JOHN 20:19-31
SOME OF US OLD FOLKS
REMEMBER WHEN MAHATMA GHANDI WAS MAKING THE NEWS. HE WAS A HINDU
HOLY MAN WHO LED INDIA TO INDEPENDENCE IN A PEACEFUL REVOLUTION. AS
A YOUNG MAN HE STUDIED LAW IN ENGLAND, WHERE HE EXPERIENCED
DISCRIMINATION. AS A YOUNG MAN HE HAD LIVED IN SOUTH AFRICA, WHERE
HE SPENT TWENTY YEARS FIGHTING FOR INDIAN RIGHTS IN SOUTH AFRICA,
BEING JAILED AND BEATEN ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION, AND ONCE BEING
SENTENCED TO A FORCED LABOR CAMP. HE THEN WENT BACK TO INDIA AND
SPENT THE REST OF HIS LIFE WORKING FOR INDIAN INDEPENDENCE. HE
REFUSED TO CONDONE VIOLENCE ON THE PART OF HIS FOLLOWERS. GHANDI
PROVED TO THE WORLD THAT NON-VIOLENT RESISTANCE COULD CHANGE THINGS
THAT SEEMED UNCHANGEABLE, A LESSON LEARNED AND APPLIED BY PEOPLE LIKE
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., AND LECH WALENSKA OF POLAND. GHANDI WROTE
THAT AS A YOUNG MAN STUDYING LAW IN ENGLAND, HE HAD READ THE BIBLE,
AND HIS IDEAS ABOUT NON-VIOLENT RESISTANCE CAME FROM THE TEACHINGS OF
JESUS CHRIST. BUT IT WAS NOT LOST ON HIM THAT THE OPPRESSORS OF HIS
PEOPLE WERE CHRISTIANS. HE WAS ONCE ASKED WHAT HE THOUGHT OF
CHRISTIANITY. HE REPLIED, “I LIKE YOUR CHRIST, I DO NOT LIKE YOUR
CHRISTIANS. YOUR CHRISTIANS ARE SO
UNLIKE YOUR CHRIST.” GHANDI HAD LEARNED ABOUT CHRISTIANITY FROM
CHRISTIANS, AND DECIDED THAT WASN'T FOR HIM.
WHEN JESUS FIRST APPEARED
TO THE APOSTLES, YOU WILL NOTICE THAT THEY WERE IN A LOCKED ROOM, FOR
FEAR OF THE JEWS. THAT WAS WHEN JESUS GAVE THEM HIS PEACE, AND TOLD
THEM HE WAS GOING TO SEND THEM FORTH AND THAT THEY HAD THE POWER TO
FORGIVE SINS. PRETTY EXCITING, RIGHT? THE TEACHER WHO HAD BEEN
CRUCIFIED HAD COME TO LIFE, AND NOT ONLY THAT BUT HAD GIVEN THEM THE
POWER TO CARRY ON HIS WORK.
BUT THEY DIDN'T RUSH OUT
AND START PREACHING AND CONVERTING AND CARRYING OUT JESUS WORK. A
WEEK LATER, THOMAS WAS WITH THEM, AND THEY WERE STILL IN THE LOCKED
ROOM. AND THOMAS DIDN'T BELIEVE. WHERE HAD HE BEEN BEFORE? DO YOU
REMEMBER THE OTHER TIMES WE HEARD FROM THOMAS? ONCE WAS WHEN JESUS
WAS TALKING ABOUT HIS FUTURE, THOMAS SPOKE UP AND ASKED, “LORD, WE
DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING; HOW CAN WE KNOW THE WAY?” AND
ANOTHER TIME, WHEN JESUS WAS INSISTING THAT THEY GO TO JERUSALEM
WHERE HE WAS A WANTED MAN, THOMAS TOLD THE OTHER APOSTLES, “LET US
GO DOWN WITH HIM AND DIE WITH HIM.” AND OF COURSE TODAY WE HEAR
THE STATEMENT WHICH WE REMEMBER BEST OF THOMAS, AND IT ALSO IS BOLD,
IN KEEPING WITH HIS OTHER STATEMENTS, “UNLESS I PUT MY FINGERS IN
THE NAIL-HOLES IN HIS HANDS, AND MY HAND INTO HIS SIDE, I WILL NOT
BELIEVE.” I THINK THOMAS, UNLIKE THE OTHER APOSTLES, HAD NOT BEEN
AFRAID; HE HAD BEEN OUT AND ABOUT, IN THE STREETS OF JERUSALEM. IF
HE WAS GOING TO BE PUT TO DEATH BECAUSE HE WAS A FOLLOWER OF JESUS,
SO BE IT. AFTER ALL, HE WAS THE ONE WHO HAD SHORED UP THE COURAGE
AMONG THE OTHER APOSTLES SO THAT THEY WOULD GO WITH HIM TO JERUSALEM.
WHY SHOULD THOMAS
BELIEVE? BECAUSE THE APOSTLES SAID THAT JESUS HAD APPEARED TO THEM?
WELL, IT DIDN'T SEEM TO MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE; THEY WERE STILL COWERING
IN THE LOCKED ROOM, FEARING THE KNOCK ON THE DOOR WHICH WOULD SIGNAL
THAT THE ROMAN SOLDIERS HAD ARRIVED TO TAKE THEM AWAY. THEY HAD TOLD
THOMAS THAT THEY HAD SEEN THE LORD, AND THAT HE HAD GIVEN THEM HIS
PEACE, AND HE HAD SENT THEM FORTH INTO THE WORLD TO PREACH HIS
GOSPEL, AND HE HAD GIVEN THEM THE GIFT OF FORGIVING SINS – BUT THEY
WERE STILL SITTING IN THE LOCKED ROOM. THOMAS LOOKED AT HIS
COMPANIONS AND TOLD HIMSELF, IF WHAT THEY WITNESSED WAS ANYTHING
OTHER THAN A HALLUCINATION, THEY WOULDN'T BE SITTING HERE FULL OF
FEAR.
