We come again to the text from which comes the account of DOUBTING THOMAS.
Why is Thomas the only one to received a nickname and a negative one at that?
I’m if you think about it, what don’t we refer to Peter as – DENYING PETER, or Judas as BETRAYING JUDAS?
Why this particular nickname?
Many different reason are given for this.
And while this does refers to what Thomas did, i.e. DOUBTING THE MESSAGE OF THE APOSTLES THAT THE LORD HAD ARISEN,
The title of DOUBTING THOMAS identifies a particular wound that Thomas suffered with.
Like Lou Gehrig’s Disease refers to the illness that took a young vibrant baseball player’s life. The medical term for Lou Gehrig’s disease is AMY-OTRO-PHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS, or ALS – a disease the destroys the nervous system.
The title DOUBTING THOMAS refers to a particular kind of wound that Thomas had.
It is a wound that all have – a wound within.
DOUBTING THOMAS refers to the deadly wound of DOUBTING, to that deadly activity of SHIFTING ONE’S FAITH TO SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE LORD.
DOUBT is the wound that sin works upon the heart and life of every human being. We are born with this wound, as David diagnosis his condition in Psalm 51:5 I WAS BROUGHT FORTH IN INIQUITY, AND IN SIN DID MY MOTHER CONCEIVE ME.
Yet in truth, Thomas wasn’t the only apostle afflicted with this wound of doubt. In the details of Luke’s account of that first Easter, we find Jesus chastising the other Apostles for their slowness to believe or doubt: Luke 24:25
AND JESUS SAID TO THEM, "O FOOLISH ONES, AND SLOW OF HEART TO BELIEVE ALL THAT THE PROPHETS HAVE SPOKEN!
Yes, doubting was Thomas’ wound and while many belittle and malign Thomas for his doubt, this day – we thank God for Thomas sharing his wound with the apostles and the Lord.
We thank God that He inspired John to include this account of Thomas.
For you see, Thomas’ wound is our wound.
You see – Thomas lived in the real world just like you and me.
Thomas was dealing with very real events, very real actions or inactions on his part.
He has seen Jesus’ betrayal.
He had abandoned the one He called Lord.
He witnessed the lies and false accusations raised against Jesus
He had seen Jesus wrongly condemned.
He had seen Jesus die.
AND IN ALL THESE EVENTS –
HE WHO LOVED THE LORD –
HE WHO SAID WITH PETER, THAT HE WOULD DIE RATHER THAN FALL AWAY FROM JESUS –
THIS THOMAS – DID – NOTHING.
And where was Thomas on that first Easter night? NOT WITH THE REST OF THE APOSTLES.
HE WAS SOMEWHERE ELSE – WE KNOW NOT WHERE BUT HE WASN’T WITH – THOSE HE LIVED WITH, ATE WITH, STUDIED WITH, WALKED WITH AS THEY TOGETHER FOLLOWED THE LORD.
Yes, Thomas was a man with a wound – a deep wound.
And this was a wound that filled Thomas with pain. The pain of a wounded heart that one suffers at the loss of a loved one, the pain one has from a conscience torn and tattered by guilt, because they’d done a loved one some wrong, and while they certainly regretted it, the one loved died before that he could apologize, he could make amends.
Yes, Thomas was a man of great pain.
The pain of having his life and the future he saw and planned for with the Lord, completely destroyed.
Nothing remained for Thomas – but his wound and the pain it brought.
Yes, Thomas was a man filled with doubt – AND WE NEED TO BE GRATEFUL THAT HE SHARED HIS DOUBT.
You see Thomas is a man who lives in the real world. Thomas needed real things he could count on. For Thomas was a man who had to deal with very real things that yet remained.
We too, like Thomas, live in the real world and have to deal with very real things.
Like the notice that our job has been eliminated.
Like the check that bounced.
Like the child who just won’t listen.
Like the supposed friends who talk behind your back.
Like the spouse who doesn’t seem to care.
Like the conscience, the mind, filled with the voice of echoing and accusing guilt, that will not shut up.
Like the sickness, the cancer, the illness that won’t go away.
Like the desire for something that is wrong. A desire only seems to grow stronger rather than weaker.
Like the moist clotted dirt laying alongside a freshly dug grave.
Yes, like Thomas we must live in a real world with very real things we have to live and deal with every day.
Real things that our eyes and limited reason seem to tell us that God isn’t greater than, God isn’t more than, God isn’t able to deal with these all too real things for us.
Things so real that they seem to prove that God loves other people more than us.
All these very real and very painful things – are nothing other than the CRUSTIES, OF THE HIGHLY FEVERED, AND DEEPLY SENSITIVE SCAB.
A scab that has dried over the deadly wound that sin has made upon our hearts, upon our minds, and upon our lives.
And so we find ourselves standing with Thomas declaring all to boldly with Thomas:
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.”
