On the Way to Wonder

First Reading: Acts 3:12-19

¹²[Peter] addressed the people, “You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk?¹³The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. ¹⁴But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, ¹⁵and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. ¹⁶And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.
  ¹⁷“And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. ¹⁸In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. ¹⁹Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out.”

Psalm: Psalm 4

 ¹Answer me when I call, O God, defender of my cause;
  you set me free when I was in distress; have mercy on me and hear    my prayer.
 ²“You mortals, how long will you dishonor my glory;
  how long will you love illusions and seek after lies?”
 ³Know that the Lord does wonders for the faithful;
  the Lord will hear me when I call.
 ⁴Tremble, then, and do not sin;
  speak to your heart in silence upon your bed. 
 ⁵Offer the appointed sacrifices,
  and put your trust in the Lord.
 ⁶Many are saying, “Who will show us any good?”
  Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord.
 ⁷You have put gladness in my heart,
  more than when grain and wine abound.
 ⁸In peace, I will lie down and sleep;
  for you alone, O Lord, make me rest secure. 

Second Reading: 1 John 3:1-7

¹See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ²Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. ³And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
  ⁴Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. ⁵You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. ⁶No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. ⁷Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

Gospel: Luke 24:36b-48

^36bJesus himself stood among [the disciples] and said to them,  “Peace be with you.”  ³⁷They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. ³⁸He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” ⁴⁰And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. ⁴¹While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” ⁴²They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³and he took it and ate in their presence.
  ⁴⁴Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” ⁴⁵Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, ⁴⁶and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things.”

CHILDREN’S SERMON

         I’m going to read a famous poem about six blind men having an argument.

THE BLIND MEN AND THE ELEPHANT

IT was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind. 

The First approached the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
“God bless me!—but the Elephant
Is very like a wall!”

The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried: “Ho!—what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me ‘t is mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!”

The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:”I see,” quoth he, “the Elephant
Is very like a snake!

The Fourth reached out his eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
“What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain,” quoth he;
“‘T’ is clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!”

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: “E’en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a fan!”

The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Than, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
“I see,” quoth he, “the Elephant
Is very like a rope!

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

So, oft in theologic wars
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
And prate about an Elephant
Not one of them has seen!

         Our text today looks at Easter evening through the eyes of Luke as the disciples and friends gathered behind locked doors discussing the events of the day.  We know that by this time Mary Magdalene has encountered the risen Christ – but no one believed.  Peter has encountered Christ but we do not know the details.  The two on the road to Emmaus have returned to report their encounter.  This gathering is like our six blind men from Indostan who have had an experience and are trying to put their stories together – but just like Jesus’ parables, the meaning is not very clear.  I would imagine that conversation was very animated.  According to Luke, Jesus appears in the midst of the chaos.

“Peace be with you.”

         Can you hear your parent telling you, “Now just calm down and tell me what happened.” I had twins and so I had to make sure both sides shared and of course, they never agreed.  The followers are disbelieving and confused when they enter the room but when Jesus appears, they become startled and terrified. Are they seeing a ghost?  As I write this sermon, we are preparing to go for an MRI.  I admit there is anxiety in the pit of my stomach.  But I also know that when we see the doctor in a few weeks to hear the findings, I will be scared.  We sit on the edge of anxiety as a culture today regarding so many things.  What will life be like for the Queen and her empire after the burial of Prince Phillip?  What will be the outcome of the attack on Iran?  Will violence erupt again when the verdict comes in on the Minneapolis trial?  Those are larger issues that subtly nibble away at us in the midst of our own personal challenging circumstances.  Jesus appears in the midst of these times and says, “Peace be with you.”

         I looked up “peace” on Bible Gateway and they give 340 mentions in the Bible, 163 of which are in the New Testament and Luke mentions “peace” at least 12 times, doubling John and quadrupling Matthew and Mark.  After a healing Luke often has Jesus dismissing the person by telling them, “Go in peace.”  The peace Jesus gives is not the “peace” that signals the end of conflict in the Middle East nor the “peace” I might feel for getting vengeance with my enemy and not even the “peace” of sitting back knowing my barns are full from a good harvest. Bonheoffer was famously known for having amazing peace as he was led to his hanging. 

