Cathedral Sermons
Second Sunday in Easter, April 11th 2010
Readings: Acts 5: 27-32, Revelation 1, 4-8; John 20: 19-31
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. Amen.
We have often heard the expression, seeing is believing. Yet we seldom question whether this is true, or indeed whether belief requires something to be seen or experienced. Years ago, in my first year at university, I was introduced to the French philosopher René Descartes, whose famous statement cogito ergo sum (“I think, therefore I am”) has been taken as meaning that if someone is wondering whether or not he or she exists, that is in and of itself proof that he or she does exist. Naturally, when it came to the end of year exams, after beginning to answer a question on this theorem, I realised half way through that I wasn’t convinced by it, and concluded the answer with a scathing criticism of it. For me, being of a questioning nature, I needed a more concrete basis for belief. Nor was I convinced, at that time, by any of the cosmological arguments for the existence of God.
Each of us may be called upon from time to time to give an account of the basis of our faith. We may do so by recalling events in our lives when we were brought closer to an understanding of our relationship with God, or we may be left with a vague sense that we believe, but can’t quite explain why. Each of us is different, and this adds to the richness of the tapestry of the church.
The Church has always enjoyed a mix of attributes in its members, whether they be the bishop of a diocese, the cleaner of the altar linen, or the member of a parish congregation. Each brings their own experiences, and their own expectations. Everyone also reacts to religious experiences differently, for religious belief is a matter of faith, not evidence. We are a church of believers. Jesus said, “those who believe in me will live even if they die”. For some this belief requires more than it does for others.
In today’s Gospel reading we heard the account of Doubting Thomas’ response to the resurrection of Christ. His is one of several reactions described in chapter 20 of John’s Gospel, including those of Mary Magdalene (initially one of consternation – Jesus’ corpse had apparently been moved), Peter (uncertainty), and the Beloved Disciple (who saw and believed even without knowing the scriptural prophecy regarding Jesus’ resurrection). Each saw, yet not all believed. That is scarcely surprising, for would we have accepted this without question, without doubts?
Thomas responds, not with doubt (as his popular name suggests), but rather with questions, what seem almost like pre-conditions for believing. He was a practical man, seeking evidence upon which to base his belief. For him, faith required a more concrete basis than that which he had seen. Thomas is a man of faith and pragmatism.
Thomas interrupt Jesus in the midst of His farewell to His disciples. Jesus is assuring His followers, “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places ... where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” The practical Thomas replies, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Thomas wants to understand what’s going on, and be able to face the situation.
Later, when the disciples tell Thomas that they have seen Jesus, he answers, “Unless I see the mark of the nails – in fact, until I touch those marks and put my hand in the wound in his side, I’m not going to believe.” This is the response of a practical, literal man, probably the response of many people today. He is concerned that there might be some mistake, that the resurrection might be a delusion, born of desperate hope. Thomas is no more of a doubter than the other disciples, indeed than most of us. He had been willing to die with Jesus. But he has to find out, he needs proof, of the bodily resurrection of his Lord.
In His evening appearance, Jesus shows His hands and sides to the gathered disciples. Rather than rebuking Thomas for his doubts, Jesus offers to meet his conditions. “Put your fingers in my hands, touch my side.” The personal encounter makes Jesus’ resurrection real to this follower. Thomas’s answer, “My Lord and my God!” is a clear sign of his acceptance of the truth of the resurrection.
But believing is neither a matter of seeing physical proof nor of having conditions met. Believing transcends seeing, as Jesus’ congratulatory reply to Thomas makes clear: “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”. Thomas probably did not take up Jesus’ gruesome invitation; Thomas was satisfied by his Lord’s offer. Each of us is different, and what may satisfy one believer may not satisfy all. But once satisfied, whether through the mind or the heart, our faith is certain.
The Beloved Disciple believes when he sees the shroud; Mary Magdalene when she hears Jesus’ voice speak her name; the ten apostles when they see His wounds; St Thomas when he is invited to touch them. But better than all of these is a faith that needs no such support from experiences of the senses.
The Lord is calling His followers to move from the discipleship which rests on a bodily Presence to one which is perfected in a spiritual union. The cross which we pick up is not a physical thing but an idea, an idea in which the reality of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ is central. We are the body of Christ.
Today we do not expect to be given personal evidence of the resurrection. Our faith is based on personal spiritual reflection and experience, the teaching of the Church, and that of our own parents and godparents. For most of us, it is a faith that needs no support from the senses, as Thomas initially did.
Ultimately the appropriate response to the reality of Easter involves being transformed by the Word of God. Christ died for our sins; at least we can believe in Him, as Thomas finally did, and follow in His footsteps as best we may. Belief alone is not enough.
Our personal discipleship can take many forms. Today the New Zealand Prayer Book commemorates George Augustus Selwyn, the first Bishop of New Zealand, and of Auckland. He was a great missionary bishop, with enthusiasm and energy, and excellent organisational skills. Selwyn turned the Church in New Zealand from a collection of disorganised outposts into a well-established province. He was the right man for the time and place. A deeply spiritual bishop, with less concern with worldly matters, might have been disastrous for the early Church in these islands. Selwyn’s faith, his belief in the reality of the resurrection and the presence in his own age of the risen Lord, and his discipleship, were reflected in his work. Let us learn from him, and from St Thomas, and put our faith to work.
May the God whose love surprises questioning and conquers death continue to guide us as we walk with God, through Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.