John 20:19-31 May 1, 2001
John gives us Pentecost early. Jesus breathes on them, gives life as Adam received it. Receive holy spirit/breath/holy life force/itself. then they are to forgive. Forgiveness is living in Easter light. Easter is lived out as a community of forgiveness. Too often the church seems to expect us to know what this is and how to work with it. The Tuesday class is devoting two classes to the topic. This is a good example of Peter's living hope. Jesus appears and says hello/shalom or could it indeed by peace. Forgiveness offers peace in relationships; it allows them to live. Jesus is giving them the authority of rabbis to say what is forgiven or unforgiven as permissible or impermissible. After the footwashing, Jesus gave the command to love one another. To love, to forgive is an Easter sign; forgiveness is love in motion when love is threatened by hurt. Forgiveness revivifies relationship. A friend of mine sent me a prayer from a Methodist bishop. notwithstanding its doubtful pedigree, it had something I liked. Its refrain was Easter us, making Easter an imperative verb. Easter us into forgiving.
We then move right into disbelieving/unbelieving/not believing Thomas. Thomas does not doubt as we would use the word. The church is guilty of using a poor translation to be an excuse for people to ask questions of the faith. Tillich spoke of doubting as an element of faith, not its opposite. As finite beings, we cannot be certain of the reality of being grasped by the infinite. Indeed what we call faith, he calls a "narrow castle of certitude: (Courage :76) It reminds me a bit of a a Woody Allen character who says that god regards him a sthe loyal opposition.
Thomas now sees what the disciples saw-as he missed the first appearance (why?)? Jesus is no mere spirit, as his body bears the open wounds left from the crucifixion. The past is no illusion; Jesus bears its scars. Although Jesus moves through doors, his appearance has a palpable reality. This risen Jesus is aware of what happens here, not distant or removed. Jesus has a talk with Thomas. Jesus doesn't pout or withdraw but engages Thomas where he is, but Jesus does not forget his words. Jesus doesn't criticize him or correct him about some trivial mistake, doesn't complain about him. Forgiveness doesn't wipe away the scars of the past, but it does make them bearable.
Forgiveness could well be the early church's sole resource and maybe ours as well.This passage breaks the third wall with the ending, as we who believe but don't get to see Jesus, are directly addressed. John includes us. Notice that Jesus does not criticize Thomas. One of the things we do constantly that may well require forgiveness is criticize people. Indeed here Jesus gives him precisely what the has asked for. He doesn't say that Thomas has not lived up to his expectations; he doesn't shame him or ;lay down guilt; he is not trying to assert superiority. He accepts him for who he is. David Augsburger has the insight that we resist forgiveness because we do not want to lose the edifying feeling of being one up, one above in the moral realm. It's that cloying sense of someone saying I forgive you for a transgressio, but then bringing it a lot. We're across the river from Missouri, the show me state. We are all tempted to be from Missouri in religion. Thomas would like to see his skeptical nature so honored. If you are the sort who looks for empirical proof in faith, look not to speculation, but to the reality of Christian lives here and now. Learn to embrace the new life with forgiveness.
John gives us Pentecost early. Jesus breathes on them, gives life as Adam received it. Receive holy spirit/breath/holy life force/itself. then they are to forgive. Forgiveness is living in Easter light. Easter is lived out as a community of forgiveness. Too often the church seems to expect us to know what this is and how to work with it. The Tuesday class is devoting two classes to the topic. This is a good example of Peter's living hope. Jesus appears and says hello/shalom or could it indeed by peace. Forgiveness offers peace in relationships; it allows them to live. Jesus is giving them the authority of rabbis to say what is forgiven or unforgiven as permissible or impermissible. After the footwashing, Jesus gave the command to love one another. To love, to forgive is an Easter sign; forgiveness is love in motion when love is threatened by hurt. Forgiveness revivifies relationship. A friend of mine sent me a prayer from a Methodist bishop. notwithstanding its doubtful pedigree, it had something I liked. Its refrain was Easter us, making Easter an imperative verb. Easter us into forgiving.
We then move right into disbelieving/unbelieving/not believing Thomas. Thomas does not doubt as we would use the word. The church is guilty of using a poor translation to be an excuse for people to ask questions of the faith. Tillich spoke of doubting as an element of faith, not its opposite. As finite beings, we cannot be certain of the reality of being grasped by the infinite. Indeed what we call faith, he calls a "narrow castle of certitude: (Courage :76) It reminds me a bit of a a Woody Allen character who says that god regards him a sthe loyal opposition.
Thomas now sees what the disciples saw-as he missed the first appearance (why?)? Jesus is no mere spirit, as his body bears the open wounds left from the crucifixion. The past is no illusion; Jesus bears its scars. Although Jesus moves through doors, his appearance has a palpable reality. This risen Jesus is aware of what happens here, not distant or removed. Jesus has a talk with Thomas. Jesus doesn't pout or withdraw but engages Thomas where he is, but Jesus does not forget his words. Jesus doesn't criticize him or correct him about some trivial mistake, doesn't complain about him. Forgiveness doesn't wipe away the scars of the past, but it does make them bearable.
Forgiveness could well be the early church's sole resource and maybe ours as well.This passage breaks the third wall with the ending, as we who believe but don't get to see Jesus, are directly addressed. John includes us. Notice that Jesus does not criticize Thomas. One of the things we do constantly that may well require forgiveness is criticize people. Indeed here Jesus gives him precisely what the has asked for. He doesn't say that Thomas has not lived up to his expectations; he doesn't shame him or ;lay down guilt; he is not trying to assert superiority. He accepts him for who he is. David Augsburger has the insight that we resist forgiveness because we do not want to lose the edifying feeling of being one up, one above in the moral realm. It's that cloying sense of someone saying I forgive you for a transgressio, but then bringing it a lot. We're across the river from Missouri, the show me state. We are all tempted to be from Missouri in religion. Thomas would like to see his skeptical nature so honored. If you are the sort who looks for empirical proof in faith, look not to speculation, but to the reality of Christian lives here and now. Learn to embrace the new life with forgiveness.
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