All the Gospel accounts of Easter are an indissoluble mixture of surprise and questioning. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, went to the tomb early in the morning. They found it empty. They were confronted with what they never imagined. They ran to tell others. Peter and another disciple went to the tomb also. Overcome with joy and questions, they too didn’t know what to make of it. With some irony, the Gospel records that they received the message that Jesus had risen from the dead, and then just went home again.
A few days later two disciples set out for the village of Emmaus, and on the way the Risen Christ appeared to them. As Christ talked with them and even sat down and ate with them, the disciples knew they were in the presence of someone very special, as their hearts burned within them, but it took a long while before they recognized who was among them and before they accepted God’s wonderful surprise. Rushing back to Jerusalem the same night, the two disciples told others what had happened, and suddenly, Jesus was there in the room with them all, but their fear kept them from recognizing the Risen Christ as he really was. Jesus had to keep saying to them, “Come here, touch me, and talk to me!”
Obviously the weeks after the resurrection led to plenty of confusion and discussion among the disciples. The Gospel of John records an encounter as the disciples were fishing in Galilee. A stranger appeared on the shore, cooking breakfast. The stranger called to them, and they responded. But none of them dared ask Jesus who he was. We can picture them saying, “No, it looks like him, it sounds like him, but just can’t be, not here, not now. It would be so wonderful, but no.” I imagine even while Jesus served up a well-balanced breakfast fit for hardworking fishermen, it was difficult for the disciples to eat it with all that they wanted to ask him.
This morning we read the story of Thomas confronting our Lord. Contrary to a common impression of him, Thomas was steadily loyal and brave. He brooked no nonsense and had the nerve to challenge the one who stood before him. He was not afraid to test and verify the genuineness of authority and the reality of the resurrection. The important thing in the testimony of this encounter is that Jesus did not reprove Thomas for his inquiry and request for further examination, but invited Thomas to come closer. Jesus simply said, in effect, “Thomas, I know you have all sorts of questions. That’s OK. Come closer.” The Gospel never records whether or not Thomas actually put his finger into Jesus’ side or felt the print of the nails, but Thomas learned that Jesus understood where he was coming from. Thomas knew that new life had indeed touched him. What we are given is an important notice that God respects the ambiguities and uncertainties of our humanity. God does not put down honest doubt and struggle. Instead of condemning us, God invites us to come closer.
The good news of Easter is Jesus is raised and lives among us; we don’t have to figure out how it’s done. Discipleship is not primarily what we struggle to obtain and earn, but what we share and give. Everyday discipleship is not necessarily how eloquently we speak, but more often, how carefully we listen.
I would not want to presume to be able to outline how the people of God, as sons and daughters of the resurrection, witness the Gospel to our neighbors, and share the Easter news in the world, or even delineate where the Risen Christ will be recognized. It is true that many in our world would be quick to point out that industrial safety lapses still kill workers, and there are still refugees and victims of wars and other disasters waiting to occur. It’s no surprise that in the name of job creation we are building more fully equipped mega shopping centers and have more poorly equipped public playgrounds, understaffed state parks, and closed libraries. It is no surprise most entertainment is full of marvelous technical special effects, and often totally devoid of morality. The world is in such a rat race where the short-term star system is the only system and it’s either burn up or burn out.
People of the resurrection don’t have to accept such false choices or closed definitions of alternatives. We don’t have to accept narrow, dead-end futures that are conditioned on the rat race of the world. We don’t have to be afraid of ridicule because we dispute the world’s standards of “get as much as you can, but just don’t get caught,” and we don’t have to apologize as being impractical because we refuse to see suffering as punishment from God, and we believe people don’t have to bear their sins forever. Yes, the world desperately needs to be surprised and questioned a lot more on its own self-serving myopic vision.
The Gospel reminds us we don’t have all the answers, and never will on this earth. We don’t need them and neither did Thomas nor the other early disciples. Being both continually surprised and having questions does not disqualify us from receiving God’s peace beyond all understanding. We are given God’s love as a gift, but we are never given God’s absolute truth to brandish as a weapon, or a divine certainty to use as a straightjacket on others. When we have questions, when our doubts about God’s goodness and grace seem to overwhelm us, the risen Lord invites us to come closer. That is why I see Thomas as an example for all of us, a regular guy, not someone to be portrayed in a stained glass window. No, I never want to have Thomas looking down over us. Thomas is one of us, right here, with his feet on the floor at our level. Thomas provides us a blessing of a special kind, offering an example of what being an Easter person of integrity and sensitivity in today’s world is really about.
And I offer this to you in the name of the Living God, Amen.
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