Sermon: Quasimodo Geniti (Easter 2) - 2020

19 April 2020

Text: John 20:19-31

In the name of + Jesus.  Amen.

Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

St. Thomas had his doubts.  And that’s a bit of an understatement!  “Unless I see,” said Doubting Thomas, “in His hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into His side, I will never believe.”

His faith had been weakened by the recent head-spinning events.  And the fact that all of the Twelve had seen Jesus except Thomas weakened Thomas’s faith even more.  He would not believe unless He could see for himself.

The world treats the Christian faith like this.  Unbelievers demand proof and signs.  Believers simply have faith.  But what is faith?  The author of Hebrews teaches us that faith “is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Thomas had not seen the Lord as the others had.  He did not believe their word, but wanted to see for himself.  It is interesting that the whole world – even those who resist the faith – now believe in something unseen: a virus.  Why?  Because we see its effects.  And we believe the word of the scientists who have studied such things.  We believe that microscopes reveal a little spherical object that is unseen to the naked eye. 

And so we take the experts at their word.  Science is itself based on faith in the testimony of experts and in the scientific method.  Of course, sometimes they get it wrong, but we generally believe them.

Poor Thomas needed to see evidence of the resurrection.  In His mercy, Jesus gives it to him.  But our Lord also says: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

We believe, that is, we trust the Word of God.  We see its effects.  The Gospel has “gone viral” around the world.  We believe those who have seen that the tomb of Jesus is empty.  We have faith in God’s Word.  Jesus says our sins are forgiven.  Jesus says we have eternal life.  And we have the sacraments that we can see with our eyes.  Jesus comes to us and makes Himself known, by faith, using bread and wine, to miraculously join us.

And we hear His Word and we partake in the Sacrament, and we join Believing Thomas in confessing “My Lord and my God!”  We believe, and “by believing” we “have life in His name.”  Amen.

Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.