Yesterday was the 2nd Sunday of Easter. It is the custom of the church to read the story of the doubts of Thomas. So, that’s what we read in John 20:19-31. Take time to read it yourself. It’s a good read. Thomas is the patron saint of all those who have difficulty conceiving of and believing in the resurrection of Jesus. Yet, the story of Thomas is not only a story of doubt; it is also a story of the way that the risen Christ ministers to doubt. “Touch me,” says Jesus. “Feel my scars.”
Easter continues as the resurrected Christ repeatedly appears before his astonished followers. The church is no mere memorial society for a dead and departed leader. We don’t gather on Sundays with the goal to remember the good old days when Jesus walked on earth. We are there on Sundays in worship because the risen Christ has come to us, to be among us, in countless ways. The church is the new family formed by the distinction of the return of Jesus. Back then the disciples huddled behind locked doors, so fearful and timid. Not today! The evidence for the resurrection is you and me gathered on a Sunday morning, singing out loudly!
Here is the good news. Just as Jesus was not stumped by the locked doors, so the risen Christ will not be deterred by any barriers we put up. We have a God who is resourceful, imaginative, persistent, and determined to have us. Even in our lostness, even in our betrayal, the first thing he does at Easter is to come looking for us. He is coming out to get each of us. There is no sure defense against Jesus. There is no way to secure ourselves against his intrusions. There is no home security system that can keep him away! He comes…to breath on us, to give us peace, to make us into the people whose lives allow the hope of God to flow through us and out. Open the door, Jesus, and come on in!
Peace,
Pastor Gary
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