Luke 4:14-21 Words and Their Meaning

There’s a story about an elderly couple that was walking out of church one Sunday. The wife said to the husband, “Did you see the strange hat Mrs. O’Brien was wearing?” “No, I didn’t,” replied her husband. “Bill Smith badly needs a haircut, doesn’t he?” commented the wife. “Sorry, I didn’t notice,” replied the husband. “You know John,” said the wife impatiently,”Sometimes I wonder if you get anything at all out of going to church”.

People get different things out of going to church, depending, it would seem, on what they expect to get when they go there. For example, I wonder what the people who were in the synagogue in today’s Gospel reading expected to get out of the service. Certainly they didn’t expect to see Jesus stand and read a portion of Scripture, let alone comment on it. His sermon was and is one of the shortest on record-“Today, the Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing”.

What did this message mean to the people in the synagogue? What does it mean to us today? To the people in the synagogue, it meant that Jesus WAS the promised Messiah, the anointed one sent by God to redeem his people. It means the same thing for us today. Christ loosens sinners from the bonds of sin, guilt and corruption.

Luke places this story near the start of Jesus’ ministry because it is the foundation of the Gospels of Luke and Acts. He emphasizes God’s openness to the Gentiles. This favoritism offended the Jews and eventually led to his crucifixion. He was rejected by the multitude, who heard him, and they crucified him because of their sins; however, WE must honour and obey him as our Saviour, the son of God.

By this time, Jesus had already been tempted in the wilderness. He was prepared for this experience because of the foundation built by attendance at services in the synagogue, starting when he was a child. We also need to prepare for our wilderness experiences. The best way for us to prepare is to have a strong faith, especially through regular attendance at church, particularly if we start attending as children.

Isaiah’s commission as read by Jesus is similar to the Great Commission; namely, to bring good news and proclaim release to the captives, restore the sight of the blind, free the oppressed. This set Christ’s agenda, and it is also our commission and agenda today. Jesus’ ministry involved loving the unloved and serving the undeserving. He wants us to do the same today, especially since human weakness has both [physical and spiritual dimensions. What Jesus said about the Scriptures being fulfilled reads like a revolution, especially when it referred to ending the world as people knew it and creating a new one. When the poor hear the Good News, when captives are set free, and when the oppressed are liberated, God is working in their lives and in our own lives. The revolution happens when we walk with Jesus. The narrow focus on the downtrodden does not take away from the broader vision, including the restoration of Israel as referred to in Acts 15.

Jesus knew exactly what the people needed to hear that day, and he knew exactly what he wanted to share with them. All of the people in the synagogue, and all of us today, were the poor, the hungry, the oppressed the imprisoned and the blind. Christ looks beyond the surface to the core of our soul. He wants us to repent-to make a radical shift in how we see ourselves. The doctrine of the Trinity is interwoven here. He, as the son of God, is uniquely qualified to help us. He sets us free because of his death and resurrection. It is a victory over sin and death, but only if we stop trying to solve our problems ourselves and turn to God instead. We are all captives to something, whether it is our jobs, television, radio or something else. All of us can awaken to God’s anointing power. It constantly inspires, enlivens and guides us and also soothes, comforts, welcomes and transforms us.

When he read the Scriptures in the synagogue, Jesus announced a “jubilee”, a forgiveness of sin debt. In Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer, which is found in Luke 11:3, there is a sentence that reads as follows: “Forgive us our debts for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt to us”. The biblical Jubilee was held every 50 years when fields lay fallow, families returned to their ancestral homelands, debts were cancelled and slaves set free. The jubilee restored a rough equality between families and clans. The inevitable increase in inequality and injustice over the years had to be leveled every half century. Faith in a sovereign God was reflected in the structures of social and economic life which, in turn, echoed the pattern of God’s realm. The community started afresh. Jesus “jubilee” allows us to have a fresh start in our walk of faith. The jubilee is a time in which followers of Christ are told that God’s promises shall come true in our midst and that God will favour us with his blessings. The reality of God’s law is that it embraces and welcomes “the least of these” in the community. All we have to do is remember Jesus’ words, “Inasmuch as you do for the least of these, you do for me”

