Second Sunday of Easter

April 28, 2019

“Confessing Christ:  A Letter from St. Thomas”

St. John 20:19-31

Thomas has been stereo-typed and even demonized throughout the centuries as the one who doubts.  He is accused of doubting the very core of the Christian faith – the resurrection.  He is often maligned as the one who wants concrete proof of the resurrection.  “Doubting Thomas” has become an expression heaped upon skeptics and unbelievers.

St. John is the only Gospel that tells the story of doubting Thomas and in chapter 11 records these words of Thomas as Jesus headed back toward Jerusalem and the house of his friend – Lazarus.

“Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go that we might die with him.”

John does not put Thomas in the bad light and stereo-types that have emerged through the centuries, but views this as yet another encounter with Christ in which the person is indeed transformed.

In order for us to come to terms with this story let us imagine Thomas typing out a letter to us on his Apple Computer.  What would he write?

“Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Thank you for the opportunity to write this brief epistle.  I’ve wanted to do this for centuries in order to straighten out some misunderstandings about me.  I am known as ‘doubting Thomas.’  Year after this story is repeated on the Second Sunday of Easter. 

“Oh, there is doubting Thomas; you don’t want to be like him!” 

Excuse me, but I think you’ve missed the point if that is all you get out of this story and my encounter with Jesus.

First of all, let’s clear something up here and let me tell you why I was not with the disciples that first Sunday that Jesus appeared to them.  I was caught up in fear.  My fear was much more intense than Peter’s fear.  Peter, as you well know, denied our Lord. 

Why was my fear more intense?  Because I was known as ‘the Twin.’  Some suggest that I was called ‘Twin’ because I looked like Jesus. 

Imagine being Jesus’ look alike –after he was dead – the eerie fright that went to my bones led me to hide in an undisclosed location for days.  It wasn’t until I heard the rumor that the other disciples had seen the Lord that I came out of hiding.

I admit that I was indeed a skeptic, but not an unbeliever.  In fact, when Jesus headed toward Bethany, the suburb of Jerusalem to tend to his friend, Lazarus, I knew he was up to something and even suggested that we might have to die with him.

You know it is kind of ironic – people in your century have put all sorts of modern thoughts on what I did!  “Oh, Thomas is a modern man – doubting the resurrection as though it were some sort of myth!”

Well, nothing could be further from the truth.  Resurrection – bringing someone to life – was not the question. Why just the week before I had witnessed Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.  The prophet, Elijah, too had raised people from the dead.

If you read St. John’s story carefully you will see that I do not doubt that God can raise the dead.  I wanted to touch those scars.  Because if this crucified one – the one who we rejected – the Word made flesh as John begins his Gospel – if that Word made flesh is alive in the flesh with scars and all than we are in a new realm – a new thing has happened.

One of my favorite poets, Isaiah, put it this way:

I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.  Isaiah 43:19

He also spoke of the suffering servant:

Surely he has borne our infirmities
and carried our diseases;
yet we accounted him stricken,
struck down by God, and afflicted. 

But he was wounded for our transgressions,
crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the punishment that made us whole,
and by his bruises we are healed.  Isaiah 53:4-5

So skepticism was about this fleshy Jesus – the Word made flesh that John talks about – the one we can touch and see.

Could our crucified and scarred master be the One – be that new thing that God is doing for all people?  It was too good to be true and I questioned.

Now let’s talk about doubts and questions for a bit.  I know there is a young one out there today who is about to be confirmed and he, along with a lot of you may still have a lot of questions.  I am here to tell you that is good.

I love to wrestle with big questions.  I am not frightened by doubt, but energized when I sit and ponder in the midst of uncertainty.  ‘Doubt’ is the ‘ants in the pants’ of faith.

You know what scares me is people who have all the answers.  Those who are smug in their faith and never question may never grow in faith!

Look at the word question – you know what is in the word question?

Quest!  I was on a quest for Christ! 

There are so many unresolved things in life and even in our faith.  We need to learn to love questions. 

Be patient toward what is unsolved in your heart.  Faith is a lifelong quest – not for answers – but for a deeper relationship with God.

Faith is a verb – it is active and alive.  Faith is not a matter of giving a nodding ‘ok’ to a list of propositions about God.

No!  Faith is a relationship in which Christ abides in you and you abide in Christ.  I came to know that Jesus is alive in me – why that very day he appeared to me – he breathed on us – his disciples – he breathed on us and sent the Holy Spirit into our hearts – a powerful new breath alive with enthusiasm and energy to serve.

 That fleshy Jesus became flesh of my flesh and heart of my heart.  On that day he touched me and I touched him!  No doubt it took a bout with doubt to come to that confession:  “My Lord, and My God!”

Now don’t think I am trying to whitewash my skepticism.  No!  I was famously absent, stubborn, contrary, outspoken, demanding proof.  Yet, I was the first of the disciples to take the plunge of faith and speak the ultimate confession:  “My Lord, and My God!”

That is a confession that you make every Sunday.

Confessing Christ – what does that mean for you all?

You might recall how St. John records my word in his Gospel.  During Jesus’ talk before the Last Supper, I raised this question: ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going, how can we know the way?’

And Jesus answered:  “I am the way, the truth, and the life…” [St. John 14:5]

The ‘Way.’  People of the 21^st Century forget that Christianity is really a movement.  In fact, we were first known as people of ‘The Way.’  In other words confessing Christ means following a way – a particular path through life – a movement of a community of faith – not bound by buildings or place.  People of the Way are people who are compelled to love and live in the way of Christ.

That path is a way of love, forgiveness, compassion, and service to others.  It is a way that involves selfless giving and even sacrifice. 

Those who confess Christ as “Lord and God” follow a way that strives for justice and peace in all the earth.

Christ’s way is not neutral and simply nice.  But the way of Christ is a way that stands in solidarity with least of these.  It is a way that is willing to take a stand against injustice. 

And that certainly can get you into trouble!

I took that ‘way’ to India and am known as the apostle that brought the Christian faith to that region.

Christ is risen to bring new life right now. You have his fleshy presence in the bread and wine you share each Sunday – the body and blood of Christ.  The risen Christ is present now – touching you, breathing the Spirit in you, abiding in you.

I hope this brief correspondence will help you as you, too confess Christ and follow his way.

Yours in his name,

St. Thomas:  Christ Confessor” 

Amen

Written by Rev. Kenn Storck

May be used with permission

kennstorck@gmail.com