Acts 4:32-35
1 John 5:1-6
John 20:19-31

Bishop Untener's Homily

Unfair?

It doesn't seem fair. The other disciples had a visual experience of the Risen Lord. He appeared to them in the upper room. And Thomas - through no fault of his own - missed out on it.

Then, the rest of the disciples expect Thomas to believe in the resurrection just as much as they did. That's not fair. And Thomas tells them that in so many words. He says in effect, "Look. You say you saw Jesus. Fine. But I didn't see him and I'm not going to take this on hearsay! I want to see, just like you did."

They probably argued with him and said that what they saw was real. Jesus even showed them his wounds. Then Thomas gets a little carried away (he's probably ticked off). He says that he wants not only to see the Risen Lord, but also to put his finger into the nail marks, and his hand into his side. (He really didn't mean that. As a matter of fact, when Jesus later invites Thomas to do just that, Thomas doesn't make a move.)

Speaking of Jesus... doesn't he seem a bit unfair? When he does appear to Thomas he says,  "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." Is Jesus saying that Thomas was supposed to believe just because other people told him they saw Jesus?

Jesus and Thomas Converse

As I try to work this out, I picture an imaginary conversation between Thomas and Jesus later that evening when Jesus did appear to him. Thomas starts out by saying, "Jesus, when they told me about your appearance to them the first time, I wanted it to be true. But I couldn't believe it just because somebody tells me I should believe it. Words weren't enough. I needed to experience your presence."

Then Jesus says, "Thomas, when I appeared to the disciples the first time, I poured my Spirit upon them. But it wasn't just upon them. I poured my Spirit upon all people, all creation. I poured my Spirit upon you. And all that week I was right there with you... but you wouldn't open yourself to experience my presence. 

"I wouldn't ask you to believe just because someone else tells you. But Thomas, I was there, with you, and you never let me into your consciousness. There are lots of people out there who never even heard of me, and I don't expect them to turn to me without even knowing about me. But Thomas, you know me. And all you had to do was let me in. You didn't. Now, you see me, and you believe. Fine. But, let me tell you this: "Blest are they who have heard about what I taught and what I did, and who have not seen me, but who have opened themselves up to experience my presence, and have believed."

Jesus Talking About Us

Some of that is what I've called an "imaginary" conversation between Jesus and Thomas. What follows is not imaginary. In the Gospel, Jesus talks about us. Listen to the last words of Jesus in this scene - two sentences. When Jesus speaks the first sentence, picture him looking at Thomas. He says, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me?"  Now picture Jesus looking off into the distance, into the future, and hear him talk about us: "Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."

Imagine that. Jesus is talking about us. And we who have not seen, could say to Thomas, "We didn't believe just because of hearsay. We didn't believe because somebody else told us. We believe because we have experienced the Risen Lord."

The appearances of the Risen Lord in those first days after the Resurrection were miraculous, one-time, special events that aren't available to us. But the experiences of the Risen Lord truly present within us, and around us, and alongside us, are just as real. And these are experiences we can enjoy.

I hope that this Gospel will remind us to open ourselves to what Thomas missed all that week long - the experience of the Risen Lord. This is available to us - sometimes when we least expect it. But I will tell you a time when it's very predictable, and very perceptible: Right here at Eucharist... especially when we come forward and take in our hands the Bread and the Cup, with a full awareness of whom we are receiving. Now that is an experience of the Risen Lord.

Originally given on April 27, 2003