John 20:19-31
Easter 2 / Year A
Biblical scholars refer to it as
“The Community of the Beloved Disciple.”
John is a teenager when he begins to follow of Jesus. He is the youngest member of the group and, not
surprisingly, outlives all his colleagues, being the only apostle to escape
martyrdom. At some point he moves from
Jerusalem to Ephesus in Asia minor where he leads the local church... his
community.
As the years go by, a
predictable challenge emerges within his flock.
Its roots go all the way back to the first Easter morning: Without a
firsthand experience, how is a person supposed to believe God became a human
being, lived as one of us, was crucified, dead, and buried, then rose from the
dead? Think about it. From the first women at the tomb who cannot
believe what an angel tells them to the disciples gathered in the upper room
fielding initial reports of resurrection sightings to Thomas who is not present
when Jesus first appears to his followers, no one believes their friend is
risen from the dead until they see him, hear his voice, and touch his
body. But for each person present at one
of these encounters, it is life changing.
Each becomes passionate about sharing the good news of God in Christ;
gladly enduring hardships, persecutions, and even death to proclaim their
message.
But as time goes by, John
finds himself in a unique position.
Fewer and fewer people in the community he pastors had met Jesus in
person, let alone seen him risen from the dead with their own eyes. If the first disciples needed concrete proof
to believe, how can their faith be passed on to subsequent generations who never
encountered Jesus in the flesh and blood?
John’s answer? Write it all down. Tell the story in such a way that by the end
every reader might echo the words of Thomas, “My Lord and my God.” The words Jesus speaks to Thomas John
redirects to his faithful flock, “Have you believed because you have seen
me? Blessed are those who have not seen
and yet have come to believe.”
Did you notice in the reading
how the lesson changes from story-telling to narration:
Now Jesus did many other signs
in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to
believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing
you may have life in his name.
Then, as now, passing on the
faith can be a real challenge. One
researcher interviewed hundreds of people to see if he could discern common
factors in how they came to have faith.
He identified four:
·
Having some background experience with a church, perhaps as a
child or in your youth, even if you didn’t connect deeply with it at the time –
your parents dragged you to church.
·
Later in life becoming a part of some kind of faith community where you
feel an immediate sense of welcome – We are glad you are here and invite
you to be one of us... no conditions.
·
A feeling of being free to explore in this new setting – to
learn about its rituals and practices, feeling safe to ask questions about the
faith and what it means for everyday life, and discerning meaningful ways to
contribute which emanate from your own interests, passions, and talents rather
than be driven by organizational needs.
If you notice, these are
factors we in the church can shape in our common life which then play in
significant role in passing on the faith.
Here is the fourth common
factor: Having a sense God wants to know you. For the disciples in the Upper Room and for Thomas,
this feeling must have been overwhelming.
For the rest of us, we have a written record to help us.
When I was a sophomore, one of
our youth group seniors became the valedictorian of our high school. He went on to attend Harvard and from there has
enjoyed a prolific career in academia. I
still remember one of our meetings where he shared his “testimony”, a personal
story of how he came to the faith. He described
a time when, after church on a Sunday afternoon, he decided to read the Gospel
of John from the beginning to the end in one sitting. When he was finished, he sat in silence for a
time and, deeply moved, then and there embraced the Christian faith. John’s record led him to say, “My Lord and my
God.”
Ultimately, passing on the
faith is God’s work. Just as Jesus
appears in the Upper Room and greets his followers, so too he comes to each one
of us. Yes, now it is in spirit rather
than in the flesh, but still, it is unmistakable. It may be in a moment when you are completely
alone, like what happened to my friend.
Or it may come through a community event, like so many of us experienced
at Bill Peachy’s visitation and funeral when we sensed something bigger than ourselves
was present in our midst. It may come
when we are intentionally seeking, perhaps praying in private on a retreat, or
it may come at a completely unexpected moment when we become aware of something
deeply profound, holy, and other. No
matter the setting or circumstances, God’s touch bestows in us the gift of
faith.
We become like those to whom
Peter wrote in our second lesson:
Although you have not seen
him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him
and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy.
Today we give thanks that
those who did see Jesus, who touched him, and had fellowship with him, thought
enough of us to record their experiences and pass them on. And we ponder what we too can do to pass on
the faith we have received. But most of
all, we give thanks that the Risen Lord has appeared to us, moving us to
confess him as “My Lord and my God.
