I HAVE DOUBTS, DO YOU?

APRIL 24, 2023

24 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body. 4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. 5 The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here but has risen.  6 Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be handed over to the hands of sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise again.” ... 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.


13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” 19 He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22 Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23 and when they did not find his body there they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see him.”


36 While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37 They were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see, for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.
41 Yet for all their joy they were still disbelieving and wondering.

I read the following, “if you don’t have serious doubts about the Easter story, you’re not paying attention.”

What do think?

I mean, just read the story. All the stories. For while the four gospels have many variations in their account of Jesus’ resurrection, they are absolutely consistent on one thing: no one believes the good news of Jesus’ resurrection when they first hear it. No one. And that includes Jesus’ own disciples, the ones who were closest to him and spent the most time with him.

The disciples doubt the women’s testimony. Look closer it is not just their testimony, they doubt; it’s even Jesus.  In Luke’s account, the disciples hear and dismiss the women’s testimony, Peter ran to the tomb and confirmed that it’s empty, two disciples on the road to Emmaus were encounter by Jesus and have returned to tell their tale, and now… now Jesus has appeared among them and invited them to touch him to dispel any doubts they may have that he is real. And then Luke writes, "Yet for all their joy they were still disbelieving and wondering."

Isn’t that marvelous? That even after all this they still don’t believe. What is even more remarkable is that they can be both joyful and disbelieving at the same time.

You see, Doubt is not the opposite of faith. Doubt, in fact, is probably a necessary ingredient to faith. So, when we talk about Easter People, Resurrection People, “us”, we are not talking about the gathering of those who’s faith/knowledge is definite or certain. We’re talking about those people who have all kinds of questions and doubts but still find joy and wonder in this message of good news about new life.

How might we live differently if we acted like God’s promises were true? Maybe its just me, but I think, the promises of God are so familiar to most of us, we have heard them frequently enough, and therefore we don’t think about them and so don’t act as, or live as if they are true.

Think with me. If it’s true that God raised Jesus from the dead… If it’s true, that God promises to renew the whole creation and grant us new life… If it’s true, that nothing – nothing we’ve done or that has been done to us – can separate us from the love of God… If it’s true that God will not turn his back on any of us but always reaches out to us in grace, mercy, and forgiveness… If any of this (let alone all of this) is true, then how might we live our lives differently this week?