April
4, 2013 Daniel
Daring Daniel's
previous reflections
How
can I be sure? The story of Thomas
–
Second Sunday of Easter
Acts 5:12-16; Revelation
1:9-19; John 20:19-31
The
Bible story is about spiritual struggle and doubts. When Moses was called by God
to go back to Egypt, he doubted his calling and himself. When Gideon was called
by God to deliver Israel from the hands of Midian, he said: “…but how can I
deliver Israel, when my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least
important in my family?” In this Gospel, when Thomas heard that the Lord is
risen, that He gave the disciples a mission to accomplish, and that He empowered
them with the Holy Spirit, he said: “unless I see, I will not believe.”
Doubt
means to be uncertain about the truth, facts or existence of something. A
doubting person is inclined to disbelieve, to distrust, or to be suspicious.
When Orville and Wilbur Wright were developing an airplane, people snickered
saying it would never work. And yet,
on December 17, 1903, at 10:35 am, they secured their names in the history of
aviation: for twelve seconds, the first powered and sustained flight took place
in North Carolina. When runners set their sights on running the four-minute
mile, the medical world said it was humanly impossible and dangerous to attempt.
Yet, in 1954, Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile. Later on,
Eamonn Coghlan did the same at age forty-one and Kip
Keino at age fifty-five. What seemed to be humanly impossible and dangerous
to attempt has become a reality.
Afraid
of believing
Thomas
was prepared to die with Jesus. When Jesus was going to Jerusalem in order to
face his fate, Thomas said to the others: “Let us also go, that we may die
with him” (John 11:16). By that time, he was sure that the ministry of Jesus
was heading for a disaster. To Thomas, the cross was only what he had expected.
He was disappointed, lost hope and went into isolation. He did not want to be
with the community of the disciples. The death of his beloved master was too
much for him. He wanted to grieve Jesus’ death alone. So when the news
broke that Jesus was alive, the only thing that could cross his mind was:
“do not give me false hope; I do not want to be broken again. You are just
deceiving yourself.”
Have
you ever been in a situation when you wanted to believe so much in the good
news, but at the same time you preferred to close your heart, in order not to be
hurt again? Or are you afraid right now to believe that anything good can still
happen to you? Did life treat you so badly that you became a pessimist?
The
Good News
When
Thomas finally came out of his isolation, the news about Jesus being alive
sounded too good to be true. And he put clear conditions – impossible to be
fulfilled, as he thought to himself – in order that he might be convinced: (1)
see the nail marks in Jesus’ hands; (2) put his finger where the nails were;
(3) put his hand into Jesus’ side. He did not believe, and he wanted to prove
to the others that they were just deceiving themselves.
When
Gideon wanted to be sure that God would use him to deliver Israel, he asked God
for a sign that seemed to be impossible - see the famous trial with the fleece
(Judges 6:36-40). When Hezekiah was told that he would recover from his
life-threatening sickness, he asked for a sign that seemed impossible: to make
the shadow of the sun go back ten steps (1 K 20:1-11). Gideon and Hezekiah
wanted to be sure that what God told them was going to happen. Thomas, on the
other hand, wanted to make others sure that what they saw did not really happen.
How wrong he was! Is there anything impossible for God? After a week, Jesus
stood among the disciples and made Thomas into a believer: “my Lord and my
God!”
Are
you putting God to test right now? Do you also put impossible conditions to be
fulfilled in order to be sure? The Good News is that Jesus is alive. The good
news is that God is able to clear your mind and heart from any doubt.
Believing
without seeing
Jesus
said to Thomas: “blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
And Peter in his first letter says: “Though you have not seen him, you love
him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled
with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your
faith, the salvation of your souls.”
The
Bible tells a great story about the faith of Abraham, who in his old age
received God’s promise that he was going to be a father to many nations. That
time he did not have a child; yet he put his faith in God’s word.
You
can have eyes and yet you may not see the wonders of the Lord in your life and
in the lives of others: the eyes of faith are the ones that matter. For all of
us, the words of Jesus and Peter are still today meaningful and life changing.
We are the ones blessed, because we love and believe in Jesus, even though we do
not see him. We have the same faith ase the first disciples of Jesus. We believe
that Jesus is Lord and Savior, the Son of God, and because of this faith we have
life.
Conclusion
Is
there any doubt in your heart right now? Are you struggling now with some
problems not knowing what to do? Let me give you some advice: do not go into
isolation, do not leave the community of your church! You can meet the risen
Lord among your brothers and sisters in faith. He will come to you and bring you
the good news you are waiting for; he will take all your doubts away. Just see
with the eyes of faith, because only faith gives the assurance of the things we
hope for, which at present you cannot see.