“Opening up the closed doors of our lives”

 

Easter 2 - Presented to Boolaroo Uniting Church 12.4.2026

Focus text – John 20:19-31

 

Thomas, one of the twelve is often chastised for his doubt – yet this morning I want to hold him up as an important historical and metaphorical archetype for our world today. Life is rarely black and white.  There are often varying degrees of shade in between that for too many years religion has ignored at it’s own peril. Yet in this morning’s gospel, we catch a glimpse of how Jesus responds to someone who is not too sure what to make of the Jesus story.  Thomas, one of the disciples who had not been in the room when Jesus had first appeared to the others refuses to believe he has risen.  We’re not told why Thomas was not with the others when Jesus had first appeared, or where he was exactly. We only know that he missed out on that first experience. How maddening it must have been for Thomas to hear the other disciple’s carry on about this amazing experience that he had missed out on. Of course nowadays, if we run into a celebrity or have an incredible experience, people can take a selfie and upload it to FaceBook and there’s instant proof of the event in question. But of course that cannot happen in this story. But suffice it to say, Thomas is annoyed. And we probably would be to.

 

Yet what is so fascinating here, is that Jesus appears a second time, this time with Thomas in the room. We’re told that Jesus actually walks through a closed locked door to get to Thomas.  Serene Jones puts it like this, “It is not that Thomas’ doubt drives him to demand answers from Jesus. It is Jesus who is determined to reach this stalwart skeptic, whom no one else seems able to convince. It is Jesus who refuses to let dead bolts or chains block the movement of love toward the one who lacks faith. So too it is with us. When doubt crowds out hope, we can be confident that Jesus will come to meet us where we are, even if it is out on the far edge of faith that has been forgotten how to believe.” This morning Jesus comes to each one of us and wants to be made real and be known in our lives. Jesus, through the Word and Sacraments, through community gathered, walks through the closed, locked doors of our hearts that we have perhaps long forgotten about, and invites us into an experience of the risen, palpable reality of God.

 

God created the space for Thomas to come to believe. God continued and continues to work in the closed hearts of all people, to slowly chip away at old hurts and burdens and to invite us all into a celebration of life, love and a meaningful faith experience.

 

This morning, may we allow Christ into the closed locked doors of our hearts and be open to just being loved by God where we are at, and perhaps just a little bit more open to new ways of seeing God and believing.

 

This morning as we bring our doubts, our uncertainties, our fears into this place, we do so in the midst of the signs and wonders around us that boldly declare, "He is risen....you are held....believe."  This principle is perhaps best captured by nature itself. There’s an old wisdom tale told about the dragonfly which speaks into the dynamic of Thomas' doubt meeting the risen Christ today which I think is a beautiful story to hold onto in times such as these.....

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Once upon a time, lived a tiny community of water beetles. Their world was small, quiet, and tucked away—a simple life where the water felt like a familiar blanket, shielding them from the great unknown.

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Every now and then, a gentle shadow of sadness would drift through their home. They would watch as a dear friend felt a mysterious calling and began to climb a long, slender lily stem, disappearing into the light above, never to return. The little beetles would huddle together, whispering that their friend was gone forever, lost to the great silence beyond the surface.

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One day, a brave little beetle felt that same tug at his heart—an irresistible pull toward the light. But as he began his journey, he made a quiet promise to his family below. "I won't leave you," he whispered. "I will find a way back to tell you what lies at the end of the climb."

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He climbed until the water gave way to the golden warmth of the sun. Tiring from his journey, he settled onto the broad, sturdy back of a lily pad and fell into a deep, peaceful sleep. While he rested, a quiet miracle unfolded. When he finally opened his eyes, he was no longer a creature of the mud. He had transformed into a magnificent dragonfly, with a shimmering sapphire tail and wings as light as a summer breeze.

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With a flutter of newfound strength, he took to the sky! He soared through the vast, sparkling air, discovering a world more vibrant and beautiful than his wildest dreams. It wasn't just a new place; it was a brand-new way of being.

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Suddenly, he remembered his friends waiting in the shadows of the pond. He knew they were mourning him, thinking his light had gone out. He yearned to dive back down, to wrap them in his wings and tell them, "I am not gone! I am more alive than I have ever been. My story didn't end; it only just truly began."

But as he dipped toward the water, he realized his new, delicate wings could no longer move through the heavy depths. He couldn't go back—not yet. In that moment of stillness, a peaceful realization washed over him. He understood that one day, each of his friends would feel that same pull, climb that same stem, and wake up to find him waiting for them in the sun.

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With a heart full of hope and a spirit free of fear, he lifted his wings and spiralled upward, dancing into the glow of his joyful new life.

 

There is a deep peace in trusting in the process when we can't understand it. This is what Jesus is saying to Thomas today. Trust the process of resurrection life, even when you are completely overwhelmed by events. during these times it is okay to feel those emotions, to grieve, or be angry, or to doubt - but if you can create even just a small space for trusting in resurrection hope too, to watch out for the signs and wonders that will most assuredly come then you will know yourself held, you will know yourself secure. Now those signs and wonders may not be as pronounced as the experience of Thomas meeting Jesus again for the first time after his death, but our God does still send moments to sustain us, often through nature, a phrase from a loved one at just the right time, watching a sunrise, engaging in a passion - there will be small mini-miracles that can and will have the same effect on us as Thomas placing his hand in Jesus' side today. We just need to remain open to the possibility of new life in our midst, God will do the rest.

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There is a lot of blindness that happens around the resurrection, Mary doesn't recognise Jesus at the tomb, the disciples on the way to Emmaus don't recognise Jesus in their midst, and even Thomas today doesn't recognise Jesus risen even when Jesus is standing right in front of him! He won't believe until he can place his hands on him and feel the evidence for himself! Jesus' words to him today are words that can help transform us all, "Do not doubt, but believe". Do not doubt, but believe even when human logic implores you to remain sceptical. Do not doubt, but Believe even when the circumstances you face are completely untenable. Do not doubt but believe when you long for a sign or wonder to guide and comfort you but it takes a while longer for the mists of grief to dissipate just enough that you can see the presence of Jesus standing with you. Do not doubt, but believe.

 

When Thomas questions Jesus in this morning’s Gospel, he does so with great sincerity and in such a way that I think we can all relate and understand. This morning Jesus' compassionate response to Thomas and the others speaks volumes to us in the midst of our own doubts and despair. This morning, Jesus has let his disciples in on part of the mystery of his own journey. He reminds them to trust the process. To not doubt, but believe. Believe in a place where family and friends from long ago are reunited.  Believe in a place on the way where fear and uncertainty are no more. To believe in a place where we meet Jesus face to face and know we are home. To trust the process, and know our God is with us.

 

In the meantime, let us consider the places we believe are hopeless, can we make out the faint silhouette of our Saviour, who is most assuredly there. It won't negate the pain and the anguish, but belief can certainly provide us with the hope and strength to carry on, knowing new life is on the way. Amen.