AND THAT'S A BIG PROBLEM
WITH OUR MODERN CHURCH. WE MAY TELL OTHER PEOPLE ABOUT JESUS, WE MAY
INSIST THAT WE BELIEVE HE IS LORD, WE MAY CLAIM THAT OUR WHOLE LIVES
HAVE BEEN CHANGED BECAUSE OF HIM – BUT WHY ON EARTH SHOULD OUR
FRIENDS BELIEVE US? BECAUSE WE GO TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY? BECAUSE WE
DROP A LITTLE MONEY IN THE COLLECTION PLATE? DO OUR LIVES REALLY
SHOW THAT JESUS HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE?
“WE HAVE SEEN THE
LORD!” WE PROCLAIM. BUT WHAT ARE WE DOING FOR THE LEAST OF OUR
BRETHREN? ARE THERE HUNGRY PEOPLE THAT WE HAVEN'T FED? SICK PEOPLE
THAT WE HAVEN'T VISITED? WHEN PEOPLE SEE US, DO THEY SEE JESUS
CHRIST? OR DO WE LIVE PRETTY MUCH LIKE EVERYONE ELSE – NOT TOO
CONCERNED ABOUT THE FACT THAT 25-50% OF ALL PREGNANCIES END IN
ABORTION; THAT THERE IS A GROWING MOVEMENT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE WHO
ARE SICK, OR OLD, OR HANDICAPPED TO SUBMIT TO PHYSICIAN ASSISTED
SUICIDE; AND WE AREN'T TOO UPSET ABOUT THE FACT THAT OUR SOCIETY HAS
DEVALUED MARRIAGE SO MUCH THAT THE DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE HAS BEEN
EXTENDED TO SAME SEX COUPLES, AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO BOTHER TO
GET MARRIED BEFORE LIVING TOGETHER OR HAVING CHILDREN HAS DECLINED
REMARKABLY. AND WE VOTE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE – WE CATHOLICS ARE THE
DECIDING VOTE IN ELECTING PEOPLE WHO PROMISE US THAT THEY WILL OPPOSE
WHAT OUR CHURCH TEACHES.
AND WHEN JESUS SHOWS
HIMSELF TO THOMAS, THOMAS ANSWERS WITH “MY LORD AND MY GOD!” HE
COMMITS HIMSELF COMPLETELY TO JESUS' LEADERSHIP – HE SAYS “MY
LORD”. FROM NOW ON WHAT YOU ASK OF ME I WILL DO; I WILL LIVE TO
CARRY OUT YOUR WILL. AND WHEN HE SAYS “MY GOD”, HE IS THE FIRST
TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE GOD WHO HAS BEEN WORSHIPED BY THE JEWS AND BY
THEIR ANCESTORS, ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB, IS THE GOD WHO IS THIS
MAN STANDING THERE, AND THAT HE IS WORTHY OF WORSHIP. IN THIS
PROFOUND ACT OF FAITH, THOMAS PROVES HIMSELF THE FIRST TO TOTALLY
COMMIT. AND INDEED JESUS COMMENDS THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SEEN BUT
BELIEVE – BUT I DON'T THINK THAT IS AN INSULT TO THOMAS. RATHER IT
IS A RECOGNITION THAT BELIEF IS NOT JUST WORDS LIKE “WE HAVE SEEN
THE LORD!” TRUE BELIEF IS THE ABILITY TO HONESTLY SAY, FROM THE
DEPTH OF MY BEING, “MY LORD AND MY GOD!” BECAUSE IF YOU SAY
THOSE WORDS AND BELIEVE WHAT YOU SAY, YOUR WHOLE LIFE HAS TO CHANGE.
IN TODAY'S GOSPEL I THINK
WE SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FAITH IN THE HEAD AND FAITH IN THE
HEART. FAITH IN THE HEAD HAS NO TROUBLE BELIEVING IN THE
RESURRECTION, IN THE HOLY EUCHARIST, IN THE TEACHINGS OF THE CHURCH.
SURE, I BELIEVE, THOSE THINGS ARE TRUE. BUT FAITH IN THE HEART IS
FAITH THAT COMMITS, FAITH THAT IS WILLING TO GO DOWN TO JERUSALEM AND
DIE WITH HIM, FAITH THAT WILL LEAD THOMAS TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH,
TO BRING THE GOSPEL TO INDIA, TO DIE A MARTYR FOR DOING THAT.
SO LET US THIS SUNDAY
REMEMBER THOMAS NOT AS THE DOUBTER, BUT AS THE ONE WHO, UNLIKE THE
OTHER APOSTLES, WHEN CONFRONTED WITH PROOF OF THE RESURRECTION,
COMMITS. AND LET US ASK SAINT THOMAS TO HELP US BE PEOPLE WHO ARE
COMPLETELY CHANGED BY THE RESURRECTION, PEOPLE WHO TURN OUR OWN LIVES
OVER TO OUR LORD – PEOPLE WHO WILL CONVINCE OTHER GHANDI'S THAT
CHRISTIANS ARE LIKE CHRIST.