Jesus was the architect who designed the splendor of a new theology, a new sense of the presence and glory of God found not written in the walls of the tabernacle, but within the structures of our own selves. He treasured the past and honoured the ancient teachings of the Jews. He fed his soul from the sacred rolls of Scripture, especially when he was tempted in the wilderness. He also looked to the present and the future. Jesus’ challenge was (and is0 for today. God is with us today, and his call for action can be frightening. We are often overwhelmed with pleas for support, and we often wonder how we should respond and what good it will do. We must remain steadfast and true to Christ’s will to help the less fortunate. Jesus’ words in the synagogue are words of hope and inspiration for the oppressed the hopeless and the discouraged. We can and must build Christ’s community of faith right here where we are. Caring for people was Jesus’ main concern, and it must be our concern today. In the words of John Walsh, host of the popular TV show America’s Most Wanted, “You CAN make a difference”.

The concern for social justice is exemplified by the world’s response to the current environmental crisis, especially in countries that have adopted the Kyoto Accord. Countries that have pulled out of the accord, especially for “financial reasons”, show their bias in favour of industrial concerns at the expense of equality and justice. What would Jesus do and say if he was asked to preach in our society today? Why would we think that the intensity of Christ’s call would diminish, especially in a culture that is locked in consumerism? Can we say, “The Spirit is obviously upon us because we go to the poor, the captives, the blind and the oppressed”? Can we say that this is why God has anointed us and thus we can dare to be followers? Is that the mission of the church today or do we say, “That was Christ’s mission, but we’re still hammering out our own vision statement”?

Many of you have heard of the TV and radio host Art Linkletter. He used to host a program called Kids Say the Darndest Things. One of the most annoying questions children ask is “Why?” They ask because they are basically curious. Growing minds starve for understanding, but the thirst for knowledge often disappears as they get older. Is it because their curiosity is stifled by impatient adults? Is it because they and we get used to things and stop asking questions? Is that what happens to us when it comes to understanding God? Is out curiosity stifled by impatient peers, or is it because we get used to things and stop asking questions? The Word of God is both exciting and frightening at the same time because of what it says about how we are living and how far we are from God. This is especially true for those who come to church only for weddings, funerals, baptisms, Christmas, Easter, services where a priest is present, or when the service is from the Book of Common Prayer or the Book of Alternative Services.

We can refuse to listen, we can refuse to believe, and we can refuse to let it make a difference for us, but it is still true. The Word of God stands forever, because the Word gives us life. Jesus’ obedience to God created the foundation upon which God can build and enter the temple called our heart. Jesus’ one-sentence sermon that day in the synagogue was the shortest in history, but it is also the most powerful.

John 15;9-17 Love One Another-the Supreme Commandment

If you were going on a long trip, what would you say to your family and friends before you left? If you knew that you were going to see someone for the last time, what would you say to them? When your children moved away from home, what did you say to them? In each case you probably gave them some instructions of words of advice. Well, in the Gospel passage from John 15:9-17, Jesus gave us and his disciples some final instructions or words of advice. This passage is part of the final instructions that Jesus gave to the disciples the night before he was crucified. It follows the passage about the vine and the branches, but it goes even further. Instead of talking about abiding in each other or loving each other, it talks about serving each other, which goes hand in hand with loving each other.

Jesus knew that the disciples would not find love in the world. He knew that the world would largely hate them and his message. In fact, the world still hates his message today. You only have to remember the recent controversy involving the student who went to school wearing a T-shirt with the message “Life is empty without Jesus” printed on it to see that this is true. Nevertheless, we, like the disciples, are called to love each other and our fellow man in spite of opposition. When we love each other, we will experience the joy of obeying God.

When we love one another, we also allow the Holy Spirit to dwell in us and grow in us. How it grows will depend on our connection to each other, to God and to his church. The stronger our faith, the more we will do, and it is the things that we do for God and for others that bring glory to God and strengthen the Holy Spirit within us.  

Love for others means being willing to die for others. Jesus showed his love for us by dying on the cross for our sins. The men and women who serve in our armed forces also show this same type of love. They and countless other armed forces personnel who served in WWI, WWII and the Korean War as well as in more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, were willing to sacrifice their lives for the freedom of others. They were willing to go out of their way for others by dying to save others or coming to the aid of those who were in need-even at their own personal expense, and they are still willing and ready to do so today. Jesus showed how far that type of love can take someone when he died for us. If Jesus could lay down his own life for us, what part of our lives can we give up for others-prejudice, unwillingness to help, envy, material goods, hatred, unwillingness to forgive, or even something else? 

God wants us to have relationships that are more than mediocre. Relationship-building takes time and requires compassion, wisdom, empathy, kindness, courtesy and forgiveness. We can’t overlook what taking concrete action can mean. We can be active in love for one another. It is a lot of work, and that’s fine because God knows that we can do this work, and he knows that what we do will enrich both our lives and the lives of those whom we serve. When we love one another, we act as God’s hands and feet to those that he puts in our lives. It does take time, effort and money to be an active friend, but the blessings outweigh the costs.

Loving others as God loved us is the heart of Christian discipleship. Christian life can only exist through human relationships, especially when they are based on mutual respect and humane values-including love. The apostle Peter showed the same type of love in Acts 10:44-48. His love for others, combined with the visions he and the Roman centurion Cornelius had led Peter to minister to Cornelius and his family. When Peter proclaimed the Good News, the Holy Spirit moved within his audience, and it marked both a second Pentecost and the spreading of the Good News to all people (not just the Jews). If the Holy Spirit could move in the hearts of Peter’s audience, it can move in the hearts of people in our world today.  

I actually prepared this sermon on Mother’s Day 2012, so the Gospel reading that this sermon is based on was very appropriate for that day. After all, a mother’s love for her children is a prime example of the love Jesus calls on us to have for one another. Mothers make sacrifices for their children, and in some extreme cases (such as domestic violence), they have literally sacrificed their own lives for their children.

People who do not love God will be his enemy until they allow God to be the centre of their lives. When they do, they will be in their appropriate places as obedient friends of God, and God will be in his appropriate place at the centre of their lives. This will happen in our lives at a time when we will surrender our personal desires and obey the will of God. If we are to be fruitful for Christ, we must seek his will for our lives and let him lead us to what he wants us to do for others and for him.

When we love one another, we fulfill the second of Jesus’ two Great Commandments. When we love Jesus, he becomes our true best friend. Friends have our best interests in mind, just like Jesus does. Friends will be with us in good times and bad times just like Jesus is. They help us to expand our world, expose us to new and creative possibilities, and sustain us when we are in need.

God has chosen all of us for the purpose of bearing much eternal fruit in such personal characteristics as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These characteristics will grow within us and help us when we tell others about Jesus and lead them into a fruitful relationship with him.

We can say that Jesus is our friend, but can we say that we are his friends? Do we listen to him when he speaks to us, or do we only want him to listen to us? Do we want to know what’s on his heart and mind, or do we only want to tell him what’s on ours? Being a true friend of Jesus means listening to what he wants to tell us and then using that information to do his work in our world and in our lives.

Bibliography

       1.      Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package

2.      ESV Study Bible. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package

3.      Craig Condon, “We Will Remember Them”. Preached at the 2006 Remembrance Day Service in Liverpool, NS

4.      John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year B. Retrieved from http://lectionary.seemslilkegod.org/archives/year-b-sixth-sunday-of-easter

5.      Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 6^th Sunday of Easter, Year B”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

6.      Roland McGregor, “Easter 6-May 13, 2012”. Retrieved from www.mcgregorpage.org

7.      Greg Laurie, “When God’s Will Is Difficult”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

8.      Exegesis for John 15:9-17. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

9.      Steve Preston, “Everyone’s Best Friend”. Retrieved from bibletalk@freegroups.net

10.  Marybeth Whalen, “Friends in Action”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

11.  Steve Arterburn, “Love is a Choice”. Retrieved from www.newlife.com

12.  Leslie Snyder, “Friendship’s Ultimate Gift”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

13.  Julie Ackerman, “He Calls Me Friend”. Retrieved from www.rbc.org

14.  The Rev. Susan R. Briehl, ELCA, “Sermon for the 6^th Sunday of Easter”. Retrieved from www.day1.org

15.  Stanley, C.F., “The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version” (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)

