Click to hear this sermon  sermon090419

  In an old Peanuts comic strip, Charlie Brown is talking to Lucy, as they walk home on the last day of school...

            "Thomas Got a Bum Rap!!!"     Easter II           Text: John 20: 19-31

            Jack Keating                       Cicero United Methodist Church    April 19, 2009

            In an old Peanuts comic strip, Charlie Brown is talking to Lucy, as they walk home on the last day of school. And Charlie Brown says to Lucy: "Lucy, I got straight A's. Isn't that great!"

            And Lucy, in her typical fashion, shoots down poor old Charlie Brown and says: "I don't believe you Charlie Brown. Unless you show me your report card, I won't believe you."

            Can you relate to Lucy? Seeing is believing, isn't it? Most people have to see something before they can believe it. My Dad always used to tell me, "Don't believe everything you hear and only half of what you see". And this seems to be how we often describe the apostle Thomas but I wonder ... .is it really accurate?

            Have you ever felt like you missed something big that everyone else seemed to know?

            Have you ever felt like you were not spiritual enough because of your past failures? Have you ever felt like you could really believe even more in Jesus ... if you could just catch a glimpse of him? Well, if you have ever felt this way you would be in good company with Thomas.

''Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." A week later his disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ''Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, ''Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put in into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, 'my Lord and my God!" Then Jesus told him, ''Because you have seen me, you have believed,' blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed,"

            Thomas has been given a pretty difficult stereotype through the centuries because he often ends up getting called Doubting Thomas. But I question whether that title really fits this man. So maybe this morning we could take a few minutes to "clear the air" and see what we really know about Thomas.

            What do we know about Thomas?

            1. We know that Thomas was likely a fisherman. He may have been a fisherman by trade                      since John's gospel lesson includes Thomas with several other disciples who join Peter          fishing all night. Now this was no casual fishing trip but rather it was a means of trade      and income. In other words, it was work. It also seems to make sense that Thomas could   have been a fisherman because many of the early followers of Jesus came from the area             of the Sea of Galilee. Fishing would have been a major source of work in that area.

            2. Thomas was a disciple of Jesus from the earliest days of Jesus' public ministry. We    know this because this was one of the qualities used to replace Judas as an apostle in the          book of Acts. Thomas had made a choice to follow Jesus and invested all of his life into       seeking more and more of Jesus.

            3.We know that Thomas was an apostle. Also in Luke 6: 13-16 we see that Thomas was          chosen by Jesus to be one of the twelve leaders within the larger body of disciples. Thomas had become one of the core leaders and had spent a great deal of time with Jesus.

            4. We know that Thomas was both loyal and committed to Jesus. In John 11: 16, as Jesus         was facing increasing hostility from the religious leadership and as He was going to raise      Lazarus from the dead, there was great concern that there might be an attempt to kill     Jesus. And it's Thomas, who says when talking with the other disciples, "Let us go also,        that we may die with him." These sure don't sound like the words of a skeptic.

            5. But we also know that Thomas was confused. As Jesus was preparing the disciples for          His coming death and resurrection he told them that He was going to prepare a place for   them and that they would know the way to where they were going. And Thomas very       clearly shows that he really doesn't understand what Jesus was trying to teach them, when    he says, "Lord, we don't know where you're going so how can we know the way?"

If Thomas was such a loyal follower of Jesus what happened to him? How did he ever go from loyal follower to famous skeptic, you might ask?

THOMAS WAS IN A DOWNWARD SPIRAL

            1. Well first, Thomas was in a downward spiral, because he had deserted Jesus. On the             night that Jesus was arrested, all of the disciples ran and deserted him. And Thomas was      no exception. He ran and Jesus died. Can you imagine the kinds of emotions that Thomas        was experiencing? He was afraid, confused, ashamed, dismayed, and distressed. Thomas       had followed Jesus for three years and now it all came crashing down around him.

            2. And Thomas' desertion led to a delay. Thomas does not go back with the other         disciples right away. We don't know where Thomas was, or what he was doing, but he   stayed away from church the week following the crucifixion. And the result is that     Thomas misses out on the fellowship of the other apostles and doesn't get to see the       resurrected Jesus on the first Easter. Imagine knowing for the rest of your life that you          missed the first Easter morning celebration!

