Sermon for 4/11

Let the words my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you O Lord, our strength, and our redeemer. Amen

Seeing is believing! Anybody ever go to a magic show? We all saw the lady disappear into thin area. Where did she go? We saw her disappear, so she must be gone. But then a few minutes later she reappears over there. We all saw it so somehow all the molecules and cells got back together in the right places and over there she is. It must be true. We all saw it.

We’ve overhauled the design into something that everybody will love. That sounds great, but seeing is believing. She wrote us she lost 20 pounds, but seeing is believing.

We all like to see things that are perhaps hard to believe. I read Saturday morning that Ronald Acuňa, of the Atlanta Braves, hit a home run that traveled 456 feet. I didn’t measure it, but I saw it. I believe it. It went a very long way.

I believe the earth travels around the sun, and earth revolves giving us day and night, just the way God made it. So sometimes we can believe without actually seeing.

In second part of today’s gospel reading, we hear the story about Thomas missing out on a surprise visit from Jesus. We remember that on Easter Sunday, Jesus appeared four times to different individuals. The first was to Mary Magdalene and the other women; then there was a visit to Peter. In the afternoon, Jesus appeared to the two on the road to Emmaus. The two returned back to Jerusalem to tell the disciples gathered in the Upper Room and while they still talking about it, Jesus appeared to them with the doors locked. This all happened on the Sunday of the Resurrection—four appearances.

But Thomas was not there. We don’t know why. But when he was told that Jesus was there, he told them he would not believe unless he saw the mark of the nails in his hands and placed his hand in his side. Unless I see his scars and wounds, I won’t believe.

We know what happens next. Jesus makes another appearance behind closed doors a week later. Can’t you see Thomas dropping to his knees? “My Lord and my God!”

But that’s not the end of the story; it’s not even the climax or high point. Jesus responds to Thomas: “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

We have to remember something here. According to John, Mary Magdalene has an encounter with Jesus early that Easter morning. She tells Peter and John, but they don’t believe. Jesus appears behind locked doors in the Upper Room. The disciples then believe, but Thomas is not there and he does not believe. Jesus appears again a week later and then Thomas believes.

The point of the story is not that Thomas doubts. John wrote his gospel to those who had never met Jesus—had never seen him. He wrote it 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. Thomas is an example of the world we are experiencing. Thom-as is an example of the world that needs to hear and see. The world sees the scars, the wounds, the tears, the hurt. But how does the world see love, compassion, grace—everything Jesus personified?

The only way is through us. People see Jesus in how we go about doing and living and working in this world. They hear it in the reading of the scriptures. But the world is looking at how people who read the scriptures and go to those meetings on Sunday, how do they respond to the needs—those who have the wounds and scars. What makes them different? What does the risen Christ mean? What do we show these on-lookers? What would make them want to join the circle of believers?

You and I know that Jesus died for our sins. We know that he was raised from the dead. We know he ascended into heaven. We can live in joy because he did that. We, too, know our ultimate fate. We who believe will live forever with our Lord and Savior. It is that we share with the world.

Seeing is believing!