16.  MacArthur, J., “MacArthur Study Bible, NASB” (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers:2006;2008)

Luke 4:1-13 Fasting for Lent

There once was a little boy named Bobby, who desperately wanted a new bicycle. His plan was to save his nickels, dimes and quarters until he finally had enough to buy a new 10-speed bike. Each night he asked God to help him save his money. Kneeling beside his bed, he prayed, “Dear Lord, please help me save my money for a new bike, and please, Lord, don’t let the ice cream man come down the street again tomorrow.”  

During the season of Lent we prepare ourselves to share in and celebrate the real reason for our faith; namely, Christ’s death and resurrection. Lent is a spiritual desert similar to Christ’s 40 days in the desert, or the Israelites’ 40 years in the desert in the Book of Exodus, or Christ’s journey to Jerusalem. We live this experience in our lives during the annual observation of Lent.

One of the ways people of faith mark this period of time is by fasting, just like Christ fasted for 40 days in the desert. Fasting involves sacrifice,so people can give up more than just food for Lent. They can give up things such as bad habits, text messaging or social networks such as Facebook, but for centuries the main thing that was given up for Lent was food. For example, we can give up things such as:

       

1.      Anger and hatred

2.      Judging others

3.      Discouragement

4.      Complaining

5.      Resentment or bitterness

6.      Spending too much money (Nash)

Anything that controls us or that we can’t say no to lords over us. If it takes God’s place in our lives, it is an idol and we are living in something similar to idolatry (unknown, Fasting). When we come to a fork in the road of life, we may be tempted to give in to our physical needs and ignore our spiritual needs. Unless we have disciplined ourselves, and attended to our spiritual needs in an ongoing way, we may give in to the tempter (Dunnam). In other words, we might be tempted to used one of comedian Flip Wilson’s famous lines---“The devil made me do it!”

 Fasting helps us to gain enough control to surrender our lives to God by making us more aware of our great need for God. It makes us more aware of our sinful desires (unknown, Fasting for Lent) and allows us to honour Jesus’ fasting not only in the desert, but in the weeks leading up to his crucifixion. It allows us to face temptations (and there will be temptations) just like Christ faced temptations in the desert, but by facing these temptations and overcoming them, we will grow stronger in faith. Fasting is a weapon we can use against the enemy’s strongholds and bondage in our lives, just like Christ used the results of his fasting in the desert to fight Satan’s temptations.  

Fasting is a metaphor for our desire for God. It makes some people feel cleaner, purer and more in control (unknown, Fasting: Act of Devotion or Violence?, 2009). It allows us to have a simpler life, even if only for a short period of time. It teaches us something about God as Jesus shows God to us. It allows us to call on Christ’s power to shove out sin so that we can live spiritually (Klaus, 2005). Fasting forces us to remember our spiritual poverty, which in turn allows us to recognize God’s loving action to make things right between him and us through Jesus Christ (Bass). The result is a spiritual death that shows our sorrow for our sins (Brockhoff). It makes the path to the cross inexpressibly and unbelievably rewarding. True fasting is good for our health (spiritually and physically), self-discipline, helping us break bad habits, appreciating what we love, and preserving the ability to do without.

Fasting and Lent provide us with a time to focus on what is always true. God is always reaching out to enable us to change, be renewed and deepen our commitment to him and his chosen community. We do this through repentance. Fasting is just one way of showing our desire to repent. Our repentance is a gift of grace. Repentance by itself does not cause or forgiveness or make us worthy to receive it. It is based on grace-specifically, the knowledge that God is kind and ready to forgive. Fasting counteracts our daily habits of excessive consumption and makes us aware of God’s promptings and the needs of others. (Sison, 2010) Leo, Bishop of Rome, once wrote:

“The sum total of our fasting does not consist in merely abstaining from food. In vain do we deny our body food if we do not withhold our heart from wickedness and restrain our lips so that they speak no evil. We must so moderate our rightful use of food that our other desires may be subject to the same rule. They therefore who desire to do good works, let them not fear that they shall be without the means, since even for two given pennies, the generosity of the poor widow of the Gospel was glorified!”

