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When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "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." But Thomas (who was called the Twin ), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "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." A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:19-31)
Easter Sunday saw the church we attended pretty packed. People here and there, and one wonders how many were there to truly praise God for God's resurrection power in the life of Jesus Christ? How many were there just for family? How many were there out of habit and routine? It's not up to us to judge, but to question our being there (or not there). Good Friday saw us at my dad's beside in an ICU in Houston. All kinds of thoughts ran through my head about his condition and what might be next. Initial reports said he had suffered a seizure and that he would bounce back within a few days. Of course, he didn't have much to bounce back to; for he is paralyzed on his left side, limited mobility, and a life he spends in the home he and my mom bought back in 1968. He has a limited time caregiver, and once it gets dark he locks himself in a very secure house. Subsequent reports say he did suffer a stroke and given his advanced directives, he expect no heroic efforts to keep him alive, and the decision was made to place him on hospice care.
Here how's this plays out, based on the passage for today. The disciples did not really know what had happened to Jesus. The reports were out there that He has risen from the dead, as He had predicted; yet to this point, in this gospel, no one of the 12 had seen Him. They locked themselves in the Upper Room because they were afraid the Jews might move against them next. It was in this fearful, stress filled room that Jesus appears. His first words were, "Peace be with you." Just what they needed to hear, at the very time they needed to hear it; but peace in a situation like this? He shows them his hands and his side, it was then they realized this IS Jesus! And then Jesus says again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." Jesus breathes on them and says these powerful words, "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." Even in the midst of this Resurrection experience, they're hearing about sin. And what makes it interesting is that one of the 12 was missing. Yes, Thomas, and yes, you're heard this story before. He missed the personal appearance of Jesus in their midst, and so, naturally, he has his doubts. He also had set his standards for what it would take for him to believe. If I see this and that, then I will believe; though his version is more negative: "Unless I see...I will not believe."
Talk of heaven and a place that welcomes us eternally in the life of a man with deep faith blesses him, as is the case with my father. He's been ready to go "home" the day my mother died. I love and appreciate that, but personally as much as I know he's ready and as much as I believe in all that he believes it is difficult to imagine life without him. Yet, I acknowledge Jesus, like Thomas, when he said, "My Lord and my God!" And regardless of the challenges you might be facing we have that faith that says the same thing even in the face of death; "My Lord and my God!" And guess what? Jesus says that we who believe now not having actually seen Him, we are blessed! And it falls to us to live and share that faith so that others might "come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in His name." Amen.
PRAYER: Loving God, we believe. Yes, we sometimes come to difficult points in our life when it is a little bit tougher to believe, so help us even more then. For those who have blessed our lives, we thank You and ask Your blessings on them and whatever they face. This we pray in full faith in Jesus, our Lord and Savior, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