         Our six men from Indostan argue about who has the best understanding of an elephant and each wants to be heard and be right, there can be no peace.  But if they turn over their individual understandings to a greater power and if they listen to God’s voice, a new kind of wisdom directs their lives and helps them see.  It is not that the circumstances change but perspective changes.  Jesus says, “I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace.  In the world you face persecution.  But take courage; I have conquered the world! (John 16:33)”

         There is also a peace that comes when we give up the right to control our lives and understand everything.  Jesus comes to Mary in calling her name.  Jesus comes to the people on the road to Emmaus in scripture and breaking of bread.  Jesus comes to some like the trunk of the elephant and to others like the leg.  As we sit back and learn from others, we can gain a better picture of what is happening and release our deep expectations on how an event should unfold and what the implications are for the future.  The peace Jesus is talking about is not peace as we expect in our lives today but something deeper and more pervasive. 

         But first things first.  The disciples think they are seeing a ghost.  Jesus invites them to trust their senses.  The test of a ghost was to feel arms where bones can be felt so Jesus extends his arms.  Jesus asks for food.  The resurrected body is obviously different from our worldly body as it just appeared but it also has characteristics familiar to us.  As we calm down, as we come to peace, trusting Jesus to lead us and inform us, we are able to understand reality better.  Jesus is not a ghost, not a story, not a fulfilled prophecy but a real resurrected incarnation of perfect humanness that will walk into our future with us.

He opened the Scriptures

         After we calm down, take a deep breath, and count to ten (sometimes 20) we are able to listen and receive an improved interpretation of reality.  Believing Jesus is risen is only part of the blessing of Easter.  The resurrection provided Jesus’ followers with a new lens to interpret the Old Testament.  A new interpretation of their history was given as Jesus explains scripture. The present trajectory of their lives was changed.  The resurrection changes our understanding of events today as well as events of the past or some promise of heaven.  People thought Jesus was coming to restore the Jews to their former glories and shake off the domination of the Romans.  Jesus came to bring in a new heavenly kingdom that would include all people.  His suffering, death and resurrection were predicted and not a mistake.  Our suffering, death and resurrection is likewise promised in Scripture.  We do not need to think God has lost control because we have problems.  Nor has God stopped loving us.

         Today we grieve the unexpected death of a member of our congregation.  Death never arrives on the right day and a sudden death is even more shocking.  The resurrection of Christ means that the story of life does not end with death, relationships are not ruptured forever, and that in the midst of grief there can be hope and peace.  Not as the world gives peace but peace in Christ.

Repentance and Forgiveness

Luke now turns and faces the future.  The resurrection is not only a fulfillment of prophecy that Jesus would need to suffer, die, but he rose again and the God-story continues. The resurrection informs our future.  People had been thinking in terms of military confrontations to restore the Jews to their former glory.  Their concept of a Savior was informed by their past and their present.  The Jews fought to gain control of the Promised Land and won many battles with great leaders like Joshua, Saul and David.  Surely the coming of the Messiah would mean the defeat of Rome.

          Luke now adds a big AND or BUT. “Repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” We have come full circle to baptism by John the Baptist at the river Jordon.  Preparation for the coming Messiah was preceded by repentance and forgiveness of sin. Preparation for the reign of the kingdom of heaven needs to be preceded by the preaching of repentance and forgiveness.   A new lens, a new directive is here given even as at the last supper Jesus gives a new mandate that we are to love one another.  Our faith is not only about our past separation from God and our future promise of heaven, but it is also about how to live today in the midst of other people.

         Repentance and forgiveness are big words we don’t hear in the news too much unless there is a money tag attached for reimbursement for past injustices.  I might even say that the our present desired change that has led to demonstrations and confrontations with power, sounds awfully familiar to the Jews anticipation of a military victory to remove the Romans.

