Seeing and believing

A Sermon preached on April 8, Easter II, at St. Augustine’s, Wiesbaden

Acts 4: 32 – 35, 1 John 1: 1 – 2: 2, John 20: 19 - 31

I always feel sorry for Thomas. He has become most famous, or infamous for his role in Jesus’ second post-resurrection appearance that we heard about in today’s Gospel. This episode is the source of his nickname “Doubting Thomas.” Funny that Peter never gets called “Denying Peter.” But is Thomas a doubter, or is he not really only asking for the same proof that the other disciples received? “(Jesus) showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.” (John 20:20) In the other gospels too, Jesus feels the need to prove to the disciples that he has really returned, not just as some sort of ghost. In Luke for example (24:39-43), Jesus invites them to touch him and he eats a piece of broiled fish. Thomas’ desire for evidence is not unique.

It would also be a shame to base our image of Thomas just on this one episode. Earlier in John’s Gospel for example Thomas has shown himself to be both courageous and loyal. Although it was going to be dangerous to accompany Jesus back to Judea when Lazarus fell ill, and then died, as people had attempted to stone Jesus there, Thomas simply says his fellow-disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’ (John 11:16) When Jesus wants to comfort his disciples about what will happen after his death, Thomas asks the question the others dare not ask: ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ (14:5) Giving Jesus the cue for that great teaching moment: ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life.’ (14:6) And according to tradition, Thomas later went to India, where there was already a Jewish presence, and founded a Christian Church in the State of Kerala, where there is still a family of churches that take their name from him today: the Mar Thoma or Church of Saint Thomas.

The image I get of Thomas is not of a systematic sceptic or doubter, but of someone who is an enthusiastic and loyal follower of Christ. He sometimes speaks before his brain is fully engaged, but in doing so is often very inciteful. Act first, think later would be his motto, rather like Peter actually.  

Thomas loves his Lord and wants nothing more than to believe that he has returned. But the witness of his fellow disciples is not enough, just as for them the witness of Mary Magdalene was not enough. Yet when Jesus, the crucified one, with the marks of his Passion still visible stands before him, Thomas does not just catch up with the others in their stage of faith, he shoots past them and heads to the top of the class. Thomas' sudden and spontaneous confession of Jesus as my Lord and my God (20:28) is a climactic moment in John’s Gospel. When Jesus then says, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe,’ (20:29) that might sound like a criticism. I don’t think it is. Thomas has once again given Jesus a cue for a teaching moment.

It will be Thomas’ and the disciples’ job to witness to Jesus, to his teaching, to his death and resurrections so convincingly, and so passionately that others will come to believe that Jesus is also their Lord and their God. In the First Letter of Peter (1:8-9) the author describes such believers: "Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

What can have that sort of profound effect on people? Not just words, not some complicated theological explanation, and not just a book – even the Good Book. Of course, the story of Jesus needs to be told, as does his message about God. We heard one example in the First Letter of John: “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)

Now I don’t want to contradict Jesus, that would not go well with my job description. But if we want people to believe, then they must also see. Not Jesus himself, but they must see Jesus’s impact on our lives. Believing in him must be visible, it must have an impact on how we live together. In his first letter, John makes a similar connection between faith and community: “We declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:3) And this morning’s reading from Acts describes a community that “were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 4: 32-33) You do not have to own everything in common to be a Christian, that is probably an idealistic exaggeration. But others’ needs, the needs of the community of faith and of the world must be more important than any possession. That is the source of the great power with which they were able to give testimony, to be witnesses.

And that brings us to this morning’s baptisms. Lucas’, Julius’, and Giulietta’s parents and godparents will confess on their behalf that Jesus is their Lord and their God. These three children will become members of the church, not just this group gathered here today, but that assembly of all who are "blessed (because they) have not seen and yet have come to believe." And they and we will affirm and reaffirm the promises of the Baptismal Covenant, not only to believe what was revealed by Jesus to Thomas and the other disciples, but to live out that belief within our community and in our daily lives. Chapter 20 of John’s Gospel ends with the words: “These (signs) are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31) Our lives are to be signs that lead those we meet to faith and to new and better lives, both physically and spiritually. If we do that, we will be good successors to St. Thomas who was a very good witness to the Lord he loved and followed. Amen.

No joke!

