Sermons:
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The "Doubting Thomas" in All of Us, John.
20:19-31,
by Rev. Heather McCance
-
To Doubt is Human John 20:19-31
by Rev. Frank Schaefer
-
A Precious Gift, 1 Peter 1:3-9,
Rev. Randy Quinn
-
Doors of Fear or Doors of Peace?
John
20:19-31,
by Rev. Rick Thompson
-
No interview,
John 20:19-31,
by Rev. Thomas Hall
-
Doubting or Courageous Thomas?
John 20:19-31,
by Rev. Susan Russell
-
Believing is Seeing, John 20:19-31,
by HW in HI
-
Taking Doubts to Christ, John
20:19-31, anonymous
-
Is It Easter Already?, John
20:19-31, by Gary Roth
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The "Doubting Thomas" in All of Us
a sermon based on John. 20:19-31
by Rev. Heather McCance
Poor old Thomas, Doubting Thomas, who
on this day every year is put down in churches around the world for
his lack of faith, his inability to believe in something he had not
yet seen. I feel sorry for him, really, especially considering that
earlier on, while the other disciples were trying to discourage Jesus
from going to Jerusalem where there were people who wanted to kill
him, it was Thomas who said, Let's go with him, let's go and die with
him if that's what it takes. How did Thomas the Brave become Doubting
Thomas?
Most of us, if we're honest with ourselves, have to admit that
there are times when we have doubts of our own when it comes to our
faith. When we've wondered to ourselves whether there really is, in
fact, anything after this life. When we've wondered whether the bread
and wine we share week by week is anything other than bread and wine.
When we've felt that there was no one even listening to our prayers,
never mind answering them.
Yes we all have doubts. Which leads to the question of why, when we
have doubts, do we stay in the church, why don't we turn around and
walk the other way in those times when we can't, for whatever reason,
believe?
Thomas could well have gone the other way. After hearing the story
of the other disciples, he might well have disbelieved them. After
all, the past few days hadn't exactly proven them to be the most
trustworthy bunch. After Thomas had expressed his willingness to die
with Jesus, he watched one of the disciples betray him into the hands
of his killers, he saw another deny ever having known him, he watched
most of the rest of them run away, abandoning Jesus to his death.
Thomas could hardly be blamed for his reaction. Sorry, folks, but
you're all nuts. Jesus is dead. You're just victims of your own
wishful thinking.
So, believing Jesus to be dead, what was it that kept Thomas
around? Why didn't he just go back to whatever his life was before
he'd left it to follow this wandering preacher from Nazareth? Because
it was a week later that Jesus appeared to him, and Thomas had
evidently stuck around.
Well, I'm not sure why, but reading the story I believe that Thomas
stuck around because of his ties to the rest of the disciples. After
all, they'd spent a lot of time together, some three years according
to John's gospel. They'd grown to know and love one another, and even
with their leader gone, that bond was still there.
And as for the other disciples, they might well have given up on
Thomas. After all, Jesus had prophesied that he would rise from the
dead, they were reporting nothing that Jesus himself had not told
them. Why should this doubter be allowed to continue to be a part of
this special group if he didn't believe them?
But Thomas didn't give up [continue]
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