Believing Without Seeing
(John 20: 19-31)
Back when I was one of the sergeants over the DWI Task Force of the Houston Police Department, we had some of the best and most dedicated drunk hunters you could assemble. Charlie Green was one of my road warriors and he was easily at the top of the class. Unfortunately for Charlie he had a reputation for going strictly by the book and rightfully believed that giving a suspected intoxicated driver the benefit of the doubt was asking for trouble. It was believed that he would arrest his own mother rather than give her a break.
I got called into the office to see the captain one day who told me he was getting complaints about Officer Green and the last one was the straw that broke the camel’s back as far as he was concerned. The woman Charlie had arrested had complained that he was very abusive and used inappropriate language during her traffic stop and subsequent arrest. The complaint was particularly egregious, and the captain said he was going to kick it up to Internal Affairs for an investigation. I told the captain that I was unaware of the complaint and that Charlie routinely called me to the scene of any problematic arrest. I also told the captain that Charlie had installed a video camera in his patrol car, and I would see if I could get a copy for the captain to review. This came as news to the captain as the department didn’t have any official cameras in any of their cars. Nevertheless, after the captain watched the video, he told me to extend his apologies to Officer Green, thank him for a job well done, and that he would never question any of his arrests again. The captain said this lady was so drunk, rude, racist, and vile that he was embarrassed watching the video. He also wanted to know how many of his Task Force cars were equipped with video cameras and would I meet with the Command Staff and explain the effectiveness of videotaping DWI traffic stops so that they too could see with their own eyes. Having seen with his own eyes he was now a believer in DWI videotapes. The Apostle Thomas, like my captain, wanted to see with his own eyes before he would believe what the others told him they had seen when the risen Lord appeared before them.
Not seeing and yet believing is what the Apostle John is talking about in our scripture reading for this morning. John tells us that it was still the first day of the week, hours after the women had reported the tomb being empty and being confirmed by Peter who had gone to see for himself, wanting to see with his own eyes. That evening they were all huddled behind closed doors fearing what the Jewish authorities had planned for them when Jesus came and stood among them. Jesus greeted them saying: Peace be with you. After saying this and seeing the shocked looks of disbelief on their faces Jesus showed them the wounds on his hands and side. When the disciples saw the Lord, they were filled with joy and Jesus again said to them: Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I am sending you. At this point you would have to wonder how much more proof they would need. The women told them the tomb was empty and were reminded of Jesus’ words regarding his crucifixion, death, and resurrection by the two angels present in the tomb and Peter’s confirmation that the tomb indeed was empty. Knowing this you would think they would have gone back to what Jesus had told them on at least three prior occasions about what was going to happen to him before their very eyes. Rather than worrying about what they thought the Jewish authorities might be up to they should have been wondering about when they would next see the risen Savior and what was next. In any event, they were filled with joy and before Jesus left them, he breathed upon them and said: Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you don’t forgive them, they aren’t forgiven. Jesus then departed just as he came.
Thomas, one of the original twelve, wasn’t there when Jesus appeared earlier that evening and when he was told about the appearance of the resurrected Lord he replied: Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, put my finger in the wounds left by the nails, and put my hand into his side, I won’t believe. Because of this, Thomas would forever be known as “Doubting Thomas” and from that day forward anyone else who refused to believe unless seeing with their own eyes would be called a “Doubting Thomas”. It would be more appropriate to call him “Absent Thomas” as the others in the room didn’t fully believe until Jesus personally showed them his wounds. In any event, it was eight days later when Jesus reappeared to the disciples who were still hiding behind locked doors. Again, Jesus said: Peace be with you, and then turned to Thomas and said: Put your finger here. Look at my hands. Put your hand into my side. No more disbelief. Believe! Seeing Jesus in the flesh Thomas responded: My Lord and my God! And Jesus replied: Do you believe because you see me? Happy are those who don’t see and yet believe. John closes out this portion of his gospel by telling us that Jesus did many other miraculous signs in his disciples’ presence, signs that aren’t recorded in his scroll but that the things that are written and documented are so that we will believe that Jesus is the Christ, God’s Son, and that believing, we will have life in his name.
Yeah, that’s about it in a nutshell. Happy and blessed are those of us who have not seen with our own eyes and yet believe. Jeus is not dressing down his disciples who have been with him for three years, who have seen his miracles, who have heard his words and listened to his teachings. He’s not berating them for not realizing what was happening as they witnessed his arrest, trial, crucifixion, and death. Try as they may, it was understandably difficult for the disciples to realistically believe after personally witnessing such a brutal assassination. They witnessed it so we wouldn’t have to, and John recorded the details as proof to future generations that it happened just as Jesus said it would and even threw in Thomas for the skeptics. And, just for the record, nobody to my knowledge has ever been able to prove that it didn’t happen just as it was written.
Jesus’ reappearance in this dramatic fashion was to commission the disciples and other followers to go out and continue his ministry in his name. Jesus, the “sent one” now becomes the sender. He gives them the promised Spirit and authorizes them to forgive sins, to tell the people that believing in the Lord in their hearts and professing him as Lord with their lips will lead to their sins being forgiven if they just ask and that eternal life in heaven with the Father is theirs for the asking. As the Father once brought humanity to life, now Christ has brought his church to life.
And we, you and I, are that church but God knows that because we are human, we will need the superhuman power of the Holy Spirit to guide and empower us to do the work to which we’ve been tasked. And the Father knows that we, like Thomas, will have our doubts and that’s okay. It’s okay because our doubt leads to questions, questions lead to answers, and if the answers are accepted then the doubt has done good work.
Jesus looks to future disciples, like you and me, disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, and he confers a blessing upon those who believe without the benefit of seeing. The apostles’ witness to the resurrected Christ is the grounds for the faith of all subsequent believers. It’s the grounds for our belief. Remember that whatever God has asked you to do, your authority comes from Him, and Jesus has demonstrated by words and actions how to accomplish the job he has given you. As the Father sent Jesus, Jesus sends his followers and you, yes, even you because you believe without seeing.
Let us pray.
Yes, we walk by faith, and not by sight. No gracious words we hear of him who spoke as none ever spoke, but we believe him to be near. Gracious and loving Father, we praise you for keeping your word and saving us through your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ just as you foretold long ago. And how grateful we are to lead our lives of faith secure in the knowledge that your Son is ever-present in all that we do. We thank you for the irrefutable story of how the disciples saw our risen Lord so that we may believe in the truth of the cross. In this we take comfort that when our life of faith is done in realms of clearer light that we may behold you as you are in full and endless sight. This we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Believing Without Seeing
Happy and blessed are those of us who have not seen with our own eyes and yet believe.