Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, 7 so that the genuineness of your faith-- being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire-- may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1.3-9, NRSV)

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." 24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin ), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." 26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." 27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." 28 Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." 30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written 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. (John 20.19-31, NRSV)

Sermon for the 2nd Sunday of Easter, Year A

“WHERE THERE’S HOPE, THERE’S LIFE”

The news events have covered the whole range of human experience in this week after Easter. It has gone from the lowest to the highest, covering the heights of joy and the depths of despair. There have been devastating storms in the South and a royal wedding in England. Amid the other news of the week, there were these in once-in-a-lifetime events. It fit this week after Easter well to hear stories both of lives snatched from the brink of death and of the beginning of a wonderful new life together. I caught these on radio and they said that you had to see the destruction of the tornados to believe it all. The descriptions on radio did not do it justice. Those who saw it tried their best to tell us about it. They also sent an experienced war correspondent to cover Prince William and Kate’s wedding. They asked him about it, figuring that having been in conflict-torn areas, he might not have much interest in the celebration. It turned out that he found it to be exciting. What he said, too, was that you had to be there to appreciate it.
The Gospel reading is of one the Jesus’ appearances. The disciples were hiding in fear and Jesus appeared to them to reassure them. He gives them peace and shows them his wounds. Thus they believed. Well, not all of them, as there was one, Thomas, not there at that time. He was not there and so was not able to appreciate it. And when he heard the story of what had taken place, he doubted. He makes this bold statement that he wants proof, absolute proof, wants to see for himself and touch Jesus’ wounds. And when the disciples were together a week later, Jesus appears to them again and lets Thomas see and touch his wounds. Then he, too, believed. It is better to believe without needing to see, but those who are honest in their doubts are heard and he gets the chance to believe, too. Jesus does not scold him or reject Thomas, but instead helps him. Once, though, he had been allowed to see for himself, he had no doubts. His doubts are changed into expressions of great faith as he sees for himself who Jesus is. Jesus is not only alive, having been raised from the dead; he is Thomas’ Lord and God. Now Thomas knows that Christ is alive and with him. Faith is born in him.
We come to faith by hearing, or seeing, or touching the Risen Lord. There are times when faith comes by touching or being touched, just as Thomas had the chance to do. There are times when faith comes alive then, is most real to us then. Mary Brown tells the story of how the ups and downs of fertility treatment left her exhausted. She knew that God was with her and yet longed to feel God’s embrace. When she went to pick up her daughter from preschool, the teacher walked over to her and gave her a hug. She concludes with this thought: “Maybe she simply wanted to let me know I was welcome, or maybe she saw a sadness in my eyes or heaviness in my step. Whatever it was, Laura Stein’s hug encouraged me in a way nothing else could, that, yes, God would carry me through this ordeal. Through her, He had even granted my desire to physically feel His love.”
We get the chance to see Thomas’ faith grow under the patient work of Jesus who helped him grow beyond his doubts. And we get the chance to see how Thomas’ faith grows into full confidence. He now knows that Christ is alive among them. He had to see it for himself, but once he did he believed strongly. This offers hope to all who may need to be strengthened in their faith. It is that Jesus is not done with us and can guide us into stronger faith if we honesty seek him, give him our doubts, and let ourselves feel the reality of his life among us.
In the First Letter of Peter, the author likewise proclaims a faith based on the resurrection. He blesses and thanks God for the great gift of a new birth into a living hope. All this is through God’s mercy and through Christ’s resurrection from the dead. It is through Christ’s new life that we receive the gift of a new life. It is a gift that is perfect and permanent and is able to help the Christians in Asia Minor and us endure suffering. Is not hope because they are alive, as if they produced the hope. It is because this hope is God’s gift, coming from outside themselves, that they are able to live. They believe in Christ even though they have not seen him. They have heard of him and believe. And that faith has the strength to give them joy, even joy in persecution and trials. They are part of this hope because of their faith, because of what Christ has done.
Christ gives the disciples in the upper room many things. To Thomas, he gives faith itself. But they all were given something else besides the joy of knowing that Jesus was alive. It is not only that they have hope because they are alive. It is because they have this hope, they have life. Because they have seen Jesus, they can fulfill a new purpose. From this hope they can live the new life. Jesus gives them peace, but they also are to give that peace to others, and they are given the gift of the Spirit, and he sends them as he has been sent. They are given the chance to do something in the world, to continue his work.
Rick Hamlin writes about the time they got rid of an almost new, large, double stroller. He weighed the possibilities for profit but also thought of a church thrift store near his office. His wife Carol had the last word: “Give it away.” A week later at church a friend had a double stroller that her mother found for her at a thrift shop when she had given up hope of finding one. Jesus’ word to them, too, about the gifts that he gives them, is: “Give it away.” That way Jesus’ presence continues.
John begins to conclude the Gospel by saying that there were many more things Jesus did. And there will be many more things that Jesus does as his followers find this truth, that they were sent and continue to go out into the world to be the living life of Christ to others, to help others see God through them, to let others touch God, to help others find faith, to share Christ’s peace, and to proclaim to all the world that Christ is alive and among us. That is a living hope. Amen.