We love the stories of the battles of David, Saul, and Joshua that brought glory and fame.  But the resurrection is bringing about a “change of plans.”  The way forward is through repentance and forgiveness.

         Repentance and forgiveness are a humbling ourselves beneath a higher judge who sees and somehow orchestrates the events of our life.  We talked about this when we talked about Jesus saying, “Peace be with you.”  Peace and the kingdom come when we repent of our self-centered lives, of our sins of omission and commission, and admit our limitations and blindness.  We are the creature and God is the creator.  We are finite and God is infinite.  We cannot see all of reality.  He is the one who holds the whole world in his hands.  We must come to grips with our limitations. But we must also forgive.  That is admitting the limitations of others also.  They make mistakes, sin against us, and don’t see the whole picture.  When we harbor grudges and shortcomings of others, the love of God cannot work in us and through us.  We become frozen in our lesser self and the world is frozen in wars, rumors of wars, and broken relationships.  The message of repentance and forgiveness must be preached, not victory by confrontation and righting all the wrongs in the world.

         Whew, we don’t hear that on the news.  The resurrection is pivotal in history.  Yes we have a new lens to understand our past and see the hand of God forming the events of our history.  Yes, someday we will rise after death and join eternity with other believers.  But also the resurrection ultimately means that we are witnesses to doing life in a new way given us by the incarnation and resurrection of Christ. 

You are witnesses

         Jesus closes with the affirmation that we are all important because we can all witness to the resurrection.  We are witnesses not because we were there that Easter evening arguing like the Indostans over just exactly what happened but because our lives have been changed by the presence of a risen Savior helping us to meet the daily challenges of life. 

         For some Jesus is a wall of protection from the abuse and evils of this world. 

         For others Jesus is a spear that helps them tackle the challenges of life.  

         Some think of God as a snake, winding its way through their life and they are not sure if he is good or bad. 

         Many experience God like a tree that can be climbed to get higher and get a better perspective on life. 

         Jesus is always a fan that helps us calm down when the going gets rough. 

         And in all cases when we come to the end of our ability to cope, God is a rope we can tie a prayer knot in and hang on to during the ride. 

         We need not argue over who is right, we need only witness to God’s truth in our lives.  Jesus is risen and present in our world today.  Amen!

First Reading: Acts 4:32-35

³²Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. ³³With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. ³⁴There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. ³⁵They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

Psalm: Psalm 133

 ¹How good and how pleasant it is,
  when kindred live together in unity!
 ²It is like fine oil upon the head, flowing down upon the beard,
  upon the beard of Aaron, flowing down upon the collar of his    robe. 
 ³It is like the dew of Hermon flowing down upon the hills of Zion.
  For there the Lord has commanded the blessing: life forevermore.

Second Reading: 1 John 1:1–2:2

¹We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—²this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us—³we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. ⁴We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
  ⁵This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. ⁶If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; ⁷but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

¹We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—²this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us—³we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. ⁴We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
 ^2:1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; ²and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Gospel: John 20:19-31

¹⁹When 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.” ²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” ²²When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

  ²⁴But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
  ²⁶A 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.” ²⁷Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” ²⁸Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

  ³⁰Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. ³¹But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

CHILDREN’S SERMON: Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves

         I was surprised to read this week that the famous phrase we used as children, “Open SAYS me,” was actually “Open sesame.”  It was made famous in the story “Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves.”  Easter season is 40 days long.  Ali Baba hears about a treasure.  “Open sesame” are the secret words that open the cave where the treasure is hidden.  Perhaps this tale can help us.

         Ali Baba married a poor woman and worked as a woodcutter.  His greedy brother, Cassim, married a rich woman.  Ali overhears a thief talking about his treasure hidden in a cave blocked by a rock.  This is sounding like Jesus buried in a tomb with a stone blocking the entrance.  Ali overhears the secret words to enter, “Open sesame.”  To exit, he needed to say, “Close sesame.”  The brother finds out the secret and gets into the cave to take as much treasure as he can but cannot remember the words to leave.  And so begins the adventure.

