Hopeful Thomas

A sermon based on John 20:19-31

In the name of Jesus; amen.

The famous preacher, Franklin Fry, once said, “I am 49% atheist.” (Or so I’ve heard.)

I find it a remarkable thing to only be 49% atheist because there are days that all I can do is cling to the one percent of me that still wants to believe. Those moments of doubt strike at weird times and at sensible times; they strike when I least expect them and when I am fully prepared for them, but they strike none the less.

Today’s gospel reading is an important story for the life of every Christian believer. It comes in 3rd right behind Christmas and Easter and in 4th place if you want to add Good Friday to the list. It’s an important story because it talks about disbelief, doubt and uncertainty and most Christians, even the most firm believers, struggle with those things from time to time.

John tells us that at least 10 of his followers were huddled together in a room and they were afraid. The events of two days before haunted them despite what Mary Magdalene had said, despite the fact that Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved had witnessed the empty tomb that very morning. Their lives were in danger and they had seen first hand what the consequences of capture and arrest would be.

Then Jesus comes, stands there in the room with them and says, “Peace be with you” and everything changes. They forget their fear, start to rejoice, Jesus fills them with the Holy Spirit and disappears.

Then Thomas shows up.

Now it was reasonable for Thomas to doubt. All the other disciples had doubted until Jesus showed up in that room that night. They had not believed when they had been told by Mary that she had seen the resurrected Jesus. Even Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved were skeptical when they had seen the empty tomb, all they knew for certain was that his body was now gone.

It was reasonable for Thomas to want some proof. Mary had gotten proof and so had Peter and the others. Jesus had appeared to Mary called her by name and then she believed. Jesus had come and stood in the room where the disciples were hiding and had shown them his hands and feet and the wounds that were there.

It was reasonable for Thomas to react just the way he did. It’s a crazy story and even if Thomas weren’t the most practical or the most skeptical of the disciples it would have been hard to believe. Even if he had been the most open-minded, the most faithful of the disciples it would have been hard not to doubt.

And for a week he must have struggled as his friends told and retold the story of what happened when he wasn’t there. It must have burned. It must have eaten him up inside. Either they were all crazy or he had missed it. Either they were playing a sick joke on him or Jesus hadn’t thought he was important enough for a personal appearance.

All week he continued to live in Good Friday’s shadow. Whether he wanted to believe what the others said or not he hadn’t been a part of what had taken place that night in that room; he hadn’t seen what they had seen.

Ever wonder why Jesus chose then to appear? Wouldn’t he have known the Thomas wasn’t in the room? Do you think he did it on purpose? Because I think he did. I think Jesus purposefully waited until Thomas wasn’t in the room that night. I think he timed it until he knew that Thomas wouldn’t be there because at best all of us are 49% atheists.

At best all of us doubt sometimes. At best we live in the shadow of Good Friday and there are days that shadow lets in very little light.

The story of Thomas is our story. We weren’t in the room that night and there are plenty of reasons to doubt the validity of the claim the others made. There are a million and one reasons to not believe 2,000 years later to add to the greatest reason Thomas had: he had seen Jesus dead!

And yet, Thomas finds himself back in that room. A week goes by and he is there with the others, the same ones who told him this crazy story of seeing his friend resurrected.

And that’s the key. As easy as it might be to doubt it’s just as easy to give up and walk away, but Thomas didn’t. He was still there a week later.

When you doubt, and you will… don’t walk away… don’t give up. We call him doubting Thomas, but we should call him hopeful Thomas because even in his doubt and unbelief he continued to hope that the story he had been told was true.

And it is true. Believe it or not. Jesus died and then was raised. And Jesus will come to you, even if you have locked the doors, even if you doubt. Jesus will offer you peace that shines light into our Good Friday world. It happens.

Do not let go of hope when you doubt, but continue to gather with the community of faith, continue to pray, continue to question, the peace of Christ will come to you.

It did for hopeful Thomas.

Amen.