Today’s Lectionary Readings: Psalm 133; Acts 2:14a, 22-32; John 20:19-31; 1 Peter 1:3-9; Psalm 117
One of the aspects of our faith that most encourages me is God’s continued willingness to take us where we are at and then work with us. A great example of this is manifested in the way Jesus’ reacts to Thomas in today’s Gospel passage. In that passage, Thomas was not with the other disciples when Jesus first appeared to them behind the locked doors. What was Thomas’ response when he heard what happened? He did what many of us would have done – he doubted. It would have been easy at this point to make a pariah out of Thomas and turn him into another Judas-figure in the story. After all, Jesus had already lost one disciple. What’s one more? And yet Jesus went in exactly the opposite direction. When Jesus appeared to Thomas, Jesus reached out and met the need that Thomas had in order to strengthen Thomas’ faith. This freed Thomas up to go on with his life and ministry. That has been my experience with this God revealed in Jesus. At my moments of doubt and insecurity - when I find myself wanting to make demands of God in order to continue the relationship - there God’s grace and mercy appears and accepts me where I’m at. The best part of it, however, is that God doesn’t leave me there. Just as today’s story culminates with Jesus putting forth a bigger vision for Thomas and the others – “Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing” – the living Spirit often put forth bigger visions for me that help me move beyond the places of doubt and insecurity where I’d been stuck. Today, let us give thanks for a God who meets us where we are at and then helps move us forward. Til next time…
One of the aspects of our faith that most encourages me is God’s continued willingness to take us where we are at and then work with us. A great example of this is manifested in the way Jesus’ reacts to Thomas in today’s Gospel passage. In that passage, Thomas was not with the other disciples when Jesus first appeared to them behind the locked doors. What was Thomas’ response when he heard what happened? He did what many of us would have done – he doubted. It would have been easy at this point to make a pariah out of Thomas and turn him into another Judas-figure in the story. After all, Jesus had already lost one disciple. What’s one more? And yet Jesus went in exactly the opposite direction. When Jesus appeared to Thomas, Jesus reached out and met the need that Thomas had in order to strengthen Thomas’ faith. This freed Thomas up to go on with his life and ministry. That has been my experience with this God revealed in Jesus. At my moments of doubt and insecurity - when I find myself wanting to make demands of God in order to continue the relationship - there God’s grace and mercy appears and accepts me where I’m at. The best part of it, however, is that God doesn’t leave me there. Just as today’s story culminates with Jesus putting forth a bigger vision for Thomas and the others – “Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing” – the living Spirit often put forth bigger visions for me that help me move beyond the places of doubt and insecurity where I’d been stuck. Today, let us give thanks for a God who meets us where we are at and then helps move us forward. Til next time…
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