Too Good To Be True
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John 20:19-31
Focus: Faith in Jesus and the abundant life that results, comes in various ways to us and is shared by the nudging of God’s Spirit.
Too Good to be True
Have you ever thought something was just too good to be true? We get bombarded with exaggerations and lies every day. Advertisements that make wildly false promises. Politicians who say crazy lies– all too often. And I think many of us live by that Russian proverb, “Trust, but verify.”
Thomas was in that mode, perhaps, when we see him in today’s gospel reading. Only three days earlier Thomas had watched with his own eyes as Roman soldiers drove metal nails through Jesus’ hands and feet and stabbed a sword into his side. Thomas had watched Jesus be tortured and die. And today, Mary and the other disciples are saying they saw Jesus alive!
History hasn’t been kind to Thomas., calling him “Doubting Thomas.” Okay, he definitely doubted. But, keep in mind – Mary didn’t believe Jesus was alive until Jesus stood in front of her and called her by name. The other disciples saw the nail prints in Jesus’ hands and his pierced side…as they listened to Jesus speak to them. That’s how they came to believe. Thomas was no more defined by his doubts than any of the others.
In fact, Thomas was totally committed to following Jesus… even if it meant risking his life! You may remember when Jesus announced that he was going back to Jerusalem, the disciples said no, you can’t go to Jerusalem, but Jesus insisted. It was Thomas – the totally committed one - who turned to the other disciples and said, let’s go with him and die with him. Total commitment!
So, I don’t think Thomas’ doubts define him. He was a believer, and asked a practical question. On another occasion, Jesus said to the disciples that he was going to prepare a place for each one of them in His Father’s house, and, Jesus added, ‘you know the way to follow where I am going.’ Thomas asked the practical question…what everyone else may have been thinking. Thomas said, “Uhh, Jesus. We don’t even know where you’re going, how can we know the way?” I can imagine all the other disciples agreeing non-verbally like, “Yeah, that’s a good question!” And thanks to that question, you and I get to hear Jesus’ answer. What is it? Jesus said, “I am the way…and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also.” (JN 14:6-7a)
Belief = Relationship
In this answer, when Jesus speaks about Knowing Him and knowing His Father – this is not some intellectual knowledge he’s talking about, like 2+2=4 or like memorizing the Apostles Creed. Jesus said, “I am the way.” And “if you know me”. “To Know” here is “to be in relationship with.” If you are in relationship with me, says Jesus, you are in relationship with my Father.
It’s the same with the word, “BELIEVE.” Believe, throughout the Gospel of John is a synonym for RELATIONSHIP! And at the end of today’s gospel we hear that everything written in this Gospel of John is written that you might BELIEVE…or that you have a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus. Not an intellectual belief in Jesus as the Son of God or the Savior of the world (all that is fine)…but this is about having an active trust in Jesus. That you might have a relationship of trusting Him.
Jesus returned a second time to help Thomas trust in Him. Thomas made the highest proclamation of faith of anyone in the Bible. He looks at the risen Jesus and calls Jesus, “My Lord” followed by “My God!” Thomas is totally committed, but he needed Jesus’ compassionate nudge by his return to Thomas.
Then Jesus adds a comment that’s useful encouragement for countless people in the first century and you and me today – that those who believe/trust in Jesus without seeing the nail wounds and the pierced side are deeply blessed.
This blessing is for you and me.
Believing: Many Paths
But how DO people come to trust in Jesus without SEEEING Jesus in the flesh? How do we come to believe that Jesus is God, that Jesus is still active in this world, that Jesus forgives, has compassion, that Jesus’ love still has the power to overcome all prejudice and violence? How do we come to trust everything to Jesus’ way of living life abundantly and let go of trusting wealth, power or privilege. Again, the cultures of this world teach lies, but the lies are persuasive: that wealth, power, privilege, and my tribe are number one!
How do people come to BELIEVE, to TRUST and have a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus?
In fact, there are many paths to believing in and trusting Jesus. But one theme runs through them. It’s a gift that Jesus offered to all His disciples in the first century and still today.
I Send You with Nudges and Signs…That all might believe
Jesus breathed on those disciples, one week after the first Easter! He gave them the Holy Spirit and commissioned them. As he gave the Holy Spirit, Jesus said, “As the Father sent me, so I send you!”
Jesus was announcing that from that moment forward the Holy Spirit would live in and among people. In you, in you, in you and in me… EVERYONE is gifted with the Holy Spirit as a part of placing our hope in Christ.
So today I want to talk about the Spirit’s guidance, for all of us who never see the nail-prints in Jesus’ hands.
