Can You Believe It?
Acts 2:14a, 22-32; John 20:19-31
Melvin Showland wrote the true account of a man named Shoichi Yokoi who spent 28 years of his life in prison. It wasn't a prison with metal bars, locks, and wardens – it was a self-imposed prison of fear. Shoichi was a Japanese soldier on the island of Guam during World War Two. When the American forces landed, he fled into the jungle and found a deep cave where he hid because he was afraid of being captured by the Americans. Thousands of pamphlets were dropped in the jungle announcing that the war was over, but he was still terribly afraid. He’d stay close to the cave during the day, but each night he snuck out to find mangoes and look for frogs, rats, and roaches so he could survive. Finally, some natives found the man and with some effort, convinced him that the news he’d read was factual. He didn’t have to continue being a prisoner to fear if he’d believe what they were saying was real, the truth. Finally, he did believe and went on to have a long and meaningful life.
On the evening of the first Easter, eleven of the disciples who were in an upper room behind a locked door were prisoners of fear. Then Jesus appeared and immediately said, “Peace be with you.” Seeing their shock and perhaps doubt as well, he showed them his scarred hands and feet. That proof convinced all of them that he had risen from the dead, and they felt joyful. But there was not going to be an evening party with their Lord long into the night; Jesus said, again, “Peace be with you,” because when you’ve been a prisoner of fear, you can have lingering questions and doubts. But when Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit on them, all that confined and confused them was replaced with perfect peace. God’s gentle shalom – His calming peace – filled them, settled them, and strengthened them. God’s Holy Spirit still does this today for all who believe in His son, Jesus Christ.
One week later, Jesus returns to the same place for the sake of one missing disciple. Thomas had missed out. Jesus could have seen him in the coming weeks, as he would be seen by over 500 people, but He came back for that one struggling disciple. I was considering that this week when I drove past a home with an American flag and a POW flag proudly waving in the yard. It reminded me of their unflinching commitment to leave no service person behind. They pledge to work ceaselessly so each one is returned to American soil. Jesus didn’t want Thomas to left behind. He did what he’d done for the others, showing him evidence, the healed marks on his body. In Luke’s gospel, Jesus said: “Why are you troubled? I am risen; see that, touch me, and believe, Thomas.” The life lesson for us today is that Jesus wants each one of us to move beyond doubt, to a place of confident faith. Helping us do that is God’s Holy Spirit, which abides in us always.
Jesus’ band of disciples believed in his resurrection; they were first-hand witnesses. Blessed are those who have not seen, yet believe! Knowing the hour had come, Jesus commissioned the eleven, saying, “Just as the Father has sent me, now I’m sending you.” They were sent to represent him and to in some sense “re-present” Him to people whose eyes or minds were not yet open, or who were struggling with doubt, or who were prisoners of fear. They were Jesus’ ambassadors; their mandate or assignment was to share the message of Good News, the gospel, with all the world.
They had the distinct advantage of walking in Jesus’ footsteps; they saw where he went and how he spent his time. They were familiar with his teachings and had witnessed him healing people. They knew how Jesus had lived, listened, and cared; they had seen his willingness to weep, his preference to be among outcasts and sinners, and when he spoke truth to power. They could model their life after Jesus’.
What can help any one of us share our faith with others, without the benefit of a first-hand experience and a lot of good memories of spending time with him, is to realize that Jesus prioritized relationships with others. Apart from the day of worship, he spent the other six with people, usually ordinary folk. People out in the neighborhood, getting food, tending to their animals or gardens, people walking back and forth to work, or relaxing at the end of the day. Jesus’ keen interest in people shows us the heart of God. I think he wanted to know people’s names and their stories; he engaged with them in ways that were truthful and interesting, for the purpose of pointing them to God, or increasing their faith.
That’s what I’d describe as a “labor of love”. Jesus devoted himself, unselfishly and eventually sacrificially, to people. All people. I think we can agree that different things motivate different people in life. Some are motivated by a desire for recognition, a promotion, a raise, or just their own sense of pride. Others may go through their day or life motivated by a fear of failure, rejection, or punishment. I think there are two basic ways people are motivated – that’s well illustrated by donkeys, who are very stubborn animals. A carrot approach dangled in front of them is a positive motivator for them, but using a stick to prod them from behind is a negative form of motivation.
These are not our only options in life. Jesus shows us, by his example, that a higher standard can be used. Love can motivate us. I like the story of Mary Slessor, who served as a missionary to Calabar, Nigeria, in the 1800’s. At that time, a white person living in the tropics without modern medicine usually meant death. When asked what made her choose this ministry, she said, “love – love equals living for others”.
While love is essential in any form of ministry, we also need resources. When I say “resources for ministry” what comes to mind for you? Access to a computer, books, money, maybe transportation? While these can be useful, the disciples didn’t have access to them; what they had was Jesus’ example. What resourced him to complete his mission was prayer and the sacred word of God. He prayed to His Father often, alone and with others, with the assurance that that God heard and answered Him. Jesus also read Scripture and heard it read and taught in weekly synagogue, so the disciples did the same. Every follower of Jesus should pattern their life after his example if we want to be empowered and go the distance.
But there’s one more resource: it’s the indispensable gift of the Holy Spirit. All who believe in Jesus are given this constant companion. God’s spirit abides in us, dwells in us supplying wisdom when we’re clueless, courage when we’re scared, comfort after being hurt, and peace when we feel rattled and anxious.
Our need for the Holy Spirit reminds me of the way organs needed to be operated before electricity. It took two people to produce music: the organist who sat playing the keys out front and the person in the back who pumped the air. It was often a young boy, who was “out of sight and out of mind”. However, if the lad got sleepy from the heat and fell asleep, the organist would be playing with great skill, but no sound would result. There was a dependency on the part of the organist on the air the boy supplied, which is a reminder that we who serve Christ need the Holy Spirit. That presence makes all the difference.
