“NO DOUBT ABOUT IT”

JOHN 20:19-31

19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

24 Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.

25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”

28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Aflac! All you have to do is say the word and it brings to mind the television commercials with that whimsical duck.   Did you know that the Aflac duck got fired last month?  Actually, it wasn’t the duck that got fired.  It was the actor who supplied the voice for the duck.  Actor Gilbert Gottfried was fired by the Aflac Insurance Company after he posted some insensitive comments following the earthquake in Japan.   Gilbert Gottlieb tweeted something stupid and now his life has changed forever.   His downfall has also forever changed Daniel McKeague’s life.   Daniel McKeague was  a sales manager at a Minnesota radio station, but now he’s the new voice for the Aflac duck.  He was chosen over 12,500 other people who entered a contest to be the new Aflac duck.

It’s amazing how your life can change in the blink of an eye.   Sometimes your life changes because of something that happens to you..    Raymond Donavan had one of those life changing moments many years ago while flying with President Reagan on Air Force One.   Raymond Donavan was the Secretary of Labor at the time.   During the flight he was summoned to the front of the plane to have lunch with the president.   Just as we walked into the room the hotline rang.  Reagan picked the red phone up and Donavan listened as the president said, “I see.  Okay. Uh.  Huh.  What are my options?”   Donavan’s heart began to race and then he heard the president say, “Okay then.  I’ll have the iced tea!”

Every once and a while something happens and it changes your life forever. It changes for the better when the doctor says, “Congratulations.  It’s a boy.”  It changes for the worse when your boss says, “I’m sorry but we’re going to have to let you go.”

Sometimes your life changes because of something that happens to you and sometimes it changes because of something that you do.   The Easter story is full of those life changing moments.

Look at Joseph of Arimathea.  He will always be remembered for something he did.  He’s the man who provided the tomb that they placed Jesus in after they took him down from the Cross.  Look at Simon of Cyrene.  He will always be remembered for something he did.  He’s the man who helped Jesus carry his Cross.  Then there’s Thomas.  All you have to do is say his name and one word comes to mind.  Doubt!  As soon as you mention his name there’s one word that comes to mind.  Doubt!  Everyone will always remember him as doubting Thomas.  

For Thomas, his life changing moment came when the other disciples told him that they had seen the risen Christ.   When Thomas heard the wonderful news did he shout for joy?  No.  He expressed a doubt that led to a pout.   Thomas could have said, “That’s great.  Do you know what this means guys?  It means that Jesus really is the Son of God!”  Thomas didn’t say that though.  What he said was, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

It was a life changing moment for Thomas.  It’s how he’s remembered today.   You could have one of those life changing moments later today or tomorrow or a year from now.  You never know.  

Zubiru Jalloh had one of those defining moments back in February.  It happened when he found a bag full of money and jewelry in his New York City cab.   Now we’re not talking about a few dollars and a used Timex watch here.  We’re talking about $100,000 worth of money and jewelry. The valuables could have mysteriously disappeared but because of his strong Muslim faith Zubiru Jalloh never gave it a second thought.  He returned the valuables to their rightful owner.   He even had to be persuaded to accept a $1,000 reward.

Now compare that life changing moment with the life changing moment that a man in Methuen experienced about six years ago.  It happened Tim Crabese found a metal box with $100,000 in it in his back yard.  He found the money while he was digging up a tree.   The box had gold and silver certificates in it that were over 100 years old.  Tim Crabese went on Good Morning America to tell his story.  The only problem though is that he didn’t find the $100,000 in his back yard.  He found the valuables while working on a roof he had been hired to repair.

You never know when you’re going to experience a life changing moments which is why God is calling you to pray today.  It’s why God is calling you to read your Bible today. It’s why God wants you to gather every week with other Christians who have decided to follow Jesus.  God wants you to work on your faith today so that when that life changing moment comes instead of stumbling you’ll soar.

God doesn’t you or anyone else for that matter to find yourself on the receiving end of a wake up call similar to the one that a stock broker got one day.  The stock broker was ready to propose to his girlfriend but because he was worth a lot of money he wanted to make sure that he was making the right decision.  So, he asked the head of security at his firm to do a little digging.  The head of security hired a private investigator to run a background check on the potential bride to be.   A week later the private investigator handed in his report.  The report stated that the bride to be “had a spotless reputation except for the fact that she was often seen around town in the company of a stock broker of questionable character.”

When you experience one of those life changing moments you can stumble or your can soar.  If you stumble all the spin in the world might not be able to undo the damage that’s been done.  Just look at Thomas.  Some preachers today try to salvage Thomas and his reputation.  They’ll tell you that sometimes it’s good to doubt.  While that may be true this wasn’t one of those times when it was good to doubt.  That’s because the doubt that you see in Thomas wasn’t healthy or holy.  The doubt that you see in Thomas was self-centered and selfish.  Thomas refused to believe because he felt left out.  Thomas refused to believe because he didn’t want to be the only disciple who didn’t get to see the risen Christ.  

If you have any doubt about his doubt all you have to do is look at what the risen Christ said when he appeared to Thomas.  Did Jesus commend Thomas for his doubt?  No.  Instead of commending Thomas Jesus came about as close as you can to condemning Thomas.   After Thomas puts his hand in the wound and says, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus scolds him.  Jesus says to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The more you work on your faith day in and day out the more you’ll be ready for that life changing moment when it comes.  The more you’ll be able to hear that voice of the risen Christ telling you what to do.  Who knows it might even be as clear as the voice that a man heard one night while walking home. The man’s story is told in the book “Small Miracles.”   As he was walking home he heard a muffled cry for help.  The man quickly realized that a woman behind some nearby bushes was being attacked.   What should he do?   Should he help her?  What if the attacker had a knife or a gun?  Shouldn’t he just run to the nearest phone and call the police?   The man wrote, “I am not a brave man, nor am I athletic, but I became strangely transformed.  I ran behind the bushes and pulled the assailant off the woman.  Grappling, we fell to the ground, where we wrestled for a few minutes until the attacker jumped up and escaped.  Panting hard, I scrambled upright and approached the girl, who was crouched behind a tree, sobbing.  In the darkness, I could barely see her outline, but I could certainly sense her trembling shock.  Not wanting to frighten her further, I at first spoke to her from a distance.  ‘It’s OK,’ I said soothingly. ‘The man ran away,  You’re safe now.’  There was a long pause and then I heard her words, uttered in wonder, in amazement.  ‘Dad, is that you/” and then, from behind the tree, stepped my youngest daughter, Katherine.’”  (Small Miracles, pp 5-7.)

You never know when you’re going to have one of those life changing moments.   However, when your faith is strong you’ll know without a doubt what you need to do.  Amen.

Rev. Dr. Richard A. Hughes

May 1, 2011