John 20:24-31; Ephesians 4:7-16; Judges 6:36-40
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Seeing is believing, so it is said. And yet, Jesus says that those who have believed but have not seen are blessed. There is no contradiction. Both statements are true at the same time. There are many ways to come to faith, but it is the Holy Spirit who creates and sustains faith through the Word of the LORD. Jesus predicted His death and resurrection in the hearing of His disciples no fewer than three times. Though the Lord had told them plainly what was going to happen to Him, they didn’t understand or believe Him, even when it unfolded before their very eyes. No one who approached Jesus’ tomb on Sunday morning expected to find Him alive. The women were going to anoint a dead body. Their chief concern was who was going to roll away the great and heavy stone from the entrance of the tomb.
Those same women went and told Peter and Jesus’ disciples that the Lord was risen, just as He said, but the disciples did not believe them. Peter and John raced to the empty tomb. Peter looked in and was confounded, but John looked in and believed. All the disciples, except for Thomas, were present that Easter evening when their resurrected Lord appeared amongst them behind locked doors. They saw and they believed. Then they went and told Thomas who infamously proclaimed, “Unless I see in His hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into His side, I will never believe.” The following Sunday the disciples were gathered together once again, and this time Thomas was with them. Once again Jesus appeared amongst them, and He invited Thomas to see and to touch His wounds. Now, having seen, Thomas believed, and he proclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” “Have you believed because you have seen me?” Jesus asked; “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Who are those who have not seen and yet have believed? Well, that’s all of us! That includes everyone who ever lived prior to the birth of Jesus, which is the vast amount of human existence. And that includes everyone after Jesus’ ascension two thousand years ago. But that also includes people like St. Paul, who lived over two thousand years ago, but who became a believer in Christ after His ascension. Paul was not a witness of Jesus’ death or resurrection, nor was he one of Jesus’ disciples. In fact, Paul, formerly known as Saul, was a persecutor of the followers of Jesus for four to seven years before his conversion, arresting them, fining them, and overseeing their executions. The resurrected and ascended Lord Jesus appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus and appointed him to be an Apostle to the Gentiles. Like Saul, now Paul, the Gentiles are among those who had not seen and yet would believe by the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the Word.
Seeing is believing, so it is said, but I’m not so certain that’s accurate. Seeing can confirm belief, that is most certainly true, still many believe without having seen, and our Lord Jesus even commends and blesses such faith. Nevertheless, we like to see for ourselves; we want to see for ourselves; we need to see for ourselves. Seeing, touching, smelling, tasting, hearing, these are our senses and our means for interacting with the world outside of ourselves. We depend on these senses and perceptions to confirm what is real from what is not, what is true from what is false, what is good from what is bad. Moreover, God created us with these senses so that we can perceive Him and know something about Him, that He is good, that He loves us, that He is faithful, trustworthy, dependable, and will not fail us. Indeed, that is why the Lord gives us things we can see and touch and taste and smell and hear. That is why the Lord gives us the Sacraments – Word, water, body, and blood.
That is why the Word became flesh and made His dwelling amongst us. That is why the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, the Son of God, was made incarnate. That is why we celebrate Christmas. In Jesus born of Mary God came to His people who could not come to Him. That of which we have heard became someone we could see and touch and hear, confirming that which we had heard. And in His death and resurrection He has given a means of grace through which we can commune with Him personally and receive Him into our selves. We must not deride Thomas for his need to see and touch. We share that same need, and our Lord Jesus became flesh and dwelt amongst us so that we could believe. For the same reason He washes us with water in Holy Baptism and feeds us His body and blood in and with the humble bread and wine. Our creator God who made us knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows what we need, and He graciously gives us all things we need for our bodies and souls, now and unto life everlasting.
Yes, faith in God and His Word is the most important thing, the most needful thing. Yet, God in His grace and mercy gives us so much more than that; He gives us things we can see and touch and taste and hear and smell to confirm what He has given us in His Word. Our God always works through means. In the garden He attached His Word to two specific trees. Abraham was given the sign of circumcision as a confirmation of the Covenant promise. The LORD carved His commandments into tablets of stone for Moses and Israel. He baptized Israel in the Red Sea and gave them manna and quail to eat, and water from the rock to drink. God spoke to His people in days of old by the Prophets, John the Baptist being the last. And now in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son. And still the Son speaks by pastors called by God through congregations to serve them with His gifts of Word and Sacrament. Still, He baptizes, still He absolves, still He proclaims, still He feeds, still He sends. All these gifts He gives, not through Word alone, but through Word and Sacrament, that your faith should be strengthened and that you should be equipped for every good work He has prepared for you to do. He even works through you to bring this Good News to others just as the women told the disciples, and the disciples told Thomas, and Thomas proclaimed, “My Lord, and my God!”
Almighty and ever-living God, You strengthened Your apostle Thomas with firm and certain faith in the resurrection of Your Son. Grant us such faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God, that we may never be found wanting in Your sight; through the same Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
In the + Name of Jesus. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment