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"Hear And Believe"
Easter I April 19, 2009 John 20: 19-31 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! My name is Didymus in the Greek, Tom in Hebrew, Toma in Aramaic, Thomas in your language. Over the years, I have often wondered how Jesus picked me to follow him, to be one of his disciples. I wondered how he came to send me as an apostle. After all, I’m just like everyone else - more courageous perhaps than some, very loyal, persistent, even stubborn until I understand something, some folks think that’s because I’m obtuse - maybe they’re right! But I do catch on, I do learn…and a couple things I learned right away! Following Christ involves a certain amount of risk taking - some physical (the way the authorities were after us), but also to a person’s equilibrium because Jesus turned the world upside down, and in the process he turned us upside down too! Jesus challenges the conventions, precepts, mores of the world, and also of the individual, of you, of me. I learned that following Christ means leaving your comfort zone! We were taking a short cut (so to speak) through Samaria – although Jesus hadn’t said so, I thought it was to save time. Now you need to know that Jewish people and Samaritans don’t mix, not willingly anyway. So we were on our way through Samaria, when the Twelve went to a nearby town to get something for us to eat. Jesus stayed behind at the well called Jacob’s Well. He often wanted to be by himself for a while, so we assumed that was the case. When we came back, we immediately saw Jesus turning conventions upside down! He was talking with a Samaritan. Not only a Samaritan, but a woman. And not only was he talking with a woman Samaritan – Jews don’t talk with Samaritans if it can be helped, and Jewish men don’t talk to women not of their own families – but he had asked her for a drink of water. And in the course of their conversation, he told her “everything she had ever done,” and revealed to her that he was the long-awaited, hoped-for Messiah. She ran off to her village and something strange happened. I had a hard time relating to it because, well, you’ll see why. Some people came to believe in Jesus because of what she told them. I admit to not understanding that at the time. I could much more easily understand those who were intrigued by her story and came to see Jesus for themselves. After all, I’m a pragmatic, practical kind of guy who goes along with the idea that “seeing is believing.” We ended up staying in the village for a couple of days! Sometime after that, we heard that Jesus’ friend Lazarus was ill. We were afraid that Jesus would want to see them, at that time we were in fear of the authorities, the chief priests and others, and Lazarus lived in Bethany, only a couple of miles from Jerusalem. We were relieved when we didn’t immediately head for Bethany. Then Jesus told us he was going to Bethany, that Lazarus was sleeping. One of us said, “he must be getting better then, if he is sleeping,” but Jesus replied that Lazarus had died. So I said, “let us also go that we may die with him.” I wasn’t cynical or pessimistic, just loyal - if you’re following then you’re following, disciples don’t usually die for their master but I’m pretty “black and white” about these things - if you would follow me then pick up your cross daily - I thought it was a figure of speech but in light of day, I was ready to die with him. We went and I saw Jesus standing at Lazarus’ tomb, and I saw Jesus weep, for Lazarus, for Mary and Martha, because death was in the world because of sin, perhaps for the death he faced. Jesus said “move the stone away,” and commanded Lazarus to come forth – and he did. I thought, even the dead hear and obey his voice - he truly is the Messiah. Later, Jesus told us that in “My Father’s house has many rooms - I go there to prepare a place for you - you know the way to where I am going,” “Lord,” I said, “we don’t know where you are going, how can we know the way?” Jesus told us that he is “the way, the truth and the life, that no one comes to the Father except through him.” I realized that in effect Jesus was telling us that he is the journey, the lodging on the way, and the destination. After that, Jesus was arrested, and in the dark of night, we fled. The next day I stood anonymous in the crowd as Jesus was hung on that tree, the cross. In the middle of the afternoon the earth shook, the sky grew dark, and as I heard later, the curtain in the temple tore. I thought it was fitting because as it tore, so did my heart. I wanted to be alone, wanted what you call “closure.” I wanted to understand how this could have happened, the end of my hopes and dreams, the end of my master, my teacher, my friend. Later, on the first day of the week I went to find my friends. The other disciples told me they had seen Jesus! I knew they wouldn’t lie, that they saw something, but what? An angel, perhaps? They said Jesus had told them “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” I then made those comments I have regretted ever since - unless I put my hand in his side and feel where the nails were…” And a week later, we were again gathered in that same room and Jesus appeared to me - for the first time I saw through the eyes of faith - that let me see him in his glory and recognize him as the Son of God. I responded to his shepherd’s voice, “My Lord and my God.” “Because you have seen me you have believed, blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed…” As the Father sent Jesus, so he sent us, so he sent me, so he sends you. Go that others may hear you and believe. AMEN. Rev. Bruce Hannem, Associate Pastor Lutheran Church of the Cross, Nisswa, Minnesota |
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