Fasting in repentance means we realize that what we did was wrong, and that whatever replaced God in our lives was wrong. Fasting forces us to change our way of living for awhile. It allows God to step in and change the course of our lives. It allows us to put our basic needs into a lower priority so that we can concentrate on the task at hand. In this case, the task at hand is the commemoration of Christ’s death and resurrection.

Fasting does not mean totally abstaining from food. In the words of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Waldman, 2009), fasting should be introduced in order to “bridle the concupiscences of the flesh, which regard pleasures of touch in connection with food and sex”. We need to eat to live, and not the other way around. Those who are fasting are asked to eat only what is necessary, usually only one or two meals a day. Snacking, sweets or indulgences are not allowed. (Fitzpatrick, 2009)

There is a time and a place for fasting. It must not be done during a time of celebration such as a wedding anniversary. In fact, the 40 days of Lent DO NOT include Sundays because they are a celebration of Christ’s victory over death and sin. Fasting is not to be used as a substitute for dieting. It must also not be used as a form of self-punishment or as an excuse to harm yourself in a way that would make you a burden to others. It is not an excuse for being grouchy, stingy or rude. Fasting must be done in such a way that it shows our dependence on God, brings us closer to God, and gives energy to our prayers (unknown, Lent: 40 Days of Prayer & Fasting).

Fasting does not serve to change God’s mind, speed up his answer, or manipulate his will. Instead, it prepares us to hear from him by temporarily laying aside anything that competes for our attention. It allows us to focus on Christ and hear him clearly (Stanley, 2010).

Jesus began his ministry by fasting for 40 days in the desert. He suspended his earthly appetite in order to focus not only on preparing for his earthly ministry, but also to satisfy his spiritual hunger. Fasting puts us in touch with the fact that we ARE created with an appetite for God, just like Jesus had an appetite for God. It really does not matter what one abstains from in fasting. The important thing is to suspend the usual earthly appetites in life that seek immediate gratification so that we can recover our deeper spiritual hunger and thirst for God and his ready grace. (Hohenthaner, 2008)

In our faith journey, there will be times when we have to hold out in the midst of spiritual battles. Fasting can give us the strength we need to achieve victory. It gives us the strength to hold on. God has promised us that we will not be placed in situations where we will have more put on us than we can bear. Fasting serves as a whet stone that we can use to sharpen our discernment, expose our wrong thinking and wrong attitudes, and bring about a single-minded focus on the things of God. Jesus used his fast to prepare him not only for Satan’s temptations, but to focus on his earthly mission and his father’s will. Contrary to what most people might think, Jesus was not weak from his fast. In fact, just the opposite---he gained spiritual strength for his journey to the cross and the ultimate success of his mission. (Hyde)

In Deuteronomy 8:3, we read “He humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with manna, with which neither you nor your ancestors were acquainted, in order to make you understand that one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the Lord”.  There is a connection between the manna that the Israelites received in the wilderness and the bread with which the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness. Israel’s need for bread was secondary to Israel’s need to understand that God gives bread. Because he understands that fact, Jesus can resist the temptation to take matters into his own hands. (Donovan)

We are in the same situation. Our earthly needs are secondary to our need to understand that God will supply our earthly needs. I emphasize the word needs. God will not supply us with a Mercedes-Benz car when a Volkswagen Beetle will be sufficient. God will not supply us with a huge mansion when a two-room bungalow will be sufficient. God will not provide us with a banquet that is fit for a king when a sandwich will be sufficient. He will supply our needs, and not our wants or desires. Fasting from anything that is not necessary for our earthly life will allow us to focus on the preparations we have to make for our spiritual life. Fasting is a spiritual discipline. It reminds us of our human weakness and encourages us to acknowledge our dependence on God. (Donovan)

