Do Not Doubt

Sojourners Magazine, Apr 2004 by Bruzzese, Michaela

APRIL 18

Acts 5:27-32; Psalm 118:14-29; Revelation 1:4-8; John 20:19-31

Despite the joy of the resurrection, Jesus' followers remain confused, and "the doors of the house...were locked for fear of the Jews" (John 20:19). Jesus walks amidst their fear, bringing the first gift of the resurrection: Peace. With the breath of the Spirit, Jesus also gives the disciples the power to create community: "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" (John 20:22-23). His actions recall both God's first, life-giving breath to Adam and Eve and God's restoration of the dry bones in Ezekiel. All three readings bear witness to the new life brought by God's holy breath. For the disciples, the Spirit is both the initiator and sustainer of the first community, and it remains so for Christian churches to this day.

Meanwhile, John assures us that the resurrection is as difficult for the disciples to grasp as it is for us. Listening to accounts of Jesus' resurrection, Thomas remains doubtful and demands proof, insisting that "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe" (John 20:25). He not only needs to see Jesus physically, but to ensure that his death was not a fabrication. Only by probing the wounds that killed Jesus will Thomas be satisfied. Jesus' response to Thomas is not condemnation but peace, and an invitation: "Do not doubt but believe" (John 20:27).

Thomas' need for tangible evidence of the resurrection highlights what might be another reason why Jesus chose uneducated people, instead of learned religious scholars, as his closest followers. The mysteries of his birth, death, and resurrection are completely beyond comprehension, and as such they are to be lived, not understood. Beneath Thomas' apparent doubt is a profound desire to know the resurrection in flesh, to know its incarnate reality. Such desire can be a model for us all. We too will bring peace and new life by accompanying one another, physically and spiritually, through fear, isolation, and all forms of death.