A Sermon preached on April 1, Easter Day, at St. Augustine’s, Wiesbaden

Isaiah 25: 6-9, Acts 10: 34-43, John 20:1-18

Today is not only Easter Day, but also April 1^st, which is April Fool's Day. Now that Lent is over, I just can't resist the temptation to talk about these two days together. It’s a rare opportunity. The last time Easter fell on April Fools’ Day was in 1956 and after 2018, the next one is 2029, and then again in 2040. I’ve seen a number of suggestions for special Easter themed tricks: wrapping grapes in foil to pass off as mini egg chocs. Dyeing an uncooked Easter egg and passing it off as hardboiled, or even swapping out the candy or chocolate in the plastic Easter eggs for egg hunts in favor of less-exciting items like broccoli or cauliflower. We have not done any of these, I promise!

If you look at our Gospel passage there are actually some moments of comedy in there. Picture Simon Peter and the other disciple racing to the tomb, both wanting to be first to see what … a pile of linen wrappings. Mary’s encounter with Jesus in the garden would probably also have raised a smile if anyone had been watching: first not recognizing him, then mistaking him for a gardener and finally asking Jesus where Jesus is: “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”  (John 20:15)

Of course, for modern secularists Easter is itself one big joke. For them neither the resurrection, nor God, nor even Jesus are real. And so, they might say that April 1^st is a prefect date for the Easter celebration. Making fun of Christianity, rejecting its basic tenets is nothing new. St. Paul himself refers to it in his letters. For example, in his 1^st Letter to the Corinthians (1:23) Paul writes “we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.” 

Why did the Gentiles, the Greeks and the Romans, think this was foolish? Believing in God was not the issue. They were not against God or gods, they had plenty of them. But their gods were all too human in their behavior. They had superhuman powers and to a certain extent superhuman faults – exaggerated pride, jealousy, greed, lust, and often a rather cruel sense of humor! No, what the Gentiles found foolish was not that Christians believe in God, but that they believed in a God who cared, in a God who was interested in a genuine relationship with God’s creation, and in a God, who was willing to suffer and even to die a terrible and shameful death to save the world. That was impossible and clearly a very bad joke.

Why then are we so confident that we know who God is and that God acted on Jesus? For one thing we have the record of those who experienced Jesus first hand. For the first 10 – 20 years after the crucifixion it was purely a verbal record, and those who had seen and heard Jesus, and been at some or all of the events leading up to and following his death would talk from experience. Then as the movement grew, and the first witnesses died, it was written down and became what we know as the New Testament. Sure, it’s not all consistent and some stories are even contradictory. But the common core – what theologians call the kerygma or proclamation of the good news – is clear. We have an example in Peter’s speech that we heard in the passage from Acts: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day.” (Acts 10:38-40)

In Jesus’ acts and teaching his followers also saw the love of God, in Jesus’ death they saw a supreme act of sacrifice out of love, in Jesus’ resurrection a mighty act of God that, together with the miracles they had experienced, could only mean one thing: God had dwelt among them, God had suffered with and for them, God offered a new relationship and new life for all.

Another reason for our confidence in the truth of the gospel is what happened after Jesus’ death. That small, often frightened and confused band of followers were transformed and empowered. We find Peter, who had publicly denied Jesus, suddenly standing up and openly proclaiming him. The Jesus movement grew and spread, soon beyond ethnic, religious and geographical boundaries. The experience of the risen Christ, and the conviction of the apostles – both first and second generation was compelling. Even those who had not known Jesus personally, or came from another culture were willing to say, as Mary Magdalene announced to the disciples, I have seen the Lord.

It continues today. We do not proclaim that Christ was risen, but that he is risen. The resurrection is an event that is still present and powerful today. Jesus’ life, teaching, death and resurrection continues to transform people and lives. Those who turn to Christ often feel his presence. Those who turn to Christ feel empowered to do much more than they ever thought possible, they feel called to seek and serve him in all human beings, they feel a desire to come closer and closer to God who is the source of our being. That’s no joke!

Yet we could call the empty tomb a joke, God’s joke on those who thought killing one man with a deeply uncomfortable message for everyone in a position of power, privilege and advantage would kill the message. It’s not a joke because it is made up, but because any really good joke ends with a totally unexpected twist or turn. And the resurrection was completely unexpected, even for Jesus’ own disciples and although Jesus had told them often enough. Even confronted with the empty tomb we heard that “as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.” (John 20:9) They took some convincing, they were not gullible and easily tricked. But once they were convinced, there was no stopping them.

The event we celebrate today, and every Sunday is not a joke. The resurrection is real, and it has a real and present impact on our lives. It’s not a joke, but we still have a punchline:  

Alleluia. Christ is risen.

The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.

Amen.