Life is not just about the material things. It is also about a Word coming from the very mouth of God. In response to the temptation to throw himself into the rat race called material satisfaction, Jesus finds a calm centre, an anchor in the word of God. That centered faith will enable him to deal with all the other temptations to come. As it was with Jesus, so it is with us (Harnish)

Works Cited

Bass, G. M. (n.d.). The Call of the Trumpet. Retrieved January 27, 2010, from Esermons.com: www.esermons.com

Brockhoff, B. (n.d.). Fasting in a Fast-Food World. Retrieved January 27, 2010, from Esermons.com: www.esermons.com

Donovan, D. (n.d.). Luke 4:1-13 The Frst Sunday in Lent. Retrieved Feb. 21, 2010, from Sermonwriter.com: www.sermonwriter.com

Dunnam, M. (n.d.). At the Fork in the Road. Retrieved Feb. 28, 2010, from Esermons.com: www.esermons.com

Fitzpatrick, D. L. (2009, January 16). Lenten Fasting & Abstinences for Children. Retrieved January 27, 2010, from Catholic Practices: www.catholic-practices.suite101.com/article.cfm/lenten-fasting-and-abstinence-for-children.html

Harnish, J. E. (n.d.). Out of Solitude. Retrieved Feb. 28, 2010, from Esermons.com: www.esermons.com

Hohenthaner, C. (2008, March 1). Bishop discusses Lent, fasting. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2010, from Rapid City Journal: www.rapidcityjournal.com/lifestlyes/faith-and-values/religion/article_4f2878e7-5b2...

Hyde, D. R. (n.d.). Luke 4:1-13 According to the Scriptures. Retrieved Feb. 2010, from Lectionary.org: www.lectionary.org.

Klaus, R. K. (2005, February 15). Fasting. Retrieved January 27, 2010, from Lutheran Hour Ministries: www.lhm.org/dailydevotions.asp?date=20050215

Nash, F. A. (n.d.). Lent. Retrieved Feb 23, 2010

Sison, M. N. (2010, Feb. 16). Lent: A time to take stock, get back on track. Retrieved Feb. 16, 2010, from Anglican Journal: www.anglicanjournal.com/100.article/lent-a-time-to-take-stock-get-back-on-track

Stanley, D. C. (2010, January 26). Biblical Fasting. Retrieved January 27, 2010, from Crosswalk: www.crosswalkmail.com

unknown. (n.d.). Fasting. Retrieved January 27, 2010, from Spirit Home: www.spirithome.com/fasting.html

unknown. (n.d.). Fasting for Lent. Retrieved January 27, 2010, from Holy Spirit Interactive: www.holyspiritinteractive.net/features/lent/dev_fasting.asp

unknown. (2009, March). Fasting: Act of Devotion or Violence? Retrieved january 27, 2010, from Preaching Peace: http://preachingpeace.blogspot.com//preaching_peace/2009/03/fasting.html

unknown. (n.d.). Lent: 40 Days of Prayer & Fasting. Retrieved January 27, 2010, from Prayer Foundation: www.prayerfoundation.org/lent_40_days_or_prayer_&_fasting,htm

Waldman, S. (2009, February). Fasting for Lent: Reduce Your Lustful, "Seminal Matter". Retrieved January 27, 2010, from Beliefnet: http://blogspot/beliefnet/com/stevenwaldman/2009/02/fasting-for-lent-reduce-your-listful-seminal-matter.html

John 20:19-31 O Ye of Little Faith

Picture for a moment the scene in John 20:19-31. All of the disciples (except Thomas) are gathered behind a locked door because of fear of the Jews. After all, their Lord and Saviour had just been crucified, and they were probably thinking to themselves, “Are we going to be crucified next?” Suddenly, Jesus appears as if by magic. Now the disciples are REALLY scared. They are probably thinking to themselves, “Uh oh, we’re in trouble now!!!!! Are we going to get scolded for abandoning Jesus in his hour of need?” Imagine their shock when, instead of scolding them, Jesus says, “Peace be with you” and breathes the Holy Spirit upon them[1]. They were so happy and relieved that they had to tell everyone what happened, and one of the first people they spoke to was Thomas, the absent disciple.