            3. And Thomas' delay leads to denial. When he does return to the apostles he hears that            not only was Jesus raised from the dead, he'd appeared to them. The greatest event in all    of history and Thomas had missed it! Jesus was alive and Jesus knew that Thomas had          deserted the fellowship. Thomas, you see, doesn't know what has taken place, how any of   it took place, if Jesus will ever appear again or anything else about the resurrection. All   he knows is that he missed it! And I think Thomas begins denying the testimony of the         apostles because it was far easier than facing the truth about himself.

            4. But then Thomas' denial leads to a demand. Thomas denies the testimony of the         apostles and makes a demand of proof. He tells the others that he will not believe until he        gets to see Jesus for himself. Then he goes even a step further .... he wants to touch Jesus,             put his hands where the nails were and where the spear was put into Jesus' side. Thomas    was quickly caught in a dangerous, downward spiritual spiral. The fact is that he was      slipping quickly and no one but Jesus could get him out.

THOMAS WAS GIVEN A SPECIFIC DEMONSTRATION

            A week goes by and there was no appearance of Jesus and we have no idea what Thomas was thinking ... but it could not have been a good week. Thomas was left to his own lack of focus. Just when Thomas might have been ready to give up any hope of ever seeing Jesus, finally the Lord appears yet again.

            And when Jesus appears and greets the entire group he immediately turns his attention directly on Thomas. At this point Thomas must have been thinking ... "Oh boy, here it comes. Jesus is going to tell me how rotten and horrible I've been."

            But Jesus knew the heart of Thomas because he offers him exactly what he was asking for and Jesus gives him the proof he needed. And we see that Jesus was not offended or angered by the request Thomas had made. Jesus just responds with his usual love and kindness.

            And Jesus then begins to speak to Thomas about the real issue and, as only he can, cuts right to the chase. Jesus tells him to stop doubting and believe. So what does it mean to doubt? There seem to be two key definitions for doubt. The first means to be double minded or to have a lack of focus or commitment and the second means to have no faith at all. Jesus was telling Thomas, I think, that he was moving from the first toward having a faithless life.

            There are times in life when doubt is healthy and reasonable. For instance, a while ago I read a tabloid story on the grocery store check-out rack about how Elvis is alive and living in Hawaii. But I seriously doubt the reliability of that story because it is just not reasonable.

            There is more than enough reason to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead. Jesus was crucified, He was dead and buried, the tomb was empty, and he was seen by many, many people. So many saw him, in fact, that the apostles were changed in radical ways after that first Easter.

            Doubt is not negative until it leads you to choose not to believe. Now while we don't believe everything that comes our way, like the story about Elvis, we are called to believe that account of the gospel and that Jesus is alive.

            Believing means putting your complete trust in someone or something. To believe in Jesus means to depend totally on Jesus and place your trust in him 100%.

THOMAS GAVE A DYNAMIC DECLARATION

            Finally Thomas falls before Jesus and proclaims that He is Lord and God. Thomas goes from demanding evidence to declaring truth. Thomas says that Jesus is Lord of all things and the God of all creation.  And this is one of the greatest statements of faith in the entire New Testament.

            Thomas made a personal declaration of trust in Jesus. So where are you in that process?

Have you made your own declaration of Jesus being your Lord and God?

            Jesus tells Thomas that he believed because he saw and was convinced. Maybe you have been caught in a downward spiral and things have been slipping in your spiritual life. Maybe you have never made the claim to put your trust in Jesus. Maybe you are just waiting for the chance to see some proof. And I can tell you that Jesus is with us now by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. He is here waiting for you to turn from your lack of focus and faith and to proclaim him as your Lord and God.

            It was Augustine who so correctly stated that "Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of faith is to see what we believe."

            What do you believe this morning? Where are you on the journey of your own faith walk?

            What is it that you really need today?

            I do not know what you need this morning but Jesus does. Just as he knew what Thomas needed so long ago, He knows today what you need and he is waiting, even now, to meet that need.      Will you join me in prayer         Amen.