Second Sunday of Easter: Audaciously Proclaiming the Hope of Resurrection

Unedited Transcript Below:

In the name of god, the father, the son, and the holy spirit. Oh man. Well, as, as we look at our gospel passage today, there's a lot to focus on, right? Uh, john gives us his thesis statement for the whole book of john in this passage These things are in that you may have life and by believing may have or or that you may believe in jesus.

And by believing may have life in his name, right? So he tells us why he wrote the book. Um in a really pedantic way, right? At the end of the gospel of john right? He gives us that thesis statement. The disciples have this interesting encounter with jesus. Where they receive the holy spirit, but it's obviously not everything they're supposed to receive because jesus tells them.

In the book of luke, wait, don't go out until you receive power on high. Um, at the Pentecost, which will celebrate at the end of this 50 day feast, right? And so, the they haven't they've received something, but not everything that they're going to receive as far as the reception of the holy spirit.

Jesus is going through doors, even though they're locked and giving us questions about resurrected bodies and what, what do our resurrected bodies like and is this, is this jesus performing a miracle in his resurrected body and we won't be able to walk through doors, or are we going to be able to walk through doors in our resurrected bodies?

And i think that there's questions there that are kind of fun and interesting to think about and all these could be sermons in themselves, but i think zeroing in on the words of john about his purpose that he wrote, the book that we might believe in him and that by believing might have life in his name.

Um i i was struck this morning with particularly with Saint thomas and with this episode with saint thomas. In the synoptic gospel, saint thomas is only mentioned. In the list of the disciples, that's it. Uh, so matthew mark and luke. Only mentioned him. When they list the disciples. John gives us several moments with thomas, but he's the only one that gives us this famous story about thomas, right?

And i think, Uh, The story that gives him maybe the Uh, i i think probably unfair nickname of doubting thomas. I i i don't think we're always being fair to thomas. Uh, when we refer to him as doubting thomas, but i still do it, like, when, when i leaned was preparing the children's time and she said, what's, uh, what's the gospel passage?

And i said, doubting thomas, you know, like i was the fastest way to refer to it, right? And so i still do it, but i don't know that it's the fairest nickname. To calm doubting thomas. But a question is why why did john give us this? You know, if the entire book of john has written so that we might believe and that by believing with me have life in his name.

He included this so that we might believe. But believing we might have life. Jesus even gives the readers in the book of john as shout out at the end of the episode, right? Blessed are those who without seeing believe talking about us, you know, that are coming after thomas.

He gives us a shout outs down that fourth wall, right? A little bit and and talks to us, we were coming late later.

And i'm struck by the action slowing down in that quote of thomas. Unless i see. Their hands. Or in his hands, the mark of the nails and i placed my finger into the mark of the nails and i place my hand in his side. I will never believe. I actually want to look at thomas as the prototype.

Um, The example, a prime example of what we are to do. When we? To fulfill our calling. Of proclaiming the resurrection. This isn't a talk on the veracity of jesus resurrection and said, it's a talk on the audacity. Of proclaiming, the good news in the face of the brokenness of creation.

Okay, i want you to think about what thomas had just witnessed from the perspective of like when we talk about like trauma. I mean, thomas had shown some courage before when jesus had wanted to go back to jerusalem after they tried to stone him there and all the disciples like you can't go back there.

They just tried to stone you there. It was thomas who said let us go die with him. If that's the end of the story. Let us go die with him. If it's Thomas. Now thomas like everyone else fled. Like all the other disciples flat at the face of his crucifixion.

So he didn't witness the violence of the crucifixion. First hand. However, he'd probably seen crucifixions. Almost certainly he'd seen crucifixions before they were common. Roman's crucifying jewish people was not strange. So, Um, and so he'd seen a crucifixion and he and he knew, he knew about the violence, he knew about the humiliation, he knew about all he had gone through.

But i think along with all the disciples, the main trauma was how wrong it appear that they had been. Right. I mean gosh like the the messiah wasn't going to get strung up on a Roman cross. That wasn't the end of the story, right? And it just appeared, they were so wrong.

We believed this lie. You know, like we we thought this was the guy. And, He's strung up on a Roman cross. Everything was They were wrong. They were wrong about everything. And that's what he did experience. I think more than anything. So along with the other disciples, he was devastated.

And, When the height of evil had flexed, its muscles And the lord of the universe had been crucified. The message of jesus gospel. The the main message, he proclaimed throughout the gospels. The kingdom of heaven is here. Seems so unlikely and impossible, didn't it? I mean, it just seemed impossible.

The kingdom of heaven isn't here. You know, it doesn't look like it's here. And so, Along with the other disciples, he was devastated. You know, and And it seemed audacious. As a priest for i've been a priest for a little for almost 12 years now. Yes, almost 12 years and i've had the opportunity.

To walk with people through some of the most glorious moments in their lives. I've been witnessed to weddings and births, and baptisms, and first, communions and confirmations and ordinations and all of it is wonderful. But i i think i've probably walked with people more through hard times. They're difficult times.