 So why was Thomas absent? Some scholars speculate that it might have been because of grief over the death of Jesus. Different people have different ways of dealing with grief. Some choose to share their grief publicly, while others share their grief with just a few close family members and friends. Still others choose to grieve alone and in silence. Some scholars believe that Thomas might have fallen into that third category.

In any event, Thomas refused to believe the news that Christ was alive. We are the same today. In many cases, we can’t believe everything we hear. That’s why agencies such as the police and Phone Busters always warn us about scams. We can’t trust everyone and everything. Trust in political figures is at an all-time low. Trust in the church and its leaders has also been eroded, especially by recent scandals[2].                                                                                                                                            

It’s no wonder, therefore, that when someone tells us something so incredible, we don’t always believe what they say-gossip being a notable exception, particularly gossip about celebrities. In most cases, we demand concrete proof. In some cases, concrete proof or some other supporting evidence is required, such as in a court of law. We need to probe and test what others tell us. We need to judge it according to Jesus’ teaching. Specifically, we need to ask three questions:

                                       1.      Is this loving?

2.      Does that harm anyone?

3.      Am I bringing peace as Jesus did?

Jesus knew that Thomas would need to see the concrete proof of his death and resurrection, just like we need to see it by reading all of the four major Gospels-Gospels that were written by reliable, independent eyewitnesses. That’s why he reappeared at a time and in a place where ALL of the disciples were gathered-INCLUDING THOMAS![3] When Thomas had an opportunity to see the evidence, he did not need it[4]. For him, Jesus was alive, and that’s all that mattered. People have differing needs and find various routes to faith, and seeing Jesus in the flesh was Thomas’s route to faith.

Believing without seeing is the essence of walking by faith and is something that Jesus appreciates, but there is a tension between seeing and believing. The apostle Peter acknowledged this tension when he wrote in 1 Peter 1:8, “Though you have not seen [Christ], you love Him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy”. That should be true for every Christian. We believe in someone we have never seen and expect to spend eternity with him. The world says, “I’ll believe it when I see it”, but Christians say, “I’ll see it when I believe it”.[5] Christianity is the ability to see the light of Christ active in the world and to recognize it for what it is-the action and the goodness of God-even when it is present in ordinary people who are doing extraordinary things.  

God can take skeptics and turn them into believers. In fact, some of the greatest preachers in both history and in modern times either started out as skeptics or had doubts at times on their faith journeys. For example, in his autobiography, “Just As I Am”, Billy Graham wrote of an incident that occurred just before his famous 1949 Los Angeles Crusade-the crusade that really launched his ministry. His heart was heavily burdened with his doubts about whether or not he could trust the Bible. He had his own version of Christ’s 40 days in the desert when he went into the San Bernardino Mountains, knelt before a tree stump and opened his Bible. He wrote the following paragraphs:

 The exact wording of my prayer is beyond recall, but it must have echoed my thoughts: “O God! There are many things in this book I do not understand. There are many problems with it for which I have no solution. There are many seeming contradictions. There are some areas in it that do not seem to correlate with modern science. I can’t answer some of the philosophical and psychological questions that…others are raising.”

I was trying to be on the level with God, but something remained unspoken. At last the Holy Spirit freed me to say it. “Father, I am going to accept this as Thy Word---by faith! I’m going to allow faith to go beyond my intellectual questions and doubts, and I will believe this to be your inspired Word.”

When I got up from my knees…that August night, my eyes stung with tears. I sensed the presence and power of God as I had not sensed it in months. Not all my questions were answered, but a major bridge had been crossed. In my heart and mind, I knew a spiritual battle in my soul had been fought and won.[6] (Pause)

Just like Billy Graham’s faith was sustained by fellowship with God and with other believers, our faith is strengthened when we gather with fellow believers, especially at weekly worship services or in group Bible study. Those who do not go to church for reasons other than health or work schedules-reasons such as not liking the minister or the Order of Service or the music-may find it harder to have faith in Christ. They need to look at what they miss by not attending church, just like we also have to look at what Thomas missed by not being with the other disciples when Jesus appeared to them for the first time after his resurrection. [7]

Even I have had my doubts about Christ and my faith in my life. Like many of you, I was born, raised, baptized and confirmed in the church, but when I went to university and for many years afterward, my faith was weakened (and to this day I honestly don’t know why). God did not lose patience with me, but instead used my father’s battle with terminal lung cancer along with the resulting support of the people and minister of this parish at the time to bring me back into the fold and lead me to the bigger and better things that he had in mind for me-namely, my lay ministry .

