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Seeing
the Change in Us
Fr.
George Smiga
18
April 2004
John
20:19-31
We
should hesitate before we criticize Thomas. Thomas, of course,
is the disciple who has been remembered as the one who doubted.
Therefore, it is easy to look down on Thomas and criticize
him because at first he did not believe in Jesus' resurrection.
But before we begin that critique, it would be good for us
to recognize that Thomas is the disciple who is most like
us. You see, the other disciples all believed because they
saw the Lord. They saw his risen glory. But Thomas was asked
to believe, not because he saw, but only because he heard
the testimony of the other disciples. “We have seen the Lord,”
they said to him. That is our situation. We have not seen
the risen Lord. Our faith is founded on the witness of others,
the testimony that comes from others who also believe. So
since we are, as it were, standing in the shoes of Thomas,
perhaps we be more sympathetic and ask: What was the problem?
Why did he fail to believe?
Yes,
it is true that Thomas did not at first see the risen Lord.
He did, however, have the testimony of the other disciples.
Why was their word not enough? Why was their testimony insufficient?
Thomas doubted because the word of the other apostles did
not ring true. They told him what happened. They told him,
“We have seen the Lord. He came and breathed the Holy Spirit
on us. He sent us out into the world to forgive sin and to
heal the brokenness of others.” They told him all of those
things, but their words were not enough and Thomas began to
doubt. He doubted because if Jesus had been raised up, if
the apostles had been sent out to the world, what were they
still doing huddled in that upper room? If Jesus had been
raised up, if the apostles had been given a mission to the
world, if the Spirit had descended upon them in power, then
what were they still doing here? Why hadn't they left? Why
wasn't there a greater change in their lives?
You
see, Thomas doubted because of the gap that is still present
in our own lives and in our world: the gap between the words
that we say and the way that we live. We say to our spouse
or to a close friend, “I love you.” Perhaps we even remember
anniversaries and birthdays. But what are our actions? Do
we really listen to others and try to understand the way that
they are growing and changing? Do we try to understand their
fears and their dreams? Do we at times set aside things that
are important for us to make room for them? Unless our actions
support our words, the words “I love you” can ring empty and
false.
We
say that we are proud of our children, that we would do anything
for them. But how do our actions play out? Do we take the
time to be involved in our children's lives? Do we understand
what they need? Do we have the courage to say “no” when it's
necessary, but also see the new talents and gifts they are
developing. Do we affirm that growth? Unless our actions support
our words, the words “I am proud of you” can come across without
authority.
We
say we believe in Jesus' resurrection and that he has saved
us from our sins. But how do our lives appear? Are we joyful?
Are we generous? Are we thankful? We can proclaim with our
mouths that Christ is risen, but if our lives appear glum
and greedy and self-absorbed, who will believe us? Who will
understand the truth of what we say?
It
is no wonder that Thomas doubted Jesus' resurrection, because
there was so little action to back up the words that the other
disciples said to him. We know that in turn Christ appeared
to Thomas in person and erased his doubt. But that advantage
will not be given to us. If we are to believe in the truth
of the resurrection, it depends on the testimony of others
and the lives that back that testimony up. So the truth and
the joy and the hope of the resurrection is in our hands.
Jesus does not appear anymore. The truth of his presence must
be seen in the lives that we live.
The
original disciples were moved to faith because of the change
that they could see between the dead Jesus on the cross and
the risen Christ appearing in their midst. But in our world
today people can no longer see the change in Jesus. Let us
so live that they can see the change in us.
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