         Sesame is a small seed that grows in a pod that opens when it is mature.  Can you think of other plants that grow treasures like that: (audience contributions):  Peas, Sunflower seeds, maybe even cocoons for butterflies. I think today’s passage is similar to this sesame seed!  Let’s pray.

Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to you, my Rock and my Redeemer.

SERMON

Last Sunday was Easter and we are now in the Easter season.  For the next 40 days we will focus on the reality of the resurrection that is the cornerstone of our faith.  Last Sunday the women went to the tomb to anoint the body only to discover it was not there.  Angels told them “He is risen!”  Those three words have echoed through history and been debated.  Was the body stolen?  Was it exchanged on the way to the tomb and Jesus never really died because God can’t die?  Many people saw Jesus in the days between the resurrection and his ascension but as they told their experiences they were met with doubt like that of Thomas in our text today.  “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”  Locked hearts respond to the message of Easter with doubt until faith grows.  Ali Baba knows there is a treasure in a cave that is locked by a door and only magic words will let him in – and out.

LOCKED

The disciples were meeting behind locked doors that first Easter Sunday for fear of the Jews.  They had heard the words of the women.  Peter and John had also gone to the tomb and found it empty.  These men had seen Lazarus walk out of his tomb recently and had heard and seen but did not understand.  Their hearts were locked.

         What locks our hearts today?  Many hear the testimonies of people who deeply believe in the reality of God in their lives, but they remain skeptical.  As I have talked with people, I often discover there is a story of disappointment.  Some crisis event happened in their life and God did not resolve it the way they thought it should be dealt with and so trust is broken.  We know the stories.  God let my child die – too soon.  We were sure God wanted us to do something and it backfired in our face.  If God is so powerful, how come there are wars and famines and so many people pounding on our borders.  Evil and suffering are so real and God seems locked in a cave promising treasures we just cannot seem to get to.

         Perhaps people believe that there are many passwords to get into that cave.  Do not all roads lead to Rome?  Christians are not the only nice people in the world.  Common precepts seem to be foundational to all world religions.  Tolerance is certainly the mantra in our world today.  We would not want to appear judgmental and so, while it is possible that Mary saw Jesus, I didn’t.  Our materialism insulates us from faith because life is comfortable without God and we do not want to offend someone who sees it slightly differently.  Treasures are wrapped in kindness, tolerance, and acceptance and we are tempted to deny that the cave has a password.  Who needs more treasure, anyway?

         Also, unlike the disciples, we do not fear the Jews.  Christianity used to be considered the rule of our land.  We are free to gather and worship, until Covid anyway.  The Ten Commandments are generally accepted on face value as good guidelines for life.  We do not deal much with “turn the other cheek.”  Efforts to help the poor and needy have been institutionalized by society and so we now demand the government care for the needy rather than accept it as the role of faith.  The platform of actions that differentiate Christians from society in the first century and in times of crisis has disappeared.  Our treasure is locked in a cave that we feel society should open, not faith.  We no longer need a password, just a vote to pass a law.

         Martin Luther describes the cave of unbelief in the explanation of the second article.  “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.”  Paul describes our fallen state in 1 Corinthians 2:14, “⁴ Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”  The cave of faith is closed with a huge stone and we do not know the right words naturally.  There is a cave.  There is a big stone.  How will we roll it away?

DOUBT

“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe,” says Thomas and many of us who doubt.  Jesus came through locked doors of fear and appears to the disciples who do not believe Mary.  He shows them his side and his hands.  Other Gospels say he invites them to touch him and he asks for fish to eat.  The resurrected Jesus appears, three dimensionally.  It is only as the disciples encounter Jesus that they are able to come to terms with their fears and doubts.  “Peace be with you,” Jesus says and breathes on them.  Open sesame!  The pod, the cave, the heart opens and Jesus walks in.  There is no longer a division between God and his creation and the disciples are at peace.  It reminds me of creation when God creates humans and breathes life into his creation made from dust.  As Jesus breathes on the disciples, life enters, the door opens, and the treasure is there to be shared.

