Blind Faith That Sees John 20: 19-31 Northminster Presbyterian Church Rev. Michael D. Kirby April 3, 2016

It is a few months ago…before all of that unpleasantness in Jerusalem. Jesus and the disciples are facing the prospect of returning to Judea for the healing of Lazarus…and no one is happy about it, because the folks there wanted to stone Jesus the last time they visited. Jesus decides to go. And then one of the disciples speaks up, speaking to their fears for Jesus—and themselves… "[L]et us go along with the Teacher, so that we may die with him!" This one at least was willing to go with Jesus to Jerusalem knowing full well that it just might cost him his own life.

And then there is that moment last week with the disciples, and the night when Jesus tells them that he's going away to prepare a place for them. "You know the way to the place where I am going," he says. But one of them asks, with an anxious voice, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; so how can we know the way?"

Given today’s reading, I imagine by now you’ve figured out that the disciple who rallies the troops, the disciple who is willing to face death with Jesus, the disciple who doesn’t understand but who wants to…is Thomas. Thomas is no coward. He isn’t afraid to ask questions when he doesn’t understand something. Thomas has faith…and wants more.

I wonder…was it the closeness he had developed to Jesus that emboldened him to ask questions…to seek to understand? Was it that same closeness that kept him away from the disciples that afternoon? We can certainly understand that, can’t we? The destruction of his hopes and dreams, the loss of his friend and teacher—it would just be too painful to sit around looking at the faces of

1 the other mourners. And so he misses out. He misses out on Jesus’ appearance and on what some have called John’s little Pentecost…

“Peace be with you.” He says… “As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And breathing grace he says “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven….” And then he shows them his wounds…and they are amazed.

But Jesus’ wounds aren’t the only ones in today’s story, for surely it is Thomas’ wounds that motivate his disbelief. After all, he’s seen Jesus’ miracles…He saw Lazarus raised. But now things have gone so wrong, the pain has been so great…it’s as though the darkness of the death of hope has blinded him to his prior faith…at least on this one day.

And we call it doubt…and we try to fix Thomas…or hold him up as a negative example…we use Jesus' admonition when he appears again against Thomas. But is that fair?

Perhaps the greatest preacher in American history, Harry Emerson Fosdick, once, on the Sunday after Easter a century ago, reminded his flock about the doubts of some folks they might remember…

There was the man who spoke of his “anger…and indignation…conceived against God, calling all [divine] promises into doubt.” And then there was the doubter who talked about the worst week of his life…”when Christ was wholly lost to me and I was shaken by desperation and …doubt….blasphemy against God.” Just in case you were wondering the first man was reformer John Knox—the father of Presbyterianism. The latter was the same man who wrote the words to “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”…the father of the Reformation….Martin Luther.

2 If these great leaders of our tradition can own up to their moments of blindness to faith…and can acknowledge that their blind faith eventually gave way to one that could see again…can’t we?

Frederick Beuchner says, "Whether your faith is that there is a God or that there is not a God, if you don’t have any doubts, you are either kidding yourself or asleep. Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving."

And Beuchner is talking about every day doubt, doubt that informs everyone’s faith…but what about doubt that injures faith? Experience tells us that it is particularly true that traumatic events like what Thomas had to go through can have a negative impact on faith…the unexpected family tragedy...the relationship that doesn't crumble, but explodes....the plans that go horribly wrong with life-altering consequences...any of these...all of these....can raise doubts…can blind us to faith for a time or for long and difficult times. And Thomas is not able to remove those blinders on his own…he needs the presence of Christ to lift them for him.

But Thomas is not totally passive while he struggles with his faith. Notice that he does come back to the disciples…he puts himself in the community…He makes himself available so that when Christ appears again—he is there…even though his faith has been shaken, even though he doubts…he shows up…he fakes it till he makes it…and is rewarded with the presence of Christ. And that presence of the Risen Christ is enough to lift the veil so that his blind faith might see again.

Did you notice what Thomas misses in Jesus’ return that first Easter night?…those special words of peace and grace? Hear them again…"Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you. Receive the Holy Spirit." It’s not simply a blessing is it?…It is a commissioning…a commissioning to continue the ministry of Christ that has been…even though he might not be

3 physically with them anymore. To continue a ministry that endures even to today in the church…at least we hope it does. How many times have we prayed for the Spirit to give us the strength and the wisdom to be the presence of Christ in the world today…to send us into those places where there is injustice, or where people are hungry or lonely, homeless or ill…to continue the healing work of Jesus…the forgiving work of the Messiah in all of those places and circumstances where those who suffer may also struggle with a faith that has been blindsided by life?

We know from our own experience that some who suffer don’t experience the sense of loss that overcomes Thomas...and their faith not only survives, but sometimes even grows after their suffering…even outside the visible presence of Christ---because they can feel and be confident of that presence within themselves…

But some of us still need to see it…some of us need to experience the presence of Christ…to witness it…to see it so that we can believe again or for the first time…

Perhaps our invitation this Second Sunday of Easter is to recognize that the Thomas’ of the world and the Thomas’ in the church need each of us…need to experience, to witness, to see the presence of Christ in their midst. The single mother who has been abused by the system, who struggles to find food for her children…the mentally ill man who wanders the street in confusion and fear…the gay couple who has been rejected by their families or their church…the thousands whose faith has been shattered by clergy sexual abuse. All of these and millions more have faith that has been blinded by tragedy and circumstance…

And we who can see even a glimpse of the risen Christ at work in our lives, our service, our church...we are called this day. Like the disciples that day, we receive the blessing of the Peace of Christ, the blessing of the inspiring breath

4 of the Holy Spirit and we are sent…sent in love and compassion by the same Risen Christ who was raised in love, in compassion, in hope and who today says to us…”Go and forgive…go and proclaim my forgiveness…go into a world where wounds are real and blinding doubt is real and be instruments of my grace…and let them see me in you.”

And may they…may they look at us…yes in the good works we do as a community...but also in our everyday living...in the kindness we show to the person ahead of us in the grocery line, the grace we show the harried man who cuts us off in traffic, the struggling neighbor we ask to go for coffee and a chat.....in short...in how we live, how we love, how we forgive…and may they see….and by the grace of God…may they encounter the risen Christ as well...catching a glimpse of the love and grace and hope that can change the world...one heart at a time….until that day when all the world can experience Christ’s transforming love and proclaim, like Thomas…”My Lord and My God”.

Oh, one more thing...that doubting Thomas whose faith we question? He's the first person in the New Testament to call Jesus God.

To God be the glory…now and forever.

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