07 April 2013 “Seeing is Believing” John 20:19-31

07 April 2013 “Seeing is Believing” John 20:19-31 We are, by nature, curious people. My good friend Daniel Everly taught me about our curious nature when he created such an interest in me I went with him a number of years ago on a field expedition with the Rock Art Foundation of Texas. The Foundation is dedicated to the rock art and historic sites throughout the lower Pecos region of West Texas. Over five millennia, aboriginal artists recorded elaborate scenes on the limestone canvas of canyons and rock shelters in an area defined by the lower courses of the Pecos and Devil’s rivers and their confluences with the Rio Grande River. That day we drove and drove and then hiked to the Pecos River and a remote rock overhang where I saw in vivid color the painted images of snakes, bear, deer, human like figures, panthers, and the coolest of all, shamans. I had seen pictures of these images in books. But I was so curious to see them first hand in their natural setting and to hear the stories of how and why folk would record such striking images of life long past that I had to see them for myself. They were spectacular. In today’s gospel, Thomas was faithful to his nature too. He was faithful to his personal drive to know the truth about his life, his world, the experiences he was living and seeing unfold before him as a follower of Jesus. Given the recent turn of events, Thomas was not about to change from his curious ways. He had to see things for himself. That Jesus had died, he was certain. What his friends were now telling him, he was not so sure. He struggled to believe that Jesus was no longer dead. That he was alive and had actually appeared to them and even spoken to them was beyond belief. He had to see for himself what common sense told him was impossible. When I taught at Blinn College it was always a struggle to help my students understand the basis for knowing what was indeed true and real in life and what might be suspect. Often, I found, we confuse our own view of what we think is true for what everyone else actually knows to be otherwise. Often, our personal view is just that, our personal view. Just as often, that view is not what right reasoning knows to be true. Being able to know the difference is a huge accomplishment and for some, why, we spend a lifetime searching for clarity and certainty. Thomas shows us the right way to approach this dilemma. Ask, “Where is your proof?” Say, “Show me,” which is exactly what he did. At some point in our lives we all have asked for more proof about God. At some point in our lives we all have realized that just because people we know, people we respect, or even people we love believe certain things about Jesus, they may be wrong. Their faith claims stops being sufficient proof for us. So we do what Thomas did, we strike out on our own, we study, we read, we pray, we engage in discussion, we expose ourselves to new and different ideas. We begin to define limits for ourselves. We first discover what we absolutely do not accept as the truth. The wacky sounding claims, the rhetorical clichés, the mainstream ideas. They help us turn to scripture, to respected teachers, to the church even and we discover bits of truth here and there. Bits we file away in our believe system. Then we discover truths we hold to be absolute and foundational and solid as a rock. These solid truths become strongly held faith and belief certainties that define our Christian way of living. When it was evening on that day, the disciples were huddled in the upper room. They were afraid of the religious authorities, afraid of the religious folk who resist the message of the Gospel and its light preferring instead to hide in the old ways of holy habit. Even with our rock solid beliefs we Christians can be like this some times. It is easier to hide in our old ways, our comfortable clothing of holy habit. Jesus comes not to rebuke us or the disciples but, with a word of peace, spoken twice. Jesus has atoned for our sins, died on the cross to ensure our salvation, spoken first to Mary, calling her name, then calling ours. We cannot avoid this relationship with Jesus. He has done too much for us to take him lightly. He has come back into the life of the living. He returned from the grave to be with his disciples again and he has returned from the grave to be with us, each of us. And like his disciples, we too are being sent out into the world, we too have been breathed upon, we too received the Holy Spirit at our baptism, we too have therefore become his apostles. Thomas was not there when Jesus came, neither were we. He doesn’t believe until he sees the marks, neither do we – not because we lack faith, remember, we are curious by nature and our skepticism keeps us safe from foolish decisions. Thomas was like us, he wasn’t different from the others, he wants to see the same thing they saw, he wants to see the same things we want to see, “show me the marks” he says. “Show me the marks,” we also say. In the same room with the same group, in church, Jesus comes to Thomas and shows him the marks. Then, like John who had entered the tomb and believed, Thomas believes, he says, “My Lord and my God”. This phrase becomes the later church’s confession and it becomes ours, “My Lord and my God.” This story, we realize, is not only about Thomas it is about us, the church. This is clear from Jesus’ insistence on blessing those who have not seen and yet believe – Jesus embraces us here, the church. Our society has many like Thomas and they want evidence before they believe. They cannot see the marks of the body of Jesus, but they can see the marks on the body of Christ, on us, the church. Society and non-believers and those from non-Christian faiths are quick to point this out. We see you church people! We see what you are doing! Sadly, the marks of today’s Christians do not always convince the many like Thomas in society who want evidence before they believe. Mahatma Ghandi famously said, “I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Unless I see the marks, I will not believe. In the history of Christianity there are marks that would help doubting folk like Thomas believe. The marks we have to show them are the historical stories we tell of our Christian witness. There are many we can tell, stories of people like John Calvin or John Knox or others responsible for the Presbyterian tradition finding its way to America. But, what about ordinary people? We need look no further than this church to find ordinary people who are heroes in the faith. We need look no further than the marks left by the real life stories of people in our own church. We need look no further than the founding families and the ministers of Trinity and Wilshire Presbyterian Churches. We need look no further than the transformative folk that brought life to Genesis Presbyterian Church. These are the marks those who doubt long to see, our history, our tradition, our ministries. Once they see us, then they will believe. People come into our church on a daily basis and we show a great deal to them, and much of what we show is good. Before they can believe, they want to see what it is that marks us as the body of Christ, they want to see what marks us as Christians who are like Christ, they want to see that we not only believe in a redeemer, that we act redeemed. People come into our church on a daily basis and we act like Christ when help them by listening, giving them our love through a kind word or a helping hand. People come into our church on a daily basis and they call our name. They tell us, “Unless I see his mark on you, I will not believe!” They come to worship, we greet them during the passing of the peace, we invite them to our table to take communion with us, we invite them to break bread with us in fellowship at our congregational luncheons, we let them see Jesus’ mark on us when we open our church to them to give them a place of comfort and love when they grieve the loss of a loved one like we did yesterday when we filled this space with folks coming to celebrate the life of the Reverend Clarence Bassett. These are a few of our marks, there are others, you know about them, you know about the wonderful ministry network we have for taking care of one another, for keeping up with one another, for visiting with one another, for loving one another. You know about our Christian marks. Can we then feel good enough about these marks that we will open our arms to folk like Thomas, folks looking for what is true and real about God. Folks who come to see our marks so they may believe. I believe we can and it is obvious we have because those who ask to be shown the marks of Jesus in us want to see the marks in a church, an ordinary church, a safe place, this church. And the greatest truth we show them is the boldly lived claim, “See how they love one another”. See how they love one another and us too. May we bring them to this church? I think so, for through thick and thin, we love our savior and we love one another. Jesus said, “Do not doubt, but believe” that through believing all who come this way may have life in his name and have it abundantly. For they will believe and come this way, to this church, knowing Jesus by our love. What greater gift might we give than to give our love, that others may live. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen 040713.gpc