The Second Sunday of Easter
11th April 2010

Doubt and Faith

The resurrection appearances of Jesus show individuals and groups of people moving from one state of mind to another: from despair to joy, from darkness to light, from guilt to hope. Here St. John describes how on that Easter evening, the Lord appeared to the disciples and showed them his wounds. There they began to understand that this is not a happy ending but a new beginning: Jesus says, "As the Father sent me, so I send you"; and he breathes the Holy Spirit upon them and gives them authority.

Yet this is not a scene of unmitigated joy. Someone is not present at this time, and it is Thomas; and when he returns, he does not catch the others' joy. He hears from the ten men whom he has learned to know and trust, and Mary too who has her own story to tell, and other women who have been faithful to Jesus all along, telling him that Jesus is alive again and that they have seen the marks of the wounds on him, so they know that this is something other than an apparition. But Thomas will not accept what they tell him. The words he uses to silence them are powerful: unless I see I will not believe. In reading this, and knowing what comes after (that the Lord does indeed appear to Thomas and does indeed show him His wounds and invite him to touch them) it is easy to overlook the fact that it is a whole week between that expression of doubt and Jesus' appearance to remove doubt forever. So what does that week signify and what went on over those seven days? The disciples, empowered already by Jesus, and already commissioned to be sent out, already becoming apostles, are presumably moving into that new identity individually and together. The Church is coming into being here. But Thomas is not yet part of it - so what is he doing, and why does the risen Christ wait so long before giving him the reassurance he desires?

We have a long way to go to Pentecost but we can see from this reading that Pentecost is already here. John wants us to understand that the narrative that has begun now moves on to engage with the reality around it; and part of that reality is clearly that people will come to understand and receive the truth of Christ in different times and ways. Part of that experience will be the mysterious element of seeing Jesus. Thomas is allowed to see the risen Lord and to do exactly what he wanted - to feel the wounds and see that this body before him truly is Jesus, who was crucified and is now risen. Yet the words that follow indicate that this experience will end, and belief will take root and be blessed among people who have not seen the risen Lord in this way and yet believe in Him. And, indeed, those who belong to this ever expanding group receive a very particular blessing from Christ himself - a blessing which we all receive today. Blessed are you because you have not seen and yet you have believed.

Earlier this week I went into the centre of Canterbury and, on my way back near Fenwick's, I became aware of a voice to my right; and when I looked round, there was a man testifying to the resurrection of Christ and the power of Christ to forgive sin. He had a flipchart on legs and he was drawing pictures and writing things and he had a small crowd around him. Here was someone very much in the tradition of those who are sent out - sent out onto the streets of Canterbury amongst the busy shoppers to bring the message of Easter to them. Now some people out on that day would already have seen the risen Jesus in one or other of the church buildings around us, including this one, and the very large and significant one in the centre of Canterbury, or in some another place where Christians gather. But, for some people, this man and his ministry might just be the point at which Jesus suddenly emerged from the crowds, and stood before them, and claimed to have something to do with them and something to share with them. And this man wouldn't be doing what he does if he hadn't already experienced being ignored, being questioned, being perhaps abused and sneered at, certainly if he hadn't already experienced encounters with the latter-day Thomases, who ask for proof. It might have been tempting to leave out the story of Thomas' doubts; but the inclusion of them is a signal that the Apostolic church must be prepared to encounter at the very least doubt, and to be inspired to find the many varied ways in which people will see the risen Lord: and be able to say with Thomas, "My Lord and my God".

Amen

© PCC St Martin's and St Paul's Canterbury 2008 - 2010