St. John 20:19-31
Quasimodo Geniti—2nd Sunday of Easter—4/23/2017
Rev. Bradley A. Drew
“Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
In Jesus’ Name,
Dearly Beloved:
Every year, first Sunday after Easter, Thomas comes along for his annual drubbing: Doubting Thomas.
Put yourself, though, in his shoes for a second. Thomas had to be thinking, “Why signal ME outfor such special treatment? Why did Jesuswait until I wasn’t there? He had to know. Why signal me out like that?”
Ever been there, thinking Jesus has signaled you out for some reason?
I know I have.
This happens.
That happens.
This goes wrong.
That goes wrong.
This doesn’t work out.
That doesn’t work out.
“Why, Jesus? Why did You allow that? Why did Yousend this? You had to know better, didn’t You? ”
And it’s not so far from,
“Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe—”
Who says Jesus rose from the dead?
And, if He did—who says He rose from the dead—for me?
Maybe the biggest trial, or temptation, is not so much when we don’t see proof of that out there, in the world around us—but, when we don’t see proof of that….right here, in ourselves, in our ownheads and heartsand prayers and works……and lives.
What then?
“Unless I see it, I won’t believe?”
I know.
Me, too.
I’m not always helped, either, by a constant bombardment of emails from a relative who, I know, means well, but—over and over these emails are about his own excitementand joy and love and zeal and devotion and commitment and new life he’s now living Christ.
I’m happy for him.
Not long ago, none of that was true.
I just wish……
When I heard from him…….
I heard more, or, even just something, once in a while—about God’s love and God’s joy over this, and God’s excitement and zeal and devotion and commitment to poor sinners like ME because of Jesus and His cross and rising again.
But—that’s not in any of his emails. If it is, it’s just added on at the end somewhere as an afterthought—somethingjust assumed, but never spoken or shared.
I guess some just feel more at home with David in the heat of battle slaying Goliath—than with David in the doldrums of everyday life falling for Bathsheba, then killing Uriah to try and cover his tracks.
Some just seem to relate better with Peter in the garden, unsheathing his sword, cutting cut off the right ear of the high priest’s servant—than with Peter on the water beginning to doubt, beginning to sink, or, Peter denying Jesus three times, that he even knew the Man.
Maybe some just feel more a kindred spirit with Abraham taking Isaac up Mt. Moriah for sacrifice—than with Abraham despairing over God’s promises, taking matters, and then Hagar, into his own hands.
I guess some are just more at ease relating to the St. Paul who “can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me” than with the one who cries out: “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”
What about you?
Are you part of that army standing tall and strong, at attention every day, full of vim and vigor?
Or, you part of that army Ezekiel saw in that valley, full of dry bones with no life in you at all?
“Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off.”
Do God’s people really sound like THAT?
Yes, they do.
My Bible says, “They do!”
“Oh, MY people,” says God.
My people—
Because I promise NEVER to deal with them, with you, according to all, or to any, of your sin. I gave that, all of that, to My SonHe went to the cross for you—for all of you.
My people—
Because by His death for you on the cross—whatever is damnable about you, any of you, all of you—is covered now by His Blood.
You are holy in My sight.
My people.
And when I raise you up from your graves—then, you will know; then you will see; then you will find righteousness not just looking outside yourself, but even looking inside.
What a day THAT will be.
But, for now—that’s not our righteousness with God, is it?
Looking inside.
That’s just scary.
Leaves too many questions.
Now, I know—both David’s, both Abraham’s, both Peter’s and Paul’s live inside each of us.
There are times when I do feel excited and energetic about the things of God. Full of faith and love.
But, there are also times, so many of them, when I don’t feel alive to God. When I don’t see any faith or love at all within.
My spiritual life is like a roller coaster—up one moment, down thenext.
Racing higher and higher one second, but, plummeting lower and lower and still lower the next.
