Let’s face it – Thomas cops a bad rap. According to John’s story (John 20:19-31), Thomas isn’t there when Jesus shows up and reveals himself to the other disciples. Then when they all try to tell Thomas that Jesus is alive again, Thomas has only their word that the impossible has happened. They have put their lives on hold to follow this guy for the past three years, believing that he may be the source of salvation for Israel and perhaps even for all of humanity, only to see this same guy crucified, killed in the most horrible way.
I can’t imagine the level of grief and despair that the disciples are going through. Now, a week after witnessing the crucifixion, they might just be starting to come to terms with what this means for their lives. It’s at that point that Thomas is told that Jesus is alive and well. I don’t know about you, but I reckon if I was Thomas, I’d be angry. I’m just starting to come to terms with this death and you pull this stunt like sort of practical joke that’s in incredibly bad taste. Either that or you’re still so grief stricken that you’re imagining Jesus with you. Either way, I’m trying to cope with my grief and put my life back in order and I don’t have time to deal with your crap. I suspect that’s how I’d be feeling, and I reckon the other disciples would be the same if they were in Thomas’ shoes. Well, maybe not Andrew; he strikes me as being an incredible optimist, but the others for sure. And yet, because it’s Thomas who happens to be missing when Jesus shows up the first time, he now gets labelled as “Doubting Thomas”.
But that’s not the main reason why I feel sorry for Thomas. The way John tells the story, when Jesus shows up to the disciples that first time, he gives a blessing to the rest of them. He says to them: “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (v 21-23). That’s huge. Not only does Jesus apparently give the Holy Spirit into each of them, but he seems to give them the same authority as God over sin and whether they are forgiven: If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.
Couldn’t Jesus have waited until Thomas was there before giving this blessing to the disciples? Why does Thomas miss out on this blessing? Or maybe this isn’t only a one-time deal, just for those ten disciples. Maybe this is a blessing and a promise that carries over to all Jesus’ disciples forevermore, including Thomas?
To clear some of this up, we first have to remember why John, or whoever it is, is writing this gospel in the first place. And John’s quite up front about this. He says: Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name (v 30-31). John tells his readers that he isn’t writing a biography or a history. He’s writing a bunch of stories and moulding those stories specifically in order that you will believe. In other words, John is writing Jesus propaganda, and he’s quite up front about this. He wants you to believe in Jesus. So, if John is writing for people some 60 or so years after Jesus has died and rose again as well as other Jesus disciples later on, then that includes us. As such, we can assume that everything John chooses to put into his gospel, he puts there because it’s relevant to us. So when we get to this bit about Jesus blessing the ten disciples, I can’t imagine John putting that in there unless that blessing was relevant to us as well, as the later disciples of Jesus. Otherwise, it’s just historical trivia, and John’s already told us that that’s not why he’s writing this.
So does that mean that we have the power to determine whether or not God forgives sins? Well, no, I don’t think so. I don’t think that’s what Jesus is saying here at all. In this story from John, he has Jesus turn up and the first thing he says is, “Peace be with you.” He shows them his scare and then he says it again, “Peace be with you.” The first direction is for peace, but it is peace wrapped around the costly sacrifice. Then he says, “As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.”
Remember, we’ve said that John’s not writing historical trivia. He’s writing stuff that is relevant for us today. Just as Jesus was sent by God into this world to inspire people with the kingdom of God, to show people a better way of living, a life that is communion with God. And he starts with a blessing of peace. I believe that the emphasis for John is Jesus sending us out to follow the way of Jesus: a way of life that is at peace with God and at peace with our neighbour. That’s what salvation looks like.
So let’s look again at what he says next to the disciples, and indirectly to us: If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained. I don’t believe that Jesus is saying that we have the power and authority over whether or not God forgives sins. What I believe John is saying through Jesus is that if we want to live a life of peace, and if we want to be ambassadors of God’s peace in this world, then forgiveness plays a big part in that.
If we forgive people when they sin against us, then that sin is released for us. But if we hang on to the sins that people do against us, then not only do I hold onto that, but that continues to hold onto me. It’s like in the story of Little Bear that we read earlier (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo1iKScfJts). He was so busy holding on to things that weren’t important, he wasn’t able to hold onto what mattered. When we forgive, it frees us up to hold onto what matters. When we refuse to forgiven when we hold onto grievance, it takes up emotional and spiritual space in our lives.
But forgiveness can be easier said than done. Forgiveness can be hard. We are hardwired for justice. When someone does us wrong, natural justice demands that they be punished. Choosing to forgive takes a huge leap of faith. Choosing to forgive says that although natural justice demands that you be punished for what you’ve done, I believe, I trust, I have faith, that I will be better off by letting this go. I believe, I trust, I have faith in God’s promise for this world, where we live in a state of grace where everyone can be reconciled with each other and with God.
I think that’s why John tells the story of Thomas. Straight after John has Jesus telling us disciples that we are being sent into this world to follow this path of peace and forgiveness, he then tells the story of Jesus reminding one of the disciples through the scars of his crucifixion: the most costly act of forgiveness and reconciliation but then asking that disciple to believe, to trust, that new life is possible through that, even when it’s not immediately visible.
That’s what faith is all about. It’s about trusting in what isn’t immediately in front of us. It’s saying that I will act in a certain way because I trust in something or someone that I can’t immediately see or even understand. It’s like Peter says in our other reading for today: Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8-9)
I can forgive John for his treatment of Thomas. I know he’s just using Thomas as a literary device in order to teach about what life in the resurrection means for us as disciples today. Believing in the resurrection isn’t about whether or not you believe that Jesus rose from the dead. That’s just historical trivia. Believing in the resurrection means trusting in a messiah who is bigger than death, bigger than hatred, bigger than vengeance, bigger than natural justice, big enough and hopeful enough to inspire us to live a life filled with forgiveness and reconciliation and joy. And when we have faith is that, then we have the inspiration to forgive.
That’s where I want to put my trust, even when it’s not immediately evident, because I want to believe in that hope and that promise, not just for me, but for our world. So I choose to follow in faith.
Amen.