“Peace & Belief” Colchester Federated Church, April 7, 2024, Second Sunday of Easter (John 20:19-31)

 Every Sunday here at Colchester Federated Church, I welcome you to worship with these words: “No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey—you are welcome here.”  This is a phrase that we often use in the United Church of Christ, a tagline for our churches that is deeply cherished.  We mean it when we say that everyone is welcome here.  As a Welcoming, Open and Affirming Church in both the American Baptist Churches and the United Church of Christ, that extravagant welcome is central to our church family, to this community of faith here in Colchester.  “No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey—you are welcome here.”  I really mean that even though it’s said every single Sunday.  My hope and prayer is that all of us who call this church our church home mean it too, wholeheartedly and without reservation.

But what about welcoming curmudgeons and persnickety people?  What about doubters and Debbie Downers and people who are sometimes just a bummer to be around?  Do we have to welcome them too, or does this extravagant welcome only apply to people we like hanging out with?  What about good old Doubting Thomas?  Would Thomas be welcome here at Colchester Federated Church?

Easter is not just one Sunday.  It’s a season—Eastertide is the fancy name for this liturgical season and it stretches from Easter Sunday all the way to Pentecost.  You’ll notice that at the top of our bulletin we note that today is the Second Sunday of Easter.  Easter blessedly continues on.  This Sunday and next in particular we will be hearing about some of the Resurrection appearances that occurred after Easter Sunday morning.  Because how can we talk about resurrection and new life and death not getting the last word in God’s story and hope springing eternal and God’s promises kept just once a year anyway? 

First up in Eastertide is the story about Jesus appearing to the disciples on Easter Sunday evening and then to Thomas and the rest of the disciples eight days after that.  We probably know this story almost as well as we know those Easter morning stories about the empty tomb and Mary Magdalene encountering Jesus in the garden.

On Easter Sunday evening, the disciples are hiding because they are afraid.  In the midst of that fear and trembling, Jesus comes and stands among them.  Jesus greets his frightened followers with the words, “Peace be with you.”[1]  Jesus shows them his hands and side, his battered and transformed body.  This moment reminds us that resurrection is not pain and woundedness denied, resurrection is pain and woundedness transformed.  The disciples’ reaction to seeing Jesus again is pure joy.  Remember that most of the disciples were not present with the women at the tomb that morning (in the Synoptic Gospels anyway).  John tells this Resurrection appearance by relating that Jesus again offers peace and breathes on them, inviting the disciples to receive the Holy Spirit. 

Now this whole Jesus breathing on them experience may strike us as odd.  Though it shows that Jesus is alive once again.  He has been resurrected just as he said he would be.  Look, he’s breathing!  Isn’t that a sign of life?  Take a deep breath right now.  You are alive and your life is a gift.  Alleluia!  Perhaps this breathing moment helps us remember the story of creation.  Because in Gensis 2 we read, “The Lord God formed the human from the topsoil of the fertile land and blew life’s breath into his nostrils.  The human came to life.”[2]  Isn’t it amazing that the Risen Christ is also breathing as a sign of new life and giving the gift of the Holy Spirit to those frightened followers?

Except Thomas misses the whole thing.  And he has quite the reaction when the rest of the disciples tell him that they have seen the Lord.  Thomas replies, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, put my finger in the wounds left by the nails, and put my hand into his side, I won’t believe.”[3]  We could interpret Thomas’ response in all sorts of ways (and New Testament scholars and commentators and clergy) often do.  Thomas’ response got him labeled as “Doubting Thomas” and it’s a nickname that has stuck. 

On this Second Sunday of Easter, it’s worth asking where Thomas’ reaction came from.  We could interpret this story as Thomas being a curmudgeon or judge him harshly for his lack of faith.  After all, Thomas was lucky enough to spend years with Jesus.  If Thomas couldn’t bring himself to believe in the miracle of resurrection without seeing proof right in front of his face, what hope do the rest of us have?  Hence Jesus’ words, “Do you believe because you see me?  Happy are those who don’t see and yet believe.”[4]  It’s worth wondering if Thomas’ disbelief came from a place of hurt and disappointment.  It’s hard to be the one on the outside of a group.  Sometimes when we’re left out, we lash out.  Poor Thomas must have felt awful when the other disciples were talking about Jesus appearing, declaring peace, showing them his hands and side, breathing on them, and receiving the Holy Spirit.  Can we imagine all our friends sharing their joy and being the one person who missed the whole thing?  We even have a term for this these days, FOMO—the fear of missing out.  Of course, Thomas is a little salty because he missed out!

When Jesus appears again eight days later, Thomas is there.  Jesus meets Thomas’ disappointment and doubts with compassion.  Jesus says, “Put your finger here.  Look at my hands.  Put your hand into my side.  No more disbelief.  Believe!”[5]  Thomas responds to Jesus with an amazing declaration of faith, “My Lord and my God!”[6]  Though funny enough, John does not tell us whether Thomas does touch the resurrected body of Jesus or not.  That part of the story (no matter what famous works of art depict) remains a mystery.  All we know is that Jesus’ compassionate offer to touch his wounded and transformed body was enough to heal the woundedness of Thomas’ heart.  Just the offer was enough to move Thomas to belief in the miracle of new life.

Would Doubting Thomas be welcome here at Colchester Federated Church?  I think so, whether we see him as a persnickety challenging person or salty in the moment because he was left out and lashed out.  Faith is a journey after all.  Sometimes we use the term “faith formation” because we are challenged to be in a state of forming and becoming as followers of Jesus Christ.  Does anyone ever arrive at the destination when it comes to faith formation anyway?  The journey itself is the gift.  No matter where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.  Even (and maybe especially) the doubters who yearn for an authentic relationship with God.  You are welcome here.  Thanks be to God.  Amen.

[1] John 20:19, CEB.
[2] Genesis 2:7.
[3] John 20:25.
[4] John 20:29.
[5] John 20:27.
[6] John 20:28.

Photo by Khamkéo Vilaysing on Unsplash