Wait, i seen deaths, i've seen illnesses. I've seen mental health crises. I've seen a strange family's Um, I've seen a lot. And evil still flexes its muscles. Quite a bit, doesn't it? Doesn't evil still flex its muscles quite a bit, doesn't satan still try to like do his worst?

And i become more convinced that and than ever that. To maintain the audacity. It takes to keep speaking good news. We need an encounter with the risen lord christ. It's what thomas needed and it's what we need. Is an encounter with the risen Lord jesus. He knew it. So on Easter Sunday, we'd finished.

What was a glorious holy week? My goodness, it was good. It really was, there was a lot to celebrate. You guys got an email this week with some pictures. Uh, i i, i told you that the the Only thing that i required for people that were taking pictures that they shared him with me.

I didn't get a ton. All right, so some of you didn't fulfill your end of the bargain. When i told you, you could take pictures. Okay. Um, send them to me. I want them all. I want all the pictures, so But i it was an awesome time. Um we got all the clergy.

Got a text on from father kevin though on easter sunday. But um, right when i was laying down to take a nap that father brian Miller, he's our priest impute. Um, in Butte Montana, his 21 year old son had shot himself on Easter Sunday morning and it died and um And so, You know, um, on the day we were proclaiming resurrection.

Evil flex its muscles, right? And so this isn't like a homily about suicide, but i think just anytime it's mentioned, it's important to say like Um, we're tempted to believe lies. At moments where we're struggling with mental health, and One of the biggest lies we tend to believe is That the world's better off without you.

Uh, the the end of suicide. Is. That church full of people weeping, their eyes out yesterday that we were in that. Uh deacon and he was in father, Greg was in, i was in others, all throughout the district traveled, but six hours, eight hours. Yeah, to come be with this, this dad, who just lost his son, but the end of suicide is, is that a hundred percent of the time.

So it's it's just Weeping churches. So Um, if you Feel like hurting yourself or like the world would be better without you just i promise you, it's lie. It's not true and This is a safe space to get help. Please reach out and Um, it, for those of you who have gone through trauma, you might know that often one of my first questions is, hey, are you safe?

Um do you do you like are? Do you are you thinking about hurting yourself? Like, um, And because this needs to be a place where we can find help to for dealing with trauma. Um and and and someone to speak truth into lies. Um, that we're attempted to believe at at the worst times in our life.

But i think like, while we were there and worshiping and it was beautiful the way it came together, our bishop, our bishop gave the best homily. I've heard and So is the saddest thing i'd ever been to and yet i saw the gospel proclaimed, and after receiving the Eucharist we saying a 2006 song from Hillsong called mighty to save.

And we saying savior, you can move the mountains. My god is mighty to save. He is mighty to save forever author of salvation. He rose and conquered the grave. Jesus conquered the grave and i think, what struck me in that moment more than anything else was just, um, The audacity of proclaiming, jesus victory in that moment.

Like the the christians are the people who just keep proclaiming victory in the midst of what brokeness and evil fluxes muscles, and awful things that i can't understand. And i don't try take place, i don't know why god didn't like, write in on a white horse and stop this whole thing.

Like, i, i still don't know a god doesn't tell me all the answers, but i'll, the christians are the people that keep saying, no, jesus wins. Like, that's the end of this story. And jesus is already done. All that is necessary to proclaim victory. And then we have the audacity to keep proclaiming victory in the midst of whatever brokeness is there, you know, the early christians have, always done this.

Thoroughly church was being martyred for their faith. Thomas himself, who had this encounter with the risen? Lord was likely murdered in the first century. And what did they need to proclaim the proclamation of victory in the midst of such. Evil. Which they experience.

They need an encounter with the risen lord. I think it's important to point out that jesus didn't condemn thomas here. Like his words to thomas were exactly the same words that he gave to the disciples that he appeared to before, right? By peace i leave with you. So when he comes to to thomas it's not like new words.

Like well first i need to like get get. What how could you have doubted? What, you know, you're you're an idiot. Like that wasn't the words to Thomas is from words to thomas were peace. I leave with you, right? In the parallel. Passage in luke 24 is almost identical.

They're doubting just like thomas, that's why i think doubting Thomas might be, but when, when jesus shows up, they think they've seen a ghost. And, and luke 24. And he says, touch the wounds, you know, like see that i'm embodied that i'm not a ghost like they're doubting to, you know like they they needed the same encounter with the risen lord christ, that's the point they all did.

That thomas needed. And that's why Cyril of alexandria said, because of his desire to convince the whole world, he most willingly showed them the marks of the nails and the wound of his side because he wanted those who needed such signs as a support for their faith to have no possible reason for doubt.

He even took food, although he had no need of it, that happens in the next chapter and uh of john. Guys, got something to eat, you know, give me something to eat. Like And so thomas, in order to proclaim the good news of the resurrection, in the face of the evil of the crucifixion and the evil that he would continue to experience throughout the world, the evil that we all continue to see, he needed to see the risen lord christ.

