Second Sunday after Easter

I preached this sermon at St. Thomas Lutheran Church in WV. I tried to combat Decision Theology. I welcome your comments.

In the name Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us pray, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14”

Alleluia. Christ is Risen. He has risen indeed. Alleluia. Christ is Risen. He has risen indeed. Alleluia.

That does not get old. Christ has certainly risen and we continue to proclaim that message--My Lord and my God has risen. And today we continue in this Easter season with the very famous story of a man named Thomas whose awe-inspiring faith inspires us each and every day.

Now I love the look on some of your faces. “I thought this was called Doubting Thomas.” Thomas’s faith is awe-inspiring? Actually his concept of faith is at the heart and center of our Lutheran Confessions:
“I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with the Spirit’s gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as the Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith...”

A number of years ago, I was working as a Patient Transporter at St Joe’s right outside Baltimore. One day, I was taking a patient and her family down to have a heart cauterization. This particular patient was in her mid-forties and had a number of different family members there with her. One of them was a nurse and asked if she could walk with the patient down operating room. I didn’t see a problem with that so I dropped the family off at the waiting room and we keep walking down the hallway to the operating room. Now I am the first to admit that the walk to the lab is a very interesting walk. Patients usually would make a confession to me or ask me to say a prayer. This particular patient was very different. As we are walking, the patient’s friend says, “No matter the outcome, Jannie is not afraid because she is saved. Have you found Jesus? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?” The conversation stopped as I wheeled the patient into the operating room and I do not remember how I answered. I was more dumbfounded that both the patient and her friend tried to convert me while being wheeled in to an operating room for a heart operation.

But those two questions have remained with me for several months (years even). Some days I could say yes but other days I could not. I mean, I really try hard to believe, to do everything that a Christian is “suppose” to do. But I fail and when people ask me that question I feel ashamed answering Yes.

It is amazing that this very simple, closed-ended question, who intent is to strengthen an individual’s faith, can ruin the faith of so many. This has become a issue in the Christian church and we need break down these two question for a minute and compare them the text so that we all have a better idea of what the true Christian message is here.

“Have you found Jesus?” Last week, my GPS broke on my way to preach in DC. It was not the best place to break and for a time, I was a bit lost trying to find the nursing home. And I happened to giggle a little when I thought about Jesus getting lost. Have you found Jesus? OMG he is missing?!?! Alert the hounds. The King of the Universe, the Prince of Peace, Lord of Lords is MISSING! No that is not the case. In fact, our Gospel text disproves this idea that we need to find Jesus:
-When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus CAME and STOOD among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
-A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus CAME and STOOD among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Jesus entered into the house. Jesus entered into the locked house. Jesus entered into their locked and fearing hearts and said, “Peace be with you.” The disciples were the one who were lost. They saw Jesus crucified, tortured, laid in the tomb and now the women of their group come running back saying, “They have seen the Lord.” Jesus found Mary in the garden, Jesus called her name and she recognized them. Jesus entered into the Lock room and found his chosen followers--his friend.

“Personal savior.” Now that is an interesting idea. Jesus is my personal Savior. I feel kind of privileged now. “Just keep on bullying me, I am going to sick my friend Jesus on you and he is going to mess you up. He is going take his sword and his shield and just go ballistic on you.” But is that case? Is that the Christian message? Jesus used violence to beat down Satan and death? How quickly some forget the scripture, “At noon, they Crucified Jesus with one criminal on his left and one on his right.” Talk about going ballistic. Jesus won the battle by becoming a victim, by dying on the cross. We are not privileged but rather we are promised that Jesus has conquered death and the grave.

Jesus’ death was not a private act but very public. Jesus ministry was not just for the individuals he touched or the individuals he taught but rather for the entire community, for the entire church both the past, present, and future. Yes, Jesus speaks to us but we are still a part of the church, we are still a part of the community. Notice, it was a week later that Jesus appeared to Thomas. Jesus didn’t find Thomas in a market the next day but he waited till the group was all together. If Jesus was just his personal Savior, why didn’t Jesus just find Thomas alone at night? That is why there isn’t just a personal savior because Jesus never just appeared to one individual but to the entire community just as he appears to us today. There is no personal savior but a Crucified Savior for all--There is a God who so loved the world (THE ENTIRE WORLD).

John Hoffymer wrote an amazing article about the theology of the cross. In this article, he shows Jesus as not just Crucified but a victim of torture and it is through this torture that we Jesus revealed. He writes:
Jesus is raised from the dead with the marks of his torture very much present. When the resurrected Jesus appears to the gathered disciples for the first time in John, he shows them his wounded hands and side. In seeing Jesus with his wounds, the disciples are able to rejoice in “seeing the Lord” (Jn 20:20).
Those marks on his hands, those visible signs of torture and pain--of the Cross--reveal Jesus to us. It is in those signs of torture and victimization that Jesus’ power and grace is revealed. It was here, when Jesus came into the midst of the community, Thomas sees the wounds (not even need to touch them) and proclaims, MY LORD AND MY GOD! Thomas is the first to proclaim Jesus as θεος. The first to proclaim Jesus as God because of the wounds bore on the cross.

So when someone asks you “Have you found Jesus?” I want you to boldly proclaim, “No I have not but he has found me.” When someone asks, “Have you accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?” I want you to say, “No but he has accepted me as broken and sinful--not deserving his love but receiving it all the more.” When someone asks if you have ever seen Jesus I want you to boldly and triumphantly say, “YES, by the wounds on his hands and in side, in the pain and suffering of the world, in the joy and amazement of a young child--There is Jesus. Jesus is always in our midst.” Amen.