Grace to Ask Questions: Psalm 150; John 20: 19-31
[SLIDE 1] There are a few things in life that cause me to doubt: [SLIDE 2] gas station sushi, a burger where you have to pay extra for the fries, the 40 year old air conditioner on at least one part of this building, and anything elected in Washington, D.C. You may now be doubting the direction of this sermon, but I promise that’s the only political reference here. Fear not. We all have things in life and points in the journey where we experience doubts. It reminds me of the old joke. One man says, “Wise men hesitate, and fools are certain.” The other guy says, “Are you sure about that?” And he replies, “I’m certain.”
[SLIDE 3] Caution, questioning, and having doubts in life can lead us in one of two ways. They can hold us back, hamper our growth, and keep us stuck in the same old bad places we’ve long lived, or the questions, caution, and doubts can push us to seek out things which help us grow and be better in life. A wise preacher once said to me, “You cannot grow in faith unless you have wrestled with doubt.”
[SLIDE 4] It is no secret that the disciples had doubts. Just last week we talked about the doubts as the disciples rushed to the empty tomb. It took some time for them to piece together Jesus’s teachings and the resurrection. We tend to focus in on Thomas’s specific doubts in this text, but I think we are given a hint that he is not the only one struggling to understand and asking tough questions. When Jesus first enters the room while Thomas is away, we are told in verse 20, “As [Jesus] spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord!”
Jesus showed them all his hands, his wounds, the work of love for us because they, too, had questions, doubts, and uncertainties in life. Remember, they had not seen him since the resurrection. They had seen an empty tomb, and they believed his words. But consistency is hard for humans. We tend to be wafflers on everything. I believe, however, this scripture shows us that God welcomes doubts and questions, but with one caveat. When we have doubts and questions, they should spur us on to seek out the truth and draw closer into our relationship with God to resolve those doubts and questions.
[SLIDE 5] Living with doubts can be a bit unhealthy for us. But doubts that act as the fuel to the engine of our faith journey can be truly good. A person who never embraces their doubts and questions has no reason to open the Bible, no reason to engage in prayer, no reason to study, learn, grown, and deepen the faith relationship. It is in times of struggle, pain, and doubt that we are driven to look for answers, for help, and for a word from the God we believe in and profess as Lord.
Thomas didn’t have a closed mind to it all. He wanted to see Jesus. He hadn’t lost his faith, exactly. He wanted to see more. Jesus was gone, and he was grieving. Maybe we look at this as a cynical and cold form of doubting. We consider that Thomas has denied and renounced Jesus like Peter in the courtyard. But that’s not the truth. Thomas is a man in deep grief, traumatized by the brutal death of Jesus. What he wants in this moment is not to wash his hands of faith, but to see his friend, and the one he came to believe was the Son of God. He wanted and needed to have Jesus in his life.
[SLIDE 6] Perhaps one of the more toxic theologies we have been taught is that it’s sinful to have doubts and questions. In and of themselves, those things are not inherently sinful. It’s the journey they send you on that can be problematic. One of the first Biblical figures to come to mind is Moses. He contended with God that he was unable to speak well, too insignificant to lead, too much past, he doubted himself, God’s calling, and questioned it right in front of a burning bush. Gideon asked for sign after sign from God before following what God said. Paul needed an entire vision from heaven before he understood.
[SLIDE 7] There are times we will have our doubts. There are times we will have questions in life. Sometimes we will look back and find regrets and places we wish we had done a little better. A friend of mine posted on Facebook this week a little thing that said, “My life’s summary is ‘Well that didn’t go as planned.’” None of us is immune. We will all find a point of regret, fall into questions, or doubt ourselves and faith at times. It’s always when we are struggling in life. Usually, it comes as an avalanche. All the bad things rain down upon us then the troubles cause us to question, and the questions lead to doubts.
[SLIDE 8] But what is import is where we go next. We can allow ourselves to wander down the path of misery and self-pity, or we can find a pathway that allows our questions to lead us closer to God. There are countless resources available for this journey. First and foremost is prayer. Too often we think of prayer as begging the medieval king for a grain of bread. But it’s more so a conversation with God. Prayer should allow us to listen and experience God in life, just as much as we talk to God and tell God things. We also have a good Word. This Psalm is one of my favorites. In my times of sadness, I am reminded of the encouragement, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” What is searching for God if not an act of praise?
We also have each other. The last couple of weeks of Lent were especially difficult. There was a lot to get done, multiple meetings/services, stressors with work and visitation. I think all of us had a holy week that was unholy at best. But one of the blessings is having each other in tough times. For example, on Palm Sunday, the communion chalice had water in it. I waved my hand over it a couple of times, but nothing happened. [SLIDE 9]Then on Easter there was a marshmallow peep in the chalice staring right up at me. Within that smidgen of sacrilege was a incredible amount of holy humor and joy. And Jesus, who was a master of wittiness in his commentary to the disciples and pharisees, would most certainly have appreciated the humor of it.
[SLIDE 10] Jesus said to Thomas, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” The harder part of our faith is when want and expect the miracle. We want and know the blessing will come, and it simply doesn’t. Too often we’ve tied our faith to what God can do for us like life is a quid pro quo or you take care of me, I’ll take care of you. First of all, there is nothing we bring to God to earn any level of grace. Blessings are just that, gifts of love and grace to us. I can imagine Jesus stretching this phrase to say, “Blessed are those who believe even when the answer is hard.” The journey of faith is not always the smoothest and fastest road. There is no google maps to help us avoid the pitfalls.
Faith tells us, however, that the destination is worth the journey. In every trial and struggle, in every doubt and difficult, and in every time where the questions cannot seem to find answers, the ultimate response is still there. God’s love for us, all of us, never changes. The faith we believe and practice is grounded in Jesus’s redemptive love and our calling to share God’s love and grace with all.
[SLIDE 11] When Thomas, in his grief, asked to see Jesus, to be near and know that holy presence in his life again, he was seeking out ways to know Jesus more. His doubts fueled him to look for Jesus and an answer. He could have walked away. He could have gone back to his old life or created a whole new one, and all of this would have been a distant memory. But he stayed. And he sought Jesus. And when he did, Jesus appeared in all his power and majesty. Thomas responded with overflowing faith, “My Lord and my God!” Doubts and questions will come. The question is what will you do? Will you toss it all out like fishy gas station sushi, or will you find a journey to draw closer to the God who loves you?
Worship Service Video https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/1198986035264958/