2 Easter/Year C

April 24, 2022

Today’s gospel reading is a continuation of the Easter Resurrection story that we heard last Sunday from the Gospel of John. The reading ended with Mary Magdalene announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord".

The story continues today with the disciples and their evening encounter with Jesus, and their telling Thomas (who was not with them at the time),“We have seen the Lord”.

Thomas doesn’t believe them at first…because he didn’t see Jesus for himself as we heard him respond in today’s reading, "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."

Today’s story is often referred to as the Doubting Thomas story…and every year…I always wonder why Thomas gets this special title…There are so many other references in the scriptures that point out other people’s doubts…including the disciples who eventually proclaim in the gospel of John today… “We have seen the Lord”.

Just yesterday, the gospel reading from Mark for the Saturday in Easter Week, gave us this look into some moments of doubt and disbelief in others’ first reports of their encounter with the risen Jesus…

Listen to these words from Mark (16: 9-14) - After Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.

After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table; and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.

Hmmmm…So, this year…as we just finished listening to the story about the disciples and Thomas’ encounter with Jesus….I’m wondering what keeps us from believing something new the first time it is told to us…In the Mark reading, Jesus comes right out and mentions their lack of faith and stubbornness…But, I wonder what else gets in the way of us daring to believe that something new is possible… especially as one strives to make sense of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead…and especially as we wonder what this ancient story about Jesus’ resurrection means for us, today…in 2022…

I can think of a few things that cause us to close our eyes, and our ears, and hearts and our minds to believe something new…grief, suffering, loss upon loss, worry, uncertainty, illness, betrayal, change and more change and more change…loss of all that was familiar…loss of control of what we’ve always known and believed…we get used to being let down…and our hearts become numb to imagine anything new and hopeful…The pandemic and social unrest the past few years, has surely brought all of this to the surface.

So, here’s the thing, the Good News that stands out for me today…It is exactly into those moments of heartache and uncertainty and disbelief, that Jesus shows up with a Word that draw us to him… “Peace be with you” and with a love so astounding, that it contains all the promise, and the power to change the trajectory of our path of despair and doubt to open a way for us to come to believe…to come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing we may have life in his name…New life, new joys, new dreams, new hopes…

My thoughts turn back to Thomas…as he can hardly contain his joy, when Jesus shows up again with a Word to draw him in, “Peace be with you” and an astounding Love and presence that compels Thomas to move from doubt to belief as he excitedly proclaims when he recognizes Jesus - “My Lord and my God!"

It took Thomas and the others awhile to come to believe…and I imagine there were many times that they wrestled with doubt in difficult times…We might not fully believe or grasp this good news either on the 1st or 2nd or 3rd time or 100th time! And we may wrestle with our faith and doubts, too. It takes practice and prayer and encouragement and persistent love and patience with ourselves and one another…as we strive to believe and come to believe throughout all the changes and experiences in our lifetimes…that Jesus is indeed the One…the One whose death and resurrection has paved a way of love for us to live a life that is full of the promises of new life, new joys, new dreams and new hopes….

Today, my prayer and my hope is that you will come to know, trust, and believe in the astounding love of God, made known to us in Jesus’ death and resurrection…a love that has the power to change the trajectory of our lives from doubt to belief, transforming us into a new creation, each and every new day….

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, AK

Hymn after the sermon:

Love Astounding, Love Confounding" feat. members of the St Columba Singers

Love astounding, love confounding limits fearful minds impose.

Love renewing, love pursuing every heart until it knows

love's transforming, healing goodness, love's abiding, gentle grace,

love's endurance, love's assurance, love's consoling, strong embrace.

Love receiving, love believing, we rejoice with thanks and song,

faith regaining, hope proclaiming; love has taught us, we belong

safe within love's tender keeping, safe from fear's persistent call.

Love defending, love unending, love of God enfolding all.