Our church sign on the corner claims that we are growing together in Christ, reflecting a main characteristic of what people of faith are expected to do. The Gospel readings assigned for the Sundays after Easter are all about growing together in Christ. The signs of Jesus’ resurrection initially seemed to have brought shock, not understanding. Jesus’ followers needed some time and space to grow in comprehending what God had done. Moreover, the reality of the resurrection was communicated and received in many different ways. There has never been one event that has ever confirmed it for all people for all time.
The earliest, but very terse account of the resurrection comes from Paul, who wrote in his first letter to the church at Corinth, “Christ was raised to life on the third day, he appeared first to Peter, then to the twelve, and next to five hundred brothers at the same time.“ In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdala and Mary mother of James as they were leaving the tomb, and later Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples in Galilee. In the Gospels of Mark and Luke, Joanna or Salome, as well as the two Marys became the first witnesses of the resurrection. Luke’s Gospel adds that in the same evening, some disciples sensed Jesus’ presence among them along the road to Emmaus and discovered Jesus revealed to them in the breaking of bread together.
In an account appended to the Gospel of John, Jesus called to the disciples from the lakeshore, and invited them for breakfast. In last week’s Gospel according to John there are two joined stories of Easter morning, one in which Peter and the beloved disciple ran to the tomb. Peter looked in and saw the burial clothes lying there, but then went home not knowing what to make of it. The beloved disciple saw the same thing, and the Gospel indicates he began to have a glimpse of what the empty tomb meant. In the second story, which does not seem to have any connection with the first, for there is no interaction whatsoever between the two disciples and Mary at the tomb, Mary was the one who saw the empty tomb and then saw Jesus, but did not recognize him. It was only after Jesus called Mary by name, that recognition began to happen.
Today’s Gospel from John is a continuation of last week’s account. Some of the disciples had gathered in a room, with the knowledge that Jesus was alive, but they were still scared and wondering. Jesus entered through closed doors and the disciples sensed his presence and blessing of peace. Thomas was not present, and later expressed his dismay at having missed Jesus. Then a week later, Thomas was there when Jesus came among them again.
The point the gospels make clear is that there was not just one definitive experience or an instant, easy sign of the resurrection. There were different strokes for different folks and Jesus recognized and seemed very willing to accommodate that.
There is a danger from our perspective to make Thomas into a caricature, when Thomas really stands for many of us. Think about it. Thomas has been away. He returns and joins fellow disciples who share the news that Jesus is alive. Yet Thomas still senses an ambivalence among them that only attenuates a gnawing pain within himself. Thomas knows that he remains an outsider. He must live a while with his pain, for it is a week later, that he experiences the presence of the living Christ. Thomas does indeed discover the joy of resurrection, but not like a sudden flash of lightening that was guaranteed to happen as soon as Jesus walked through the upper room door.
Jesus never reproved Thomas for not being one of the first witnesses of the resurrection. Jesus never said to him, "Well, if you had been here instead of out taking a walk around the Mount of Olives, you would have known what was going on much sooner and been spared all your doubts." If anything, Jesus said, "Blessed are those who seem to be on the outside or who are last in line." Jesus reached out to outsiders like Thomas and welcomed them in. I suspect Jesus was also telling the first disciples, make sure that your initial euphoria or your new found joy does not belittle or add to someone else's' struggle to sense what you already have come to believe. Jesus needs to touch us and we must patiently allow for that to happen to others.
The Easter season is not just a big happy group therapy session that makes everyone who celebrates it feel really good. Easter sends us out from our own cozy spots, to outsiders, and always keeps before us those who are left out or on the edges, still waiting and wondering.
Thomas is the disciple who reminds us that Easter does not just call us to gather and rejoice in the warmth here inside, but to have some concern and understanding for those who are still looking for signs of a real spring or who become discouraged when a snow squall covers up the nascent warmth of the sun. Thomas would never have made fun of our slowness at discovering what many people around us already think they know. Thomas really is the disciple for many of us, and is why, I suspect, it is a blessing his memory is honored right after the euphoria of Easter Sunday. !