 Like Billy Graham on that night in August 1949, we may want to believe, but struggle with hard questions and hard circumstances. Sometimes it is because we have been hurt, just like the faith of many Christians has been shaken by sex abuse scandals. Honest doubters are not close-minded people. They remain open to belief. They remain open to receiving the gift of faith, just like the disciples were open to receiving Christ’s gift of the Holy Spirit. Doubt is a powerful weapon that the devil uses to attack our minds when our faith is weakened by daily struggles, distance from God, or by never truly knowing the Saviour[8]. Doubt can lead to faith. Only those who have had their faith shattered by the blows of pain and adversity can get to the other side of Calvary and experience the faith offered by the resurrection. [9]

 Faith begins with honesty, and doubt is the foundation of honesty. Faith is the overcoming of doubt, NOT an absence of doubt. The most endearing things in life can’t be proven-they have to be accepted on faith. We must move beyond doubt to faith. There are those who say that because of the bad choices you have made in the past, you have sinned and fallen so far away from God that you can’t get back. Well, God says, “I doubt it!!!!!!!!” Doubt can lead to solutions and a better understanding. It doesn’t matter what the cause of our doubt is. Living beyond a doubt means living as encouragers through prayer concerns for others, preparing meals for those who are sick or mourning the loss of a loved one who has just passed away, or by sending notes and cards. Belief includes some sense of experience.  

Sometimes our faith is shaken because our expectations of Christ are not fulfilled. For example, our faith might be shaken when we ask God to heal a loved one who is sick, and the loved one dies. At times like this, we might be tempted to give up on God, but we must keep on believing.  Jesus said in John 20:29, “Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed”. When we feel that God has let us down, we must remember that he does what he does for us because it fits in with his plan for our lives. In his great wisdom, he is doing something that is even greater than what we asked him to do. We would do well to remember the old adage that “God works in mysterious ways”.

God can take a weakened faith and make it stronger. For example, tradition has it that the disciple Thomas went to India and founded a church there. Today, many Christians in India call themselves by his name. They are known as the St. Thomas Christians.[10] Thomas’ doubt was erased, and he went places[11]. Billy Graham’s doubts were erased on that summer night in 1949, and he went on to become one of the most famous and most successful evangelists of our time. If Thomas, Billy Graham and other men of God can have their doubts about their faith erased and go on to have successful ministries, God can erase our doubts and help us to be successful in our faith journeys.

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[1] Rev. Charles Hoffacker, “Other Resurrections”. Retrieved April 5, 2010 from www.lectionary.org

[2] Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions 2^nd Sunday of Easter-C-April 11, 2010” Received by email on April 3, 2010 from jboll@preacherexchange.org

[3] ESV Study Bible

[4] John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, Second Sunday of Easter-April 11, 2010 Received by email from www.seemslikegod.org

[5] Robert A. Schuller, “Believing without Seeing” Received by email on June 28, 2008 from positiveminute@hourofpower.org

[6] Billy Graham, “Just As I Am”, (1997, Toronto, ON: HarperCollins), p. 139

[7] Donald Strobe, “Believing Thomas” Retrieved on April 4, 2010 from esermons.com

[8] Tracie Miles, “Believing is Seeing” Received by email on June 1, 2009 from Encouragement_for_Today@crosswalkmail.com

[9] Donald Strobe, “Believing Thomas” Retrieved on April 4, 2010 from esermons,com

[10] Selwyn Hughes, “Coming Back from Doubt” Received by email on September 22, 2009 from crosswalkmail.com

[11] Sermon Writer, “The Second Sunday of Easter, Year C, April 11, 2010” Retrieved on April 5, 2010 from lectionary,org