Getting it straight
Commentary
One of the things that interests me as one who loves to teach classes on the Bible is to discover how many of us hold onto ideas that are not only old, out of date, branded as heresy at some time, but more, make no sense. It appears that some never stop to think. Because "Rev. So and So" said a thing it must be so, after all he is the student of the Bible.
One thing that occurs to me is that it is easier to be a gullible Christian than to be an informed questioner. To be the latter means that we have to go to work and investigate our ideas. It is a lot easier to float along and accumulate every sort of idea whether or not they make sense or are even supportive of one another.
The lesson of Thomas is that it is okay to question, but that there is another thing to be done. One must show up for the lesson, seek out the answers.
The good news of Easter is mind-boggling. Who ever heard of such a thing? It had to be dealt with. It had to be faced. Thomas knew that to say it without evidence would not hold up. Maybe his friends had had a hallucination. Perhaps they had been carried away emotionally. In any case, if they were to act on such information, they better be certain that it was correct.
The entire New Testament goes to great lengths to show that the information is correct. It tells the story, explains its meaning, repeats things over and over. All the evidence needs to be gathered. Re-read the first words of 1 Corinthians 15 again and watch Paul pile up the evidence.
We know that it is true. And, if it is true, then the whole world is turned upside down. How in the world can we remain calm with such news. Little wonder Thomas would exclaim, "My Lord, and my God."
OUTLINE I
Attempts at equality
Acts 4:32-35
Introduction: One cannot fully deal with such selections as that for today without remembering that this early community lived in a world of expectation. Surely Christ would return soon. There was no real reason for long range planning. What was needed was for all to share what they had, be equal in all things, and wait for his return.
Unfortunately the early chapters of the Acts show just how difficult that was to maintain. Things began to come apart at the seams in chapter 5 when Ananias and his wife held back part of what they pretended to give. Chapter 6 opens with a dispute over whether the Greek widows were receiving treatment equal to that of the Jewish widows. All of that does not, however, negate the description of the power and effectiveness of the good news. Check out these key phrases:
A. "Testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus." That phrase is the hinge of history. If there had been no resurrection there would have been no memory of Jesus and no church. But ... just as the exiles to Babylon, "as good as dead" (see Ezekiel 37:11), had to reckon with the prophetic good news that this people would be reborn again, so Luke tells us that the early church had to reckon with the meaning of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
B. "Great grace was upon them all." Every church could yearn for that description. Theirs was the gift of "shalom" peace, joy and wholeness.
C. "There was not a needy person among them." God's power and grace always issue in good works. These are never allowed to drift apart in the New Testament.
Conclusion: Stay away from the communism controversy. There is none here. Here we meet a band of people living in excitement, aware of the resurrection making an attempt at equality, and awaiting the fulfillment of the kingdom. Could it be that that excitement is what is meant to thrill the church every Easter?
OUTLINE II
The place of beginning
1 John 1:1-5
Introduction: When one reads the letters of the New Testament it is impossible to avoid the understanding that there is not a total agreement on the meaning of the faith. There are those who are teaching what is not considered in keeping with the apostles. There were those who were writing down what they considered to be the truth about Jesus and about the church and new life and these have been preserved much to our benefit. In today's passage we have set out for us the place of beginning if we are to be faithful.
A. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ. There it is. In 4:2 and 3 the writer has taken up the pen against those who are declaring otherwise. No doubt these are the gnostics, those who said that Jesus was not real but only seemed real. It was their idea that divinity could not have dwelt in human form, (evil material), so Jesus only seemed to be real, only seemed to die. Read this letter carefully. It never wavers. Jesus was like us. He was one of us. He was raised from the dead. So, what does it matter?
B. It matters because, as the writer of the letter to the Hebrews states, "we have a high priest who is not unable to sympathize with our weakness ... (Hebrews 4: 14). We can know that we are understood. There is not one on high who judges unfairly. He knows us." In the words of Psalm 103:14, "he knows our frame, he remembers that we are dust." But we forget.
C. It matters because it would have been no trick to raise a God from the dead. But, if he is different from us, then we have no hope. Re-read 1 Corinthians and listen to Paul address this issue.
Conclusion: We are the benefactors of the arguments that were going on in the early church. We have one side of the conversation written down in the New Testament. From that one side we can deduce what the other side was saying and know what it is we are to avoid.
OUTLINE III
A word to the skeptical
John 20:19-31
Introduction: I imagine that most of us have grown up hearing admonitions like "Don't be a doubting Thomas," or "You are not supposed to ask so many questions." One of the things that all of us questioners ought to gain from today's selection is a word of assurance that it is okay to question. okay to subject the revelations of the faith to the gift of reason. It is clear that Jesus did not reject questions.
A. Tell of the first meeting with the disciples. Note that here the Holy Spirit is reported as given well before the ascension. In Luke it is promised at the ascension but not given until the Day of Pentecost.
B. Picture Thomas for what he is. He too has a right to the evidence that the others have been given. He will wait.
C. Jesus comes and directs his attention to the man of doubt. Note that he does not say, "Tsk, Tsk," to Thomas but offers to answer his questions.
Conclusion: Surely we learn from this experience not that it is wrong to question and to doubt but that we can bring honest questions to our faith and expect answers. One of my seminary professors once said that there "is a mighty difference between doubts at the top of the head and the bottom of the heart." It is good news to know that we, like Thomas, can know that we are accepted even when we have our questions and our doubts and that we have a right to hang in there until someone answers us. The story of Thomas is good news for the skeptical.
