Edward Kleinguetl
Easter-02 (B)
April 15, 2012
Gospel: John 20:19-31
“Do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
“Do not be unbelieving, but believe.” (see foot note 1) For me, this is a passage of Scripture I seem to need to hear more frequently than I care to admit, because the reality is this: it is human nature to have doubts and to experience fear. When I was younger and heard this Scripture passage, I always believed that if it was me, I would be like the disciples who rejoiced when they saw the risen Lord. I certainly would not be like Thomas, would I? How foolish Thomas seemed to have been – he was the only one in the group that did not share the same enthusiasm. He did seem to understand and appeared to have been left behind in his faith – and that would never happen to me, would it? Today, I think: “Thank goodness for Thomas!” It means there is hope for me. While I intellectually believe that Jesus rose from the dead, sometimes I am afraid to live that belief when I am called “to walk by faith and not be sight.”(see fn 2) This means that somehow, the faith in my heart must be lukewarm (see fn 3) and I need to be reinvigorated by Jesus’ words from our Gospel today: “Do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Many times in our lives, we are very much like the disciples in the upper room. The doors to our hearts are locked, seized up with fear, doubt, and despair. The realities of daily life often override the reminders of Jesus to not let our hearts be troubled,(see fn 4) to trust in him, (see fn 5) that trials will not overwhelm us,(see fn 6) and that he is with us always until the end. (see fn 7)
Today, as we reflect on the meaning of the Resurrection in our own lives, let us remember that the Risen Jesus greatly desires to enter into our hearts, wholly and substantially. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.”(see fn 8) Will we open the door of our hearts and allow Our Risen Lord to enter? Will we be believing or unbelieving?
The Resurrection is the central mystery of our faith. Jesus being raised from the dead is our proof that God will never abandon us and the Easter triumph fills us with great joy. It is the ultimate triumph of good over adversity and evil. So, why do we hesitate? Because to let Jesus enter our hearts wholly and substantially means to allow him to lead our lives; it means that we must make ourselves vulnerable and to trust in him and not ourselves; and because of our human nature, it’s that vulnerability that creates fear and uncertainty, the shackles that often lock the doors to our heart. We like the vision of the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor; it is the other mountain, Golgotha, which gives us pause to think.
However, we cannot take the joy of the Resurrection out of context. We need to remember that the path to victory leads through Golgotha and the crucifixion. We did not just celebrate Easter last week; we went through the entire journey of Holy Week, from Palm Sunday to Easter; from the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, to the Last Supper, to Jesus’ crucifixion and death on the cross, to the empty tomb. And so it is with the journey of our own lives today; we must believe, not be unbelieving.
Jesus does not deceive us; his way is one of sacrifice and humility. His is the way of the cross. So, what prevents us from opening the doors of our heart to welcome our Risen Lord? Why do we persist in our unbelief? We already know from the Scriptures what an illumined heart must be like; we hear in the Resurrection account of the disciples who, after they had encountered Jesus on the way to Emmaus, said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us?” (see fn 9)Do we think that a heart so enflamed by an encounter with Our Risen Lord can ever be overcome by any of the difficulties or challenges we experience in our lives? The Resurrection in the context of the entire Paschal Mystery is proof that no matter where life leads us, we have a future filled with hope – we have the ability to become children of God. (see fn 10)
As we consider the meaning of the Resurrection in our lives, are we willing, like Thomas, to declare, “My Lord and my God,”(see fn 11) even in the darkest challenges we face?
- Are we willing to surrender to the Will of God and patiently endure the afflictions and trials that come our way? (see fn 12)
- Do we truly believe that everything that happens to us is through the providence of God, and is ordered for our benefit? (see fn 13)
- Do we really believe that God has a plan for us; (see fn 14) that sometimes we simply need to walk by faith and not by sight?
- Are we willing to let Jesus enter our hearts and lead us without hesitation?
- Are we willing to believe, truly believe, instead of succumbing to doubts and uncertainty?
The beauty of Thomas’ profession of faith is that while he seemed to be the most stubborn of the disciples, his profession of faith was also the strongest. Not only did he acknowledge Jesus as “Lord,” but he also acknowledged Jesus as “God.” “My Lord and my God.” He acknowledged what he saw – the risen Lord – as well as what he did not see, the divinity of Jesus. Thomas was not half-hearted in his profession; he plunged in whole: “My Lord and my God!” Thomas is much like so many of us. He is a reminder that we need to shatter the shackles of unbelief surrounding our hearts and to allow the Risen Lord to enter in, wholly and substantially.
As we approach the Eucharistic banquet today to receive the precious Body and Life-giving Blood of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ, Christ truly present in our midst, let us pray for the gift of faith, to with great joy acknowledge the Risen Lord, to surrender our lives to His Will, to walk by faith and not by sight, and allow Him to lead us to the sure victory of Easter joy. “Do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
1Jn. 20:27(b).
22 Corinthians 5:7.
3See Rev. 3:15-16: “I know your works; I know you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”
4John 14:1: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”
5John 14:1: “You have faith in God, have faith also in me.”
6See. Matt. 6:25-34 and Luke 21:12-18. “Not a hair on your head will be destroyed” (Lk. 21:18).
7Cf. Matt. 28:20.
8Rev. 3:20.
9Luke 24:32.
10See John 1:12 and 1 John 3:1.
11Jn. 20:28.
12Cf. Wisdom 3:5-6. “Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of Himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings, He took them to Himself.”
13“Above all let us be convinced that nothing can happen to us apart from the providence of God.” Dorotheos of Gaza, Discourses and Sayings. Transl. Eric P. Wheeler. Taken from Cistercian Studies Series, No. 33, (Cistercian Publications, Kalamazoo, Michigan): 1977. 143. (Discourse VII, “On Self-accusation.”)
14Cf. Jeremiah 29:11-14.
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