A Poem a Sunday

Easter II – B

April 8, 2018

 St. John 20:19-31 - NRSV

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors

of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Jesus and Thomas

24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin[a]), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “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.”

26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

The Purpose of This Book

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may come to believe[b] that Jesus is the Messiah,[c] the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Footnotes:

1. John 20:24 Gk Didymus
2. John 20:31 Other ancient authorities read may continue to believe
3. John 20:31 Or the Christ

 A Poem a Sunday

Easter II – B

Twin

Fraternal or identical –

who is his twin?

Thomas, it is rumored,

looked like Jesus –

was twin to Jesus.

Imagine being

Jesus’ twin.

Identical or fraternal?

Identical!

No wonder he hid.

No wonder he cried

and sighed and denied

belief.

For all he had to do

was look into something shining,

a Roman shield,

and view not just

his own face

but the visage

of the Crucified One.

"...risen? Hmm!  Indeed!

How frightening…

breath,

heartbeat,

tastes."

Not a mere likeness,

but identity.

So Thomas, the Twin,

hid.

And what about us –

are we not

a twin of Christ?

Dare we carry

more than his likeness

but rather Divine DNA:

the Body of Christ?

Are we not

to be Christ’s twin:

the Body of Christ

broken for the world;

our lives poured out

like rich wine?

Copyright @2018 by Kenn Storck

May be used with permission

kennstorck@gmail.com