|
The very foundation of our faith, the resurrection of
Jesus, is sometimes difficult for us to fully grasp.
Skeptics often agree with Jesus’ ethical and social
teachings to care for the poor and treat others like you
would want to be treated. However, when it comes to the
resurrection of Jesus, there is some hesitancy on our
parts. We acknowledge the resurrection as a mystery yet
we live in a world that does not appreciate mysteries.
We are accustomed to proof, diagnostic tests, as well as
the opinions of leading scientists. Without the
resurrection of Jesus Christ our faith is empty and
hollow.
“As a new
believer, I had a fragile faith,” admits Linda. “I
pretended a confidence I often didn’t feel because I
thought asking questions or admitting doubts indicated
unbelief.” As Linda grew in her faith she realized that
searching the scriptures and talking honestly with other
Christians was a way of building and strengthening her
faith. In asking questions she discovers that other
people had the same questions but were unable to ask
them. “I found that others often shared my questions,”
Linda explains, “and we could together seek answers.”
Linda knows
there’s nothing wrong with asking questions and
admitting our doubts, “I rejoice when I hear people
voicing their questions,” she says, “I recognize the
depth of thought they are giving to their faith and the
growth that will result.”
Someone once
said, “A faith without doubt is a dead faith.” It’s
natural to have questions or even doubts. Often in
thinking about what we might not understand we grow and
stretch in ways we never thought possible. We come to
new understandings and grow in our faith.
The
followers of Jesus would have to do some stretching as a
result of Easter. Our gospel lesson opens on Easter
evening. Suddenly, unexpectedly, the risen Lord Jesus
stood in the midst of the believers. “Peace be with
you,” he told his troubled followers. How like Jesus,
when his followers have the greatest need he appears in
their midst. Jesus showed them his wounded hands and
pierced side. It was at that moment that the disciples
believed that Jesus had risen from the grace and was
standing before them. For a second time Jesus told his
spell bound friends, “Peace be with you.” There was no
need for them to live in constant fear; even at the most
difficult times in their lives they could take comfort
knowing that Jesus would be present with them. They
would carry this sense of peace with them the rest of
their lives. Peace was given to the community of
believers who would experience the world’s hatred and
persecution. Jesus would be with them in the most
difficult times. The same is true for us as well.
Along with
this new understanding of faith came responsibility.
Jesus commissioned them, “As the Father has sent me, so
I send you.” The work Jesus began would continue with
the apostles. Having seen the risen Lord the disciples
became apostles. Next Jesus breathed on them the Holy
Spirit. With the Holy Spirit in their lives they would
be both empowered and sustained in their faith
endeavors. They had work to do in telling others about
Jesus, just as we do today.
We are
Christians in the making, always growing and stretching
in our faith. The founder of Methodism, John Wesley,
called this Perfection. The believer never stops
growing in our faith. According to Wesley we reach
perfection in our last breath upon this earth.
Dr. E.
Stanley Jones, the renowned missionary evangelist who
served a lifetime in India, was in his 83rd year when he
wrote what he called his spiritual autobiography
entitled, “Songs of Ascents.” In the introduction he
explained why he chose the title:
“In this
autobiography I will sing my song of the pilgrimage I am
making from what I was to what God is making of me. I
say ‘what God is making of me,’ for the best that I can
say about myself is that I’m a
‘Christian-in-the-making.’ Not yet ‘made,’ but only in
the making at 83. And I’m glad I am not ‘made’ for
there are joy and anticipation in ‘being made.’ A great
philosopher said, ‘If I held Truth captive in my hand, I
would let it go, that I might pursue it again.’ So
would I. And a young convert to the faith told me, “I
like the person I’m becoming.” That says how I also
feel for the becoming is part of the joy I feel.”
At 83 this
witness for Christ was still exploring, growing,
learning, raising questions, acknowledging the mystery
of life with gratitude and wonder for God, and
responding to God’s call in Jesus Christ.
The apostles
saw the risen Lord Jesus and they believed. Thomas for
some unknown reason was not present with the others that
evening. While others felt the support of being
together Thomas wanted to be left alone in his grief.
When Thomas caught up with the others they told him, “We
have seen the Lord.” It was not as though Thomas did
not believe his friends but what they told him was too
good to be true. Thomas was a realist who did not
believe in fairy tales. Thomas told his friends,
“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.” We have to admire
Thomas for refusing to be talked out of his pain too
easily. Thomas was honest with his feelings. It took
some courage to tell his friends that he did not believe
what they told him. The issue would not be quickly
resolved either; a whole week would go by.
Notice
something important, during the week Thomas continued to
meet with his friends. Just because he did not believe
what his friends told him did not mean he was excluded
from the fellowship. Just because someone does not
believe the same as we do does not mean we should
exclude them from our fellowship. It is among other
believers that we ask our questions, state our doubts or
misgivings, grow and stretch in our faith. The others
did not treat Thomas any differently either. He was not
treated with hard feelings by the others. A week later
they gathered still behind shut doors when Jesus again
stood among them. This time Thomas was present. This
time Thomas saw Jesus with his own eyes. Jesus knows
what is on our hearts, and what we feel. He knew that
Thomas was struggling with his faith; Jesus knew what he
was feeling.
After again
saying, “Peace be with you.” Jesus went over to Thomas
and instructed him in a loving, non-judgmental manner,
“Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your
hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.”
Jesus met the conditions that Thomas set for his
belief. The gospel writer, John, does not state what
happened next. Did Thomas actually touch Jesus’ hand
and side? I would like to think that he did not.
Thomas looking into the eyes of the risen Lord exclaimed
those words of confession, “My Lord and my God!” Thomas
believed. All his doubts and misgivings were answered
once and for all. Faith did not come easily for Thomas
but once he had it his faith would carry him to new
heights and new places. There would be no stopping
Thomas, he would travel to India preaching the good news
of Jesus Christ.
Jesus said
to Thomas, “Have you believed because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to
believe.” When Jesus said those words he was speaking
to future generations including each one of us. We have
heard the expression, “seeing is believing” which we
need to turn around, “believing is the way to seeing and
knowing in matters of faith.” Persons come to faith
through different routes; some come to faith simply by
hearing. We hear the stories of Jesus, we have persons
first hand experiences, and we listen, believe and come
to faith. For other people they need to experience
something before they are ready to claim the faith.
Sometimes what turns people around is a crisis in their
life, not that God causes bad things to happen to
anyone, but through those experiences they realize their
need for Jesus. Some come to faith through being
surrounded by other believers.
John
concludes chapter twenty with these words, “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.”
Until Marcus
was in his mid- thirties, he viewed the Christian life
as being primary about believing. “Like many of us,” he
explains, “as a child I had no problem with belief.”
Then as a teenager and young adult he struggled with his
faith and what he believed. This period of doubt he
admits lasted over twenty years. “All through this
period I continued to think that believing was what the
Christian life was all about,” he says. No matter how
hard he tried, he was unable to get past that notion,
and began wondering how others could.
Then came a
new insight, well into his thirties he realized that the
central issue of faith is not believing in God or
believing in the Bible or believing in the Christian
tradition. “Rather,” Marcus asserts, “the Christian
life is about entering into a relationship with that to
which the Christian tradition points, which may be
spoken of as God, the risen living Christ, or the
Spirit.” According to his new insight faith is
primarily about our relationship to God and the living
Christ.
“My own
journey has led beyond belief to an understanding of the
Christian life was a relationship to the Spirit of God,”
Marcus explains, “a relationship that involves one in a
journey of transformation.”
We move from
doubt, which we have seen is often healthy, to faith and
from faith to a relationship with the living Lord
Jesus.
Amen.
|
