Doubting Thomas – A Preacher’s Ponderings

Resurrected wounds

Second Sunday of Easter; 7 April 2024; Easter 2B (RCL); Acts 4:32-35; Psalm 133; 1 John 1:1 – 2:2; John 20:19-31.

This passage in John’s Gospel is one of the richest and most consequential in his Gospel, and I would argue, in the New Testament. The narrative portion of John’s Gospel begins (after the Prologue) with John the Baptist seeing Jesus walk by, and declaring, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” In the OT, there is no lamb that takes away sin. That office belongs to the goat on the Great Day of Atonement, so John is inventing a new category of sacrifice here. And we see Jesus die at the exact hour that the Passover lambs are being sacrificed in the Temple court, so the evangelist ties up part of that declaration by showing Jesus as the new Passover lamb. But no mention of sin in the crucifixion narrative.

The wounds of Christ

Second Sunday of Easter; 16 April 2023; Easter 2A (RCL); Acts 2:14a, 22-32; Psalm 16; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31.

The Second Sunday of Easter is often called Thomas Sunday, as we always have this reading from John’s Gospel. However, I think this passage has less to do with Thomas (who provides a literary foil for John’s purpose) than with the wounds of Christ. Thomas doesn’t doubt; he refuses to believe, unless and until he sees and touches the wounds.

Reconciliation

Second Sunday of Easter; 24 April 2022; Easter 2C (RCL); Acts 5:27-32; Psalm 150; Revelation 1:4-8; John 20:19-31.

This passage in John is home to one of the most egregious mistranslations in the New Testament. In almost every translation, Jesus says to Thomas, “Do not doubt, but believe.” There is almost no way to construe the Greek to mean this. What the Greek says is μὴ γίνου ἂπιστος ἀλλὰ πιστός. A literal translation would be, Do not be untrustworthy, but trustworthy. Or, you could even translate as untrusty and trusty. And Thomas doesn’t doubt; he refuses to believe.

Closed doors

Second Sunday of Easter; 19 April 2020; Easter 2A (RCL); Acts 2:14a, 22-32; Psalm 16; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31.

The reading from John’s Gospel seems more relevant this year than ever. Here we are, locked in our houses with the doors closed for fear of COVID-19, and Jesus comes and stands in our midst anyway. And if we’ve ever needed the assurance that the resurrection happens despite our fear, this is the year.