Thanks be to Thomas for sharing wound.
Thanks be to Thomas for offering his wound up for all to see.
For this is our wound. And it is to Thomas, to Thomas and his wound heart of DOUBT that Jesus comes.
And what are Jesus first words – to Thomas and to all? NOT – WHY DID YOU DOUBT.
No – Jesus says: PEACE TO YOU.
Jesus says there is now no hostility, no war, no division between me and you – we are one.
And what does Jesus do?
Does Jesus shun this DOUBTING THOMAS?
No, he comes to him – and offers Thomas His wounds.
THEN JESUS SAID TO THOMAS, “PUT YOUR FINGER HERE, AND SEE MY HANDS; AND PUT OUT YOUR HAND, AND PLACE IT IN MY SIDE. DO NOT DISBELIEVE, BUT BELIEVE.”
Now this is such a critical thing. A very real thing that Thomas and the rest of the world needs so desperately to note.
Jesus has Thomas – PUT HIS FINGER INTO THE NAIL HOLES IN HIS HANDS. PUT YOUR FINGER HERE.
HE HAS THOMAS PUT HIS HAND INTO HIS SIDE. AND PUT OUT YOUR HAND, AND PLACE IT IN MY SIDE
Now I want you to think about a fleshly wounds you had. Wounds that you and I have suffered: Whenever we get cut or scraped or the like.
Within a few minutes to an hour the wound has dried over. It has scabbed over. God’s way of having the body protect itself.
Now in this room Jesus comes with His wounds, wounds he has had for now 10 DAYS.
Remember it is a week after Easter that Jesus comes to the apostles in their locked room.
If Jesus wounds are like ours – wouldn’t they’d be dried over? Wound they’d be sealed over.
Yet Jesus has Thomas put his finger into the nail hole. He has Thomas put his hand in his side.
NOW HERE’S QUESTION – HERE’S THE GOSPEL.
WHAT KIND OF WOUND – REMAINS OPEN?
WHAT KIND OF WOUND REMAINS UNSEALED?
WHAT KIND OF WOUND IS ANYONE ABLE TO PUT THEIR FINGER AND HAND INTO?
ONLY A RESURRECTED WOUND? –
ONLY A WOUND THAT FOREVER REMAINS AN OPEN LIVING WOUND.
A RESURRECTED WOUND THAT LIVES – NOT TO BE HEALED – BUT A WOUND THAT LIVES TO HEAL THE MORTAL WOUNDS OF OTHERS.
This resurrected Christ, this Christ who would not remain dead, this Christ who is resurrected to remain and reign as our Lord and Savior, forever bears in His body – living resurrected wounds.
Resurrected wounds that Jesus brings and invites Thomas to touch, so that sin’s wound of doubt might be healed and he believe.
Living wounds that remain to heal us of our wounds.
Now do we understand the prophesy of God through Isaiah the Prophet: 53:5
HE WAS WOUNDED FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS; HE WAS CRUSHED FOR OUR INIQUITIES; UPON HIM WAS THE CHASTISEMENT THAT BROUGHT US PEACE, AND WITH HIS STRIPES, WITH HIS WOUNDS WE ARE HEALED.
What does Jesus touch us with in baptism - his holy life and death, his holy flesh – his holy wounds that yet remain to heal us of sin’s wound.
What is wanting forgiveness, but a cry that we might touch those resurrected wounds that they might rule over our all too real wounds, that we might be healed.
What is confession of our sins – but offering up, as Thomas did – our wounded hearts and actions that Jesus might come and touch us with His wounds and we be healed in forgiveness.
What is the absolution that a proclaimed, but Jesus touching us through the Pastor’s flesh, with His fleshly wounds that remain to heal and make us whole.
Every time we come to the Lord’s Supper, what is it but Jesus’ words on in the locked room: PEACE TO YOU –
COME – TOUCH ME AND BE HEALED.
COME – TOUCH ME, RECEIVE MY WOUNDS THAT I OFFER.
COME TOUCH MY WOUNDS THAT WILL REMAIN TO FOREVER HEAL YOU SO THAT YOU MIGHT BELIEVE.
PEACE TO YOU.
Wounds that once touched by them, we say boldly with Thomas:
MY LORD AND MY GOD!
THANK GOD FOR THOMAS SHARING HIS WOUND, BECAUSE IT IS YOUR WOUND AND MINE.
THANKS BE TO JESUS WAS WOUNDED FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS.
THANKS BE TO JESUS WHO IS RESURRECTED AND EVER REMAINS – TO COME, TO OFFER, AND TO WORK HIS RESURRECTED LIVING WOUNDS UPON US AND OUR WOUNDS – THAT WE MIGHT BE HEALED.
CHRIST IS RISEN – HE IS RISEN INDEED.
CHRIST IS RISEN – HE IS RISEN INDEED.
ALLELUIA!
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