One thing that occurs to me is that it is easier to be a gullible Christian than to be an informed questioner. To be the latter means that we have to go to work and investigate our ideas. It is a lot easier to float along and accumulate every sort of idea whether or not they make sense or are even supportive of one another.
The lesson of Thomas is that it is okay to question, but that there is another thing to be done. One must show up for the lesson, seek out the answers.
The good news of Easter is mind-boggling. Who ever heard of such a thing? It had to be dealt with. It had to be faced. Thomas knew that to say it without evidence would not hold up. Maybe his friends had had a hallucination. Perhaps they had been carried away emotionally. In any case, if they were to act on such information, they better be certain that it was correct.
The entire New Testament goes to great lengths to show that the information is correct. It tells the story, explains its meaning, repeats things over and over. All the evidence needs to be gathered. Re-read the first words of 1 Corinthians 15 again and watch Paul pile up the evidence.
We know that it is true. And, if it is true, then the whole world is turned upside down. How in the world can we remain calm with such news. Little wonder Thomas would exclaim, "My Lord, and my God."
OUTLINE I
Attempts at equality
Acts 4:32-35
Introduction: One cannot fully deal with such selections as that for today without remembering that this early community lived in a world of expectation. Surely Christ would return soon. There was no real reason for long range planning. What was needed was for all to share what they had, be equal in all things, and wait for his return.
Unfortunately the early chapters of the Acts show just how difficult that was to maintain. Things began to come apart at the seams in chapter 5 when Ananias and his wife held back part of what they pretended to give. Chapter 6 opens with a dispute over whether the Greek widows were receiving treatment equal to that of the Jewish widows. All of that does not, however, negate the description of the power and effectiveness of the good news. Check out these key phrases:
A. "Testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus." That phrase is the hinge of history. If there had been no resurrection there would have been no memory of Jesus and no church. But ... just as the exiles to Babylon, "as good as dead" (see Ezekiel 37:11), had to reckon with the prophetic good news that this people would be reborn again, so Luke tells us that the early church had to reckon with the meaning of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
B. "Great grace was upon them all." Every church could yearn for that description. Theirs was the gift of "shalom" peace, joy and wholeness.
C. "There was not a needy person among them." God's power and grace always issue in good works. These are never allowed to drift apart in the New Testament.
Conclusion: Stay away from the communism controversy. There is none here. Here we meet a band of people living in excitement, aware of the resurrection making an attempt at equality, and awaiting the fulfillment of the kingdom. Could it be that that excitement is what is meant to thrill the church every Easter?
OUTLINE II
The place of beginning
1 John 1:1-5
Introduction: When one reads the letters of the New Testament it is impossible to avoid the understanding that there is not a total agreement on the meaning of the faith. There are those who are teaching what is not considered in keeping with the apostles. There were those who were writing down what they considered to be the truth about Jesus and about the church and new life and these have been preserved much to our benefit. In today's passage we have set out for us the place of beginning if we are to be faithful.
A. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ. There it is. In 4:2 and 3 the writer has taken up the pen against those who are declaring otherwise. No doubt these are the gnostics, those who said that Jesus was not real but only seemed real. It was their idea that divinity could not have dwelt in human form, (evil material), so Jesus only seemed to be real, only seemed to die. Read this letter carefully. It never wavers. Jesus was like us. He was one of us. He was raised from the dead. So, what does it matter?
B. It matters because, as the writer of the letter to the Hebrews states, "we have a high priest who is not unable to sympathize with our weakness ... (Hebrews 4: 14). We can know that we are understood. There is not one on high who judges unfairly. He knows us." In the words of Psalm 103:14, "he knows our frame, he remembers that we are dust." But we forget.
C. It matters because it would have been no trick to raise a God from the dead. But, if he is different from us, then we have no hope. Re-read 1 Corinthians and listen to Paul address this issue.
Conclusion: We are the benefactors of the arguments that were going on in the early church. We have one side of the conversation written down in the New Testament. From that one side we can deduce what the other side was saying and know what it is we are to avoid.
OUTLINE III
A word to the skeptical
John 20:19-31
Introduction: I imagine that most of us have grown up hearing admonitions like "Don't be a doubting Thomas," or "You are not supposed to ask so many questions." One of the things that all of us questioners ought to gain from today's selection is a word of assurance that it is okay to question. okay to subject the revelations of the faith to the gift of reason. It is clear that Jesus did not reject questions.
A. Tell of the first meeting with the disciples. Note that here the Holy Spirit is reported as given well before the ascension. In Luke it is promised at the ascension but not given until the Day of Pentecost.
B. Picture Thomas for what he is. He too has a right to the evidence that the others have been given. He will wait.
C. Jesus comes and directs his attention to the man of doubt. Note that he does not say, "Tsk, Tsk," to Thomas but offers to answer his questions.
Conclusion: Surely we learn from this experience not that it is wrong to question and to doubt but that we can bring honest questions to our faith and expect answers. One of my seminary professors once said that there "is a mighty difference between doubts at the top of the head and the bottom of the heart." It is good news to know that we, like Thomas, can know that we are accepted even when we have our questions and our doubts and that we have a right to hang in there until someone answers us. The story of Thomas is good news for the skeptical.
