1st Peter 1: 3-9 (Common English Bible)
John 20: 19-31 (Good News Translation)
In the 1990s TV series, “The X-Files,” Agent Fox Mulder was an investigator of the paranormal. In his office, from the first episode until the series’ finale, there was a poster in his office of a UFO and words with it saying, “I want to believe.” This poster gave an insight to Agent Mulder’s character. He wanted to believe. By contrast his partner, Dana Sculley, was the voice of reasoned skepticism. They were both a mixture of faith, doubt and skepticism.
This Sunday’s gospel reading is about Thomas, called the doubter, who also shows some skepticism. Yet Thomas’ doubts does not resemble Agent Sculley’s skepticism, but leans towards Agent Mulder’s desire to believe. Thomas is someone who wants to believe against the evidence that dead people by their own power can rise from the dead.
But the modern meaning of “believe” is very different from its meaning in early Christianity until the 17th century. In English, before the 1600s, the verb “believe” always had a person as its direct object, and not a statement. It did not mean that a statement was necessarily true. Instead it meant, “I believe in you.”
The meaning of “believe” comes from the Old English Saxon word, “beloef,” which meant “to hold dear.” You might detect a similarity to the modern English word, “belove.” Until around 1600 when Modern English became the norm, to “believe” in God and Jesus meant to “belove” God and Jesus. A very rough example of this might be when adults say they “belove” the stories of Santa Claus delivering gifts to their children. In Old English it would be interpreted as they “believe” in the stories of Santa Claus. Now before you jump out of your seats, I’m not comparing God or Jesus to Santa Claus. But I do have a 10 year old granddaughter who still believes in Santa Claus and I would be the last person on earth to break her precious belief.
The theologian Paul Tillich once wrote, “Doubt is not the opposite of faith, it is one element of faith.” We need to take that advice and communicate the essentials of faith to others. One positive way of communicating is letting people know that God is Love. And God is known best through Jesus Christ and his teachings. But faith is best understood as a relationship based on trust. The Jewish philosopher, Martin Buber, wrote in his 1923 book, this relationship as an “I - Thou” relationship. Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, said the best way to read the Bible was as a lover who has received a letter from his beloved.
So when we enter this Second Sunday of Easter, what do we see? Churches are definitely not as full as they were last Sunday. The world hasn’t changed anymore than it did after the first Easter. And there are not many “week after” stories in the gospels. Mark ends his gospel abruptly with the empty tomb. Matthew adds a few lines to his story about Jesus appearing to his disciples in Galilee, commissioning them to spread the good news. And Luke tells a beloved story about a stranger meeting two disciples on the road to Emmaus. And when the stranger disappears, the disciples finally recognize he was the Christ. Only John’s gospel lingers on to what it is like being a disciple after Christ has Risen.
But what does this promise us today? I believe in an existence after death, but the resurrection still remains a mystery to me. I cannot explain the total meaning of the death and resurrection of Jesus. But I believe in it. The resurrections stories that conclude the four gospels, testify to how people came to the Jesus faith in different ways.
The beloved disciple called John, has faith when sees the empty tomb, but he is not clear what he believes. Mary Magdalene believes when Jesus speaks her name at the tomb, but her testimony is not accepted because Mary is a woman. Yes, misogyny was even worse in the 1st century than it is today. Only when the disciples encountered the Risen Christ in the Upper Room did they fully believe and understand.
Even today, people come to faith in different ways. There are not two classes of Christians. I was always bothered by the term “born again Christian.’’ You accept the Jesus faith once and unless you later reject the faith, you’re as justified as any Christian who claims to be “born again.” I’m sure the disciples including Thomas felt the same way. Thomas had heard Jesus’ best sermons. He probably knew Jesus so well, he knew how many miles his Teacher could walk in one day. And no doubt, Thomas probably knew what Jesus liked to eat for supper, no doubt, fish. Thomas witnessed the healings of Jesus and his greatest miracle, the raising of Lazarus from the tomb. And later, Thomas grieved with the other disciples after the crucifixion of his Lord. Thomas was torn between doubt and belief when the other disciples told him that Jesus had risen from death.
Then one week later, Thomas gets his chance in the Upper Room. Jesus appears and invites Thomas to examine his wounds. There is no altar call for Thomas. Instead, Thomas makes the boldest statement within the New Testament, “My Lord and my God!” shouts the once doubting Thomas.
Jesus had returned to promise not only to the disciples, but everyone the promise of the resurrection. The forces of darkness and death will not have the last say. Jesus comes to reconcile humankind and us as an instrument of peace and justice by breaking the chains of oppression and fear. You can meet Christ not only in Scripture and the Sacraments, but everywhere. From the depths of your own heart to any location throughout the Universe.
As Peter wrote in his first epistle about the trials his first readers were facing, we should be grateful Christians in America are not being persecuted. But there are many places in the world where Christians are facing trials for their faith. As a matter of fact, we should advocate for justice for anyone of any faith that is facing persecution.
In our own history, white Christians have persecuted Black Christians. Black churches were burnt down and their leaders lynched by the hundreds, maybe thousands. Those facing persecution would sing religious hymns to sustain their hopes and faith. One of my favorites was “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” which had a duo meaning that gave the slaves hope for liberation and later Heaven.
The gospels were never meant to give a full account of Jesus’ life. John makes that clear in chapter 20, verse 30, when the disciple wrote “Jesus performed many miracles which are not written in my book.” Only Matthew and Luke mention Jesus’ birth. Only Luke mentions a 12 year old Jesus in the Temple. Everything is blank after that until Jesus begins his ministry. I’m assuming there was nothing important to say about Jesus during those missing years. The gospels were not written as biographies, but written to show Jesus as teacher, Savior and Lord.
But what happened to Thomas, the one who had doubts? Legend has it that Thomas took the good news to India, the most distant land than any of the first disciples ever went to spread the message of Jesus. And there are several Christian churches in India which claim they were founded by Thomas. I want to believe this story because I belove it.
So take a breath, be faithful, during the week after Easter and all the weeks to follow. As it says in John’s gospel in the words of Jesus, “How happy will be those who believe without seeing me.”
The Lord has Risen. The Lord has Risen indeed!
AMEN