         Thomas has become famous because he was absent from this appearance of Jesus. He doubts the report.  Thomas does not want second-hand faith but demands the real thing.  Sometimes when we share our story it does not appear that anything happens and we get discouraged.  We share our encounter and the magic words but somehow it does not seem to make a difference.  I fear we have made the words into a mantra, “I believe in Jesus Christ as my savior,” is all that needs to happen and instantly we think the person should be saved.  For some, the cave of faith opens just like that, at some revival meeting or after hearing someone share.  The person goes forward or a child kneels by his bed with a parent.  But many others are like Thomas.  We want to encounter Jesus for ourselves.  So how does that happen?

         Many meet the “living Word” reading the written word.  As they read the Scripture a verse touches their heart and faith enters.  The parable of the sower told by Jesus says that sometimes the seed, perhaps a sesame seed, the word of God, falls on good soil and immediately takes root.  Faith germinates.

         Others meet the Lord through prayer.  In college I determined I would read through the New Testament to find Jesus.  I was having a crisis of faith in my World Religions class.  I quickly decided I was not smart enough or patient enough to find faith by analysis of the Bible.  I knelt by my bed and cried.  It was in prayer that God met me.  That emotional experience was grounded in a foundation of Scripture from confirmation and from study.  The apostles had walked with Jesus for three years and so this “aha moment” was the fruition of a preparation process.

         Jesus meets us today in many ways.  Nature, music, testimony and even dreams are ways that God in Christ speaks into our reality today.  As doubt dissolves into certainty about faith, it is as if the pod cracks open or the door of the cave is opened.  Jesus honored Thomas’ plea for proof.  Be patient as we share with others for we are helping to prepared a foundation for the revelation.  The cave can be opened.  We can be at peace.  God breathes on us and we know he is real.

FAITH

The sesame pod opens at the right time and inside is a tiny seed.  Thomas is invited, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas believes and proclaims, “My Lord and my God.”  History has it that Thomas became a missionary to India and died a martyr’s death.  I met a care attendant for an Indian woman and the man claimed he came from the mountain where Thomas was martyred! He was a real person, from a real place, talking about a Biblical person I knew.  He was not Internet information.

         Faith starts like a tiny seed.  It starts like a piece of treasure that Ali Baba found in the cave and claimed to enrich his life.  The faith seed when released from the pod or cave of unbelief, is set free to grow.  The resurrection is the moment when the pod pops open and the journey of faith begins.  In our culture today we buy something and it comes with a warranty for success or at least a phone number to call and talk to someone if you have trouble, and if that fails there is the Geek Squad.  I fear that often we fall into the trap of treating faith in the same way.  Faith should make life work better or easier and if things are not working we expect prayer to resolve the problem and if all else fails, talk to the pastor.  But as you and I know, it isn’t that easy.  Faith is a journey and is a spiritual muscle that needs to be used to grow. 

         I like Thomas’ response to realizing Jesus is risen, is real, and is God.  He says, “My Lord and my God!”  Those words imply that Jesus is not only the creator and provider but is also the master, guiding and directing in ways he may not always like, and Jesus is the counselor, the source of wisdom for the journey.  Take a moment and ponder the title you give Jesus in your heart.  Is he your Lord, your Savior, your Good Shepherd, or your Friend?

         The text concludes:

“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
  ³⁰Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. ³¹But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.”

         We are the people John is talking about and we are the receivers of these testimonies. The story of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves does not quite fit ours but it is similar. Jesus is the one who stands at the door and knocks on our locked hearts, he is the treasure that is found when our heart open, and he is the magic word that comes through our locked doors to us.  We cannot force faith and make that stone roll away. Jesus does.  “By grace are we saved, through faith, it is a gift of God and not of works lest any man should boast.”  May the seed of faith be growing in your heart this Easter season as we learn more and more what it means that Christ is risen and wants to be our Lord and our God.