the risen Good Shepherd to guide us in our ways.

 

Just before Easter I took communion to one of our church members who is housebound. She struggled to lift the communion cup, as her hands are so arthritic;

but when I asked how she was, she gave her usual cheery smile and said ‘Pretty good, thank you’.

She cannot easily leave the house, and yet knows what it means to walk with Jesus Christ. I asked if she had a favourite hymn we could sing today for the anniversary, and she chose “The Lord’s my shepherd” (which is why we sang it earlier). “I know people sing it at funerals” she said “but I think it’s a good hymn for every day”.

And so it is.

 

And it’s a great hymn for a chapel anniversary – as we celebrate all those who have gone before us, all those in whose steps we walk – but remember that we are all guided and guarded by the Lord who is our shepherd.

 

This week has been dominated by the story of a faithful pilgrim who has come to the end of his journey in this world – Pope Francis. In all the words that have been written or spoken about his life, the story which made most impact on me was probably the simplest.

 

When Jorge Bergoglio was young, it is said that his grandmother taught him a seven word prayer that sustained him through his 88 years, including his 12 years as Pope.

The prayer is this

“Jesus, make my heart more like yours”.

 

If we wish Jesus, the risen Lord and Good Shepherd, to guide us as a church into the future here in Wolfsdale, to increase our faith and our faithfulness, we could make this our prayer, too.

“Jesus, make our hearts more like yours”.

 

To God’s greater glory.

Amen.