“YOUR LORD AND YOUR GOD”
Saint John 20. 19-31
Quasimodogeniti - The First Sunday after Easter: 11 April Anno Domini 2010
Fr Watson S.S.P.
Saint John was there. He was an eye witness. He was an ear witness. He should know what happened.
The inspired Biblical author of the Letter to the Hebrews is of course correct when he wrote that faith is the evidence of things not seen. But you still don't like that! Your sinful selves would like a little evidence, a little proof. It's not that you deny the Christ's identity and mission so much as it's that you are impatient at the slowness of the payoff.
You sometimes chafe and become petulant over the lyrics of the children's song "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so," not so much because it fails to go into Pieper-like-depth of systematic theology, but because you don't have ANY EVIDENCE - hard, cold, verifiable, demonstrable, and emotionally uplifting, here & now proof -- that He does love you. Oh you of little faith. Repent of your old Adam's need to look at yourself and look instead at the Crucifix! Paul did not say: "we preach that followers of the Way will be better fed, clothed, and cared for than Sanhedrin members, American Atheists, and Muslims!" No, the Apostle said: "we preach Christ Crucified."
The Lord never said: "when you are my disciple you will be happy, plump, satisfied, stimulated, well-thought of, and surrounded by fawning fans who appreciate you for your thoughts, good-looks, wonderful family and general bon-vivant personality traits!" No, the Messiah said: "pick up your cross and follow me," and "a disciple is not greater than his Master…if they do this to me they will do it to you."
One of the sins of modern Christians is that they tend to confuse the life of a Christian with the life of an American. Messiah does not give you a constitution, bill of rights, property rights, or health care. Messiah gives you remission of sin! Messiah gives you a seat at His Table in His coming eschatological (last times) Kingdom of Glory. Messiah gives you a FAITH right now to believe in His Person and His Work. And, that FAITH, a gift by the Spirit through His Word, worked by the Holy Ghost, is just that FAITH. FAITH is not dissected and run through a centrifuge. Faith is also NOT worn, eaten, spent, or "sat upon like a throne."
The blessed Saint Thomas is one of our favorite Apostles because he is just like all of us. Thomas is a sinner. Thomas is a saint. This absent member of the 12, on Easter evening, is of himself, damned because of his lack of merit and failure to keep the Law. This present member of the 12, the week after Easter and now for all eternity, is IN CHRIST, saved and glorified by Grace through Faith in His Risen Savior.
Thomas' sin is not so much that he didn't believe Jesus' own words about rising from the dead, and the other words of Hebrew Scripture, as that he did not believe the Gospel when it was preached to him by the other 10 pastors in that upper room. When Matthew and Philip and Andrew preached the Resurrected One, Thomas wanted more. Like you, he wanted some evidence. But when you doubt the called and ordained evangelists of Christ's Holy Church Catholic, you doubt Christ. When you reject the either the acrid smell of sin (yours) revealed, and the necessity of the razor sharp scalpel of the Law; or, when you take for granted the sweet savor of the Incensed Good News of Forgiveness, BOTH as preached by Jesus' "sent ones" you spurn Jesus Himself.
When the Lord appeared again, on the first day of the week (Sunday) the second time (a week after Easter Evening) He gave Thomas not a full bank account, retirement package, immunity for his extended family against catastrophic illness, and enough denarii to indulge his hobbies and recreational pursuits. NO, Christ gave Thomas CHRIST. He was there to confront Thomas' hardness of heart, (sin) and, after the Law worked crushing, head bowing contrition, to lift Thomas back up and place him (Thomas) into His WOUNDS. IN CHRIST is safety and succor!
Saint John doesn't tell you whether Thomas kneeled or not. He did, whether physically, spiritually, or both. Thomas not only believed but He confessed "MY LORD and MY GOD!" To this very day, this very morning when I will soon speak your Lord's consecratory Words over simple bread and wine, I will re-speak Thomas' words; and I urge you to speak them softly, under your breath, with me: "MY LORD and MY GOD!" By the presence of Jesus' Body (and Blood - flowing through that Body) in the upper room, Thomas doubts no more. He makes the Creedal Proclamation of all of you. Jesus is God of God, your creator and maker. Jesus is Lord of Lords, the one Master & Liege to Whom you owe all loyalty, fealty, and service to, because He has bought you to free you; He has liberated you to be not His chattel but His family and friends.
The only peace with God comes from Christ's Word of Peace which gives you Sacrifice at Calvary. The only peace with God comes from His breath (His Holy Spirit + spoken and poured upon you) which gives you His resurrection from the tomb of death and hell. The only peace with God comes from His Body and Blood given and shed for you.
The peace of Christ is shown to Thomas, demonstrated if you will, not in power or miracles; not in healing and creature comforts; and not in "answers" to every wild speculation the sinful heart is capable of manufacturing, BUT in His Cross, His Crucifix, that is, by showing Thomas His wounds. In those nail prints, that scarred back and punctured hair-line; and in that riven side, is God for you!
"Reach your finger here (pick up Bible), and look at My hands (make sign of the Cross); and reach your hand here (gesture to font), and put it into My (point to altar) side."
You are not unbelieving but believing: by the work and sacrifice of your Lord and your God!
In the Name of The Father and of + The Son and of The Holy Ghost