The Spirit’s guidance isn’t as concrete and certain as placing your finger in the nail prints on Jesus’ hands. Honestly, I would describe the Spirit’s guidance more as more like a nudge on your conscience…or a tap on the shoulder…that reminds you of truth, or opens you to someone or some truth that you hadn’t acknowledged before…and that truth resonates with what we find in the Word of God.
Nudged to overcome selfish pursuit of wealth:
Richard Stearns’ was the CEO of Lenox, a luxury houseware company. He had a very luxurious and comfortable life. He was a Christian. But he was able to isolate himself from people in need locally and around the globe. He tithed, and he thought that was enough. Then one day a recruiter called him on the phone from a Christian development agency – one of the largest in the world: World Vision.
In the words of Richard Stearns, “I got a call from a headhunter who wanted me to apply for the position of CEO at World Vision US. That was a crazy thought: I was selling fine china! I’d never been to Africa or most parts of Latin America or Asia. I knew nothing about global poverty. But it felt like God was really calling me to follow him.
“It was a dark night of the soul as God and I wrestled over that decision. Eventually I said yes. Though I was terrified, we moved our family across to Seattle and I took the job.
Twenty years later, I retired as the longest serving president of World Vision US.”
Stearns wrote a book called, The Hole in Our Gospel,” that tells his story to demonstrate how the Spirit is calling all Christians to lives of faith that move beyond self-centered collection of wealth and into a social revolution where abundance is shared with the most marginalized people on earth.
Nudged to overcome prejudice
Brenda came to a class I was teaching, called “Our Muslim Neighbors.” I have a Master’s Degree in Islamic Studies, and I’ve spent a lot of years living and working among Muslims all over the world. But something really simple that I like to teach people is to say, “As-salaam alaikum,” which is a common Muslim greeting meaning “Peace to you.” It’s a way of showing kindness and respect...
Brenda heard me say that. Brenda was on the administrative staff at Eden Prarie High School. So, just a few days after Brenda learned to say “As-salaam alaikum,” she noticed three veiled Muslim girls in at school. So she thought, OK I’ll try it. Brenda said, “As-salaam alaikum.” One of the girls looked at her and said, “Where did you learn that?” Brenda said, my pastor taught me this at a class last week. “I thought Christians hated Muslims,” the girl said. “No, no. We don’t hate Muslims” Brenda replied. “I don’t know much about Islam, but I’m curious and would like to lean more.”
Over the next week, every day those girls would seek Brenda out and say things like, “Oh I like your dress” and they’d exchange other compliments or friendly conversation. What happened? A wall of prejudice and fear was broken down…thanks to the nudge of the Holy Spirit on one woman’s heart.
Nudged to overcoming violence:
I was in Zimbabwe a few years ago, and I spoke with a Bishop there who had led many workshops on peace and reconciliation within this country where civil unrest had destroyed countless lives. In one workshop, he shared that a woman stood up in front of everyone and addressed the group, “If I were to undress myself right now, you would see the big scars on my body and you’d wonder how I am alive today. I was beaten and left for dead. But a ‘good Samaritan’ came, picked me up and brought me to get help. I survived, but I’ve carried hate and anger with me ever since. I’ve wanted to move on with my life…but I haven’t been able to do it. The very men who beat me are sitting right here in this room. This workshop has helped me to let go. My brothers, I have been searching for a way to let go…I forgive you.”
One of the men rose up, looking utterly broken and even afraid, “I’m sorry,” he stammered, “What I did was wrong, and I didn’t want to do it. Others, compelled me to do this, used me. All my life I’ve been haunted by this thing I’ve done. It bothered me. Thank you for forgiving me…” With tears streaming down his face, the victim and victimizer embraced for a liberating beginning of forgiveness.
Next, this man turned to another man and confessed before the crowd, “I have not spoken to my brother who did this thing with me. All these years we have not even spoken. I was ashamed of what I’ve done. Now, I am free!”
The Holy Spirit nudged both the woman who needed healing available only through forgiveness…and in the men who needed to confess and to be forgiven.
The Nudge and Your Yes Matter
"As the Father has sent me, so I send you." (John 20:21). These were Jesus' words, as he was giving the gift of the Holy Spirit to propel disciples for change…one moment at a time. This same Spirit is nudging and leading us into lives of faith today. Lives defined by nudges to forgive and ask for forgiveness, nudges to break through barriers of prejudice and fear in our society, nudges to work for equity and sharing resources with marginalized people in our neighborhoods and around the globe.
It may seem too good to be true, but it’s not. The God of the universe, the power that raised Jesus from the dead is working still, nudging and calling us to action. Your nudge may feel subtle, but don’t be fooled. The PURPOSE is dramatic. God put the Spirit inside you for a purpose: to change you and to change the world…one moment at a time.
In this season of Easter, I invite you to ask the Lord to nudge you today, and dare to say “Yes” in Jesus’ name Amen.
Pastor Doug Cox