And tragically, there will always be people telling us—
If you really are Christian, a child of God, saved, whatever—your life should always be an upward climb, higher and higher every day, more in love with God, more in tune with Jesus, more energy, devotion, excitement, whatever.
But, it doesn’t work that way.
“I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh”—says the Bible.
Nothing good.
And the old Adam within? The Bible says:
“He is growing corruptaccording to deceitful lusts.”
Not growing better—but, just the opposite: getting worse all the time.
It’s a battle.
Warfare.
That’s the language the Bible uses to describe the life you and Ihave been given, called to, in Christ.
Picture a soldier in your mind who has been in battle day after day, week after week, year after year—and he knows full he’ll never get out of the war until the day he dies.
What sort of image do you have?
Of someone running around laughing all the time, endlessly giggling with enthusiasm, a big smile plastered on their face, going on and on with excitement about battles fought and battles still to come?
If that’s the image you have, the soldier you’re picturing is probably very young and inexperienced.
Talking to a chaplain years ago, I learned—as a general rule—the older you get, the further the military wants you from the front line of battle.
Because the older you get, the more sane you become; to more you appreciate how mortal you really are.
No more foolishness or false bravado coming from you.
That’s much the way it is for the Christian:
We know the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. And we know, he wants to devour us.
We know this world is not at all partial or welcoming of the Jesus we have received and learned about in God’s Word.
And we also know—our own sinful flesh is more than capableof its own darkness and evil—shaming our own names and reputations at the drop of a hat, despite our best intentions.
Wish it wasn’t that way.
Wish I had something more within, more changes, more spirit, more power, more proof in me to lean on.
“Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
“Unless I see some spark within, some change, some difference, some goodness, some godliness, something like I see in those around me who seem so excited, so in love with God, in tune with Jesus, so self-assured….”
“I just won’t believe.”
I won’t believe that He is risen.
Or, if He is, that He is risen—for me.
Thank God—
That is NOT the victory St. John writes about in today’s Epistle, when he says:
“This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood.”
What does THAT mean?
You can think of the water and the blood that came pouring out of Jesus’ side,on the cross, when He was pierced with the sword.
But, I want you to picture that water filling up the baptismal font, now. And that Blood filling up the chalice.
And while you’re at it, picture Jesus on the cross giving up His Spirit for you and me so that—wherever His Word now goes, there His Spirit now goes:
With Him.
With the promise of His cross.
With the promise of His empty tomb.
With the promise of His righteousness now covering us.
With the promise of forgiveness every day.
And holiness.
And a Father in heaven Who calls us His own, and promises eternal life.
Whether it’s His Word proclaimed from the pulpit, spoken in the absolution, added to water in Baptism or to bread and wine at Communion……
“For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.”
“And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.”
God has you, now.
Warts and all.
Sins and all.
Foibles and all.
He has you, now.
And He is holding on.
Not letting go.
Forgiving all that needs forgiving.
Saving.
Calling you His.
Holy in His sight.
An heir to eternal life.
Someone whose grave He will open on the Last Day.
And then, you will know.
You will know—looking without or even within—nothing butpeace.
Peace because of Jesus and the promise of His sacrifice on the cross.
“And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”
Our faith.
Because, Jesus is our faith:
The One Who saves.
The One Who makes all the difference.
The One Who is promised to poor miserable sinners, Whocomes to you and me, now, in His Word, in His Water, and at His Supper.
To say to you and me:
“Peace.”
“Peace to you.”
“Peace—becauseMy Father always checks in with Mefirst, and with Me last, whenever He checks in with any of you.”
And all Three of us agree as one, on that.
Peace, even if I never sense or feel it in the world around me?
Especially if I never sense or feel it in the world around me.
Peace, even if I never really see it in me?
Especially if I never really see it in me.
Because this peace—
Is Jesus.
Jesus only.
Jesus always.
His love.
His zeal.
His energy.
His saving commitment to poor miserable sinnerslike you and me—in His Word, in His Water, and at His Supper.
And that’s ALL the faith you and I need.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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