Good Morning Friends,
One thing Bible history helps us to see is that many people, if not all people struggle with issues in their lives that are resolved only on the journey of obedience. The list is long. Hopefully we experience on the way something that transforms our thinking that is beyond the issue of doubt that is part of the post Easter story in today’s scripture. And I think the answer to the problem hinges on a faith in our allegiance to Christ as we poke our fingers into scripture and seek an Advocate who testifies with the truth to the possibility of redemption. Though deep waters, fire, sorrow, God goes before us on this journey and get this, God will never leave us. We are not alone; God calls us as his own. This last Saturday we hosted a Gigantic Garage Sale at Moorings Presbyterian for the Handbell Music Ministry. We had not had it for two years because of Covid. Restarting it was not easy. But the low brow, community connecting with some of the same people who have been coming for 20 years was encouraging. Experiencing it was much like diving into a sea of memories that reinforce the reality that God is indeed risen in us and is a presence in our lives. Still, it prompts today’s question. So, Are We In An Obedient Relationship Of Peace With The Paraclete?
Scripture: And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.
John 14:16 (NRSV)
Let Israel say, ‘His steadfast love endures for ever.’Let the house of Aaron say, ‘His steadfast love endures for ever.’ Let those who fear the Lord say, ‘His steadfast love endures for ever.’ Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. With the Lord on my side I do not fear. What can mortals do to me? The Lord is on my side to help me; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in mortals. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. All nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I cut them off! They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the Lord I cut them off! They surrounded me like bees; they blazed like a fire of thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off! I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation. There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous: ‘The right hand of the Lord does valiantly; the right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.’ I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord. The Lord has punished me severely, but he did not give me over to death. Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it. I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118: 2-24 (NRSV)
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 (NRSV)
Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.’ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’ Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.’ And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.
Acts 2:36-41 (NRSV)
Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.
Acts 4:32-35 (NRSV)
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth.
1 John 5: 1-6 (NRSV)
Message: After Easter as on Good Friday we can have a little bit of a letdown as we are reminded of the emptiness of our life without Christ. But the thing is that Jesus never really leaves us. To unpack this reality, we today look at a major theme of the Bible primarily from the book of John…that addresses this situation of emptiness and relates it to the filling of the Holy Spirit that is to occur after we offload our burdens. The key to understanding this is more than knowing the story of the resurrected Jesus appearing to His disciples just before pointing out the holes in His hands and side to Thomas. There is a dynamic here that is transformative. We are to feel it in our hearts, and it is to shine in our faces. Here we are empowered to witness to others that forgiveness is indeed attainable…that doubt is natural but can serve a purpose in testing our commitment. As an inquiring mind we like Thomas may need to see the truth to believe. But as we look at the man that we know all too often as doubting Thomas, this descriptor does not seem to fit as such a negative trait. The thing is that he was more than willing to believe once he saw the truth and willing to follow even when he did not see. His doubt had a purpose. Thomas’ doubt gives evidence not of a lack of faith, but of a desire to have faith founded in fact not fancy. Three times Thomas is mentioned in the gospel of John and they all, I think, guide us to explore the role of the Holy Spirit in guiding our obedience to the truth of Christ and the Holy Spirit. To be clear, there is an important distinction between the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the filling of the Holy Spirit. All believers in Jesus Christ have God’s Spirit living within them or dwelling within them but not all believers live filled or controlled by the Spirit’s power. Some Christians describe this distinction by saying believers have all the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit may not have all of them. We are indwelt by the Holy Spirit at the time of our salvation, but we are filled by God when we submit. Knowing the right thing to do is only half the battle. Finding the power to do it is a different story. That is why we must be filled with the Holy Spirit beyond an emotional experience. The filling of the Holy Spirit, then, can vary in the life of each believer. Thomas demonstrates this filling and his questions do not quash the Spirit. The goal for the believer is to live out their faith in Christ, with the Holy Spirit increasingly controlling or filling their lives. This leads to joy, thankfulness, and right relationships and sometimes honest questions that when answered testify to the truth.
And So, Jesus knew the power of a personal encounter and firsthand how those life changing experiences can be so dramatic as to change life forever. We see it on a personal level in the painting by Caravaggio entitled The Incredulity of St. Thomas. And we see it collectively in shared experiences like Pearl Harbor and 9/11 and of course after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These types of moments define us and amaze us and sometimes make us skeptics. But they can also be spiritually powerful personal moments that mold us individually as well as a culture. And we see this powerful personal encounter in the story of Thomas. But it informs us as well. Friends, miracles happen when we understand that Jesus cares, transforms, and extravagantly provides for our personal needs as well as collective needs and that is the journey of Eastertide to Pentecost. Trials, difficulties, and defeat can all lead us to discover a deeper faith. We are to rejoice because Jesus comes to those who are honest about their doubts and helps us face them, so we might grow in a relationship with God. We are not to stay in the land of doubt and that is why it is ok to ask questions. But we are to press on to higher ground and experience God’s power through greater obedience. We are to see and believe so that we might together be victorious with Christ. Here we find the joy of sharing the Good News of a spirit filled fellowship. Here we find love in a relationship with God.
Pray we learn first and foremost to be committed to honesty with one another. Pray we be spirit filled in our personal relationship with God but also in our personal relationship with each other. Pray that our deepest desire is that Jesus will be in our midst…. the middle of our lives. Pray that Jesus makes us peaceful…surpassing everything we can expect. Pray that Jesus makes us joyful…rejoicing in the victory on the cross. Pray that Jesus makes us useful…witnessing to others the good news in our lives. Pray that Jesus makes us powerful…creating in us the very breath of our existence. Pray we never forget the message of peace. Pray we share with one another the healing and wholeness that God has shared with us through Jesus Christ His Son. Pray we trust in Jesus. Pray we learn to value those things that He values. Pray that our scars make us real, believable, and trustworthy. Pray that in the scars of life we discover peace. Pray that in the scars of life we discover a growing faith. Pray that in the scars of life we discover healing. Pray that in the scars of life we discover honor. Pray that in the scars of life we discover love.
Pray we look around and realize how lucky the disciples were to be alive in the History of the world when Jesus walked the earth. Pray we realize how lucky we are to be living the dream today. Pray when we encounter sceptics, we invite them to come and see. Pray we get the facts and help others get the facts too. Pray we encounter Jesus with our fears and have them relieved. Pray we approach our doubts with wisdom and a heart that seeks the truth. Pray we catch the thrill and are inspired to speak of our lives with Christ passionately as a witness to our obedience.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 