He said, unless i see Summit, Thomas knew that in order to continue that proclamation, he needed to see jesus. And the Beatitudes jesus says, blessed are the pure and heart for they shall see god. You'll see god. Thomas Sagat. When he looked at jesus, he saw god. And we need to see god.

We need this third person encounter with god. You know, sometimes when people are doubting or struggling in faith, sometimes what's needed? Isn't an apologetic. It thomas didn't need like a dissertation. An academic argument. Uh, for the veracity of resurrection. Like that's not that's not what thomas needed. He needed to see jesus.

He needed to see jesus. So are you praying for friends and neighbors? You know, maybe Angry. If god. Uh, maybe they're captivated by a false religion. Likely more than anything else. What they need is an encounter with god. They need an encounter with the risen lord christ. Don't try to win an argument with them.

Pray that they will have an encounter with god. Can proclaim answer questions as they come up? Sure. But pray, they will have an encounter with god. That they That they'll see jesus. That they'll see jesus. You know, are you struggling in your faith? Are you struggling with doubt, seek answers?

If there's specific questions that come up. Absolutely. Find answers to questions. But more importantly, ask the lord for an encounter, ask the lord will you will you reveal yourself to me? Will you show yourself to me? Thomas needed to see the risen lord price. Unless i see, he said But Thomas also needed to touch the original lord price in order to proclaim that proclamation of good news.

In the midst of a world that has broken and evil, he needed to touch. Jesus, unless i place my fingers in the, in the, in the nail holes, right? He needed more than a third person encounter. He needed a first person, one. He knew in the face of this tragedy of the crucifixion to maintain the courage to proclaim victory.

He needed a first person encounter with jesus, he needed to touch jesus throughout the gospels, listen, throughout the gospels. People received, jesus touch, don't, they think about that. Just think about when Thomas knew, hey, i need to touch him. He'd seen what his lord had done. Jesus was the one that like touched the leopards, right?

Jesus will the like when everyone else don't touch me because it's because they were right, you know, you know, you don't want to touch someone with a skin problem and then get the skin problem, right? And so i'm not going to touch. Jesus was the one who said no, I reach out.

I touch you and it's my cleanness. That gets contagious. Not your uncleanness. Like that was that was jesus story, right? That's what gets caught. You know, is my cleanness. So jesus touching people and people are receiving his touch and receiving the beauty. That comes from touching jesus. We all need to experience.

Jesus first hand, You need a touch from the lord. We need jesus to touch us. Finally. Thomas needed to unite with a risen. Lord christ. He needed to become one with him.

There was healing from the trauma. At the touch of jesus. But even that wasn't enough. Right. So he could receive the healing touch that he needed. From jesus, but even that wasn't enough. Thomas needed empowerment. Empowerment, that comes. From union with jesus that comes from being one with jesus.

He placed his hand into his side, right? Like place his hand into his side. This uniting with jesus becoming one with jesus. This is always an encounter of grace. There's this him written by Uh, fifth century. No, sixth century, saint romanis, the melodist. He wrote a bunch of hymns.

And he wrote this who protected the hand of the disciple, then. That was not melted when he approached the fiery side of the lord. Who gave it daring and strength to probe the flaming bone. Certainly the side was examined for unless the side, it's applied, abundant power. How could a right hand of clay have touched the sufferings Which had shaken.

What is above and what is below? It was grace itself. That was given to thomas by christ to touch his side and to cry out. You are our lord and god,

Truly the bramble bush, which endured fire was burned, but not consumed. Because of the hand of thomas, i believe the story of moses. For those hand was perishable and thorny, it was not burned when it touched the side that was like, burning flame. Then fire came upon the brindle bramble bush, but now the thorny one race to the fire and god himself looked on guarding both and so i believe.

And so i will praise the one. Who is both god and man as i cry, you are our lord and our god. For truly, the boundary line of faith was circumscribed for me, by the hand of thomas. For when he touched christ, he became like the pen of a rapid writing scribe.

That writes for the faithful faith gushes forth from it, the robber drank and became sober again from it, the disciples watered their hearts from it thomas drained, the knowledge that he sought from it for he drank first, and then offered a draft to many Who have a little doubt.

He persuades them to say, you are our lord god. The grace of god says approach and receive all you need. That's the story. And when we unite with jesus, we receive the power to audaciously proclaim. Victory. In the midst of defeat.

So, We come together in worship and recognize every eucharist service, we encounter the risen Lord Christ. You really like jesus knew that thomas and the other disciples weren't the only ones that needed to see jesus that needed to touch jesus. They need to unite with jesus that they're only hope for proclamation of the resurrection.

In the midst of a world, it's broken. And it doesn't stop being broken, is an encounter with the risenlore christ. He gives us his body and he says, this is my body, take touch. See, eat do it, do it and do it over and over. Because the only way that we can be proclaimed to continue to proclaim audaciously that jesus has one of victory in the midst of the evil that we continue to suffer is that we continually encounter the risen lord christ.

So, saints, draw forth, receive the body of the risen, lord christ and receive, all that you need to continue in proclamation of victory.