I want to close with a prayer written by Mother Teresa that beautifully expresses a Christian’s desire to share Jesus with others:
On the evening of the first Easter, eleven of the disciples who were in an upper room behind a locked door were prisoners of fear. Then Jesus appeared and immediately said, “Peace be with you.” Seeing their shock and perhaps doubt as well, he showed them his scarred hands and feet. That proof convinced all of them that he had risen from the dead, and they felt joyful. But there was not going to be an evening party with their Lord long into the night; Jesus said, again, “Peace be with you,” because when you’ve been a prisoner of fear, you can have lingering questions and doubts. But when Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit on them, all that confined and confused them was replaced with perfect peace. God’s gentle shalom – His calming peace – filled them, settled them, and strengthened them. God’s Holy Spirit still does this today for all who believe in His son, Jesus Christ.
One week later, Jesus returns to the same place for the sake of one missing disciple. Thomas had missed out. Jesus could have seen him in the coming weeks, as he would be seen by over 500 people, but He came back for that one struggling disciple. I was considering that this week when I drove past a home with an American flag and a POW flag proudly waving in the yard. It reminded me of their unflinching commitment to leave no service person behind. They pledge to work ceaselessly so each one is returned to American soil. Jesus didn’t want Thomas to left behind. He did what he’d done for the others, showing him evidence, the healed marks on his body. In Luke’s gospel, Jesus said: “Why are you troubled? I am risen; see that, touch me, and believe, Thomas.” The life lesson for us today is that Jesus wants each one of us to move beyond doubt, to a place of confident faith. Helping us do that is God’s Holy Spirit, which abides in us always.
Jesus’ band of disciples believed in his resurrection; they were first-hand witnesses. Blessed are those who have not seen, yet believe! Knowing the hour had come, Jesus commissioned the eleven, saying, “Just as the Father has sent me, now I’m sending you.” They were sent to represent him and to in some sense “re-present” Him to people whose eyes or minds were not yet open, or who were struggling with doubt, or who were prisoners of fear. They were Jesus’ ambassadors; their mandate or assignment was to share the message of Good News, the gospel, with all the world.
They had the distinct advantage of walking in Jesus’ footsteps; they saw where he went and how he spent his time. They were familiar with his teachings and had witnessed him healing people. They knew how Jesus had lived, listened, and cared; they had seen his willingness to weep, his preference to be among outcasts and sinners, and when he spoke truth to power. They could model their life after Jesus’.
What can help any one of us share our faith with others, without the benefit of a first-hand experience and a lot of good memories of spending time with him, is to realize that Jesus prioritized relationships with others. Apart from the day of worship, he spent the other six with people, usually ordinary folk. People out in the neighborhood, getting food, tending to their animals or gardens, people walking back and forth to work, or relaxing at the end of the day. Jesus’ keen interest in people shows us the heart of God. I think he wanted to know people’s names and their stories; he engaged with them in ways that were truthful and interesting, for the purpose of pointing them to God, or increasing their faith.
That’s what I’d describe as a “labor of love”. Jesus devoted himself, unselfishly and eventually sacrificially, to people. All people. I think we can agree that different things motivate different people in life. Some are motivated by a desire for recognition, a promotion, a raise, or just their own sense of pride. Others may go through their day or life motivated by a fear of failure, rejection, or punishment. I think there are two basic ways people are motivated – that’s well illustrated by donkeys, who are very stubborn animals. A carrot approach dangled in front of them is a positive motivator for them, but using a stick to prod them from behind is a negative form of motivation.
These are not our only options in life. Jesus shows us, by his example, that a higher standard can be used. Love can motivate us. I like the story of Mary Slessor, who served as a missionary to Calabar, Nigeria, in the 1800’s. At that time, a white person living in the tropics without modern medicine usually meant death. When asked what made her choose this ministry, she said, “love – love equals living for others”.
While love is essential in any form of ministry, we also need resources. When I say “resources for ministry” what comes to mind for you? Access to a computer, books, money, maybe transportation? While these can be useful, the disciples didn’t have access to them; what they had was Jesus’ example. What resourced him to complete his mission was prayer and the sacred word of God. He prayed to His Father often, alone and with others, with the assurance that that God heard and answered Him. Jesus also read Scripture and heard it read and taught in weekly synagogue, so the disciples did the same. Every follower of Jesus should pattern their life after his example if we want to be empowered and go the distance.
But there’s one more resource: it’s the indispensable gift of the Holy Spirit. All who believe in Jesus are given this constant companion. God’s spirit abides in us, dwells in us supplying wisdom when we’re clueless, courage when we’re scared, comfort after being hurt, and peace when we feel rattled and anxious.
Our need for the Holy Spirit reminds me of the way organs needed to be operated before electricity. It took two people to produce music: the organist who sat playing the keys out front and the person in the back who pumped the air. It was often a young boy, who was “out of sight and out of mind”. However, if the lad got sleepy from the heat and fell asleep, the organist would be playing with great skill, but no sound would result. There was a dependency on the part of the organist on the air the boy supplied, which is a reminder that we who serve Christ need the Holy Spirit. That presence makes all the difference.
I want to close with a prayer written by Mother Teresa that beautifully expresses a Christian’s desire to share Jesus with others:
Dear Jesus, help me spread your fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with your Spirit and life. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that my life may only be a radiance of yours. Shine through me, and be so in me, that every soul I come in contact with may feel your presence. Let them look up and see no longer me but only Jesus. Stay with me, and then I shall begin to shine as you shine; to shine as a light to others. The light, O Jesus, will be all from you; none of it will be mine; it will be You shining on others through me.
Thanks be to God! Amen.