The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ According to John.
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:19-31)
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In these days of unrest in many countries, and especially of war in the Ukraine, it is hard to watch the television news.
Some people find it hard to make ends meet because of higher prices which are fall-out from that conflict and the sanctions imposed on Russia.
But our “hardship” is as nothing compared to what the people of the Ukraine are suffering.
I am old enough to remember the hardships suffered by the people of Britain, during the Second World War; London being bombed daily as a means of demoralizing the population, factories, hospitals, and schools being bombed ‘strategically” and the precious ration books.
But I also remember radio shows, where comedians would use humour to lighten the mood.
Some people think it was that particular style of humour that helped Britain, come through the war.
In that vein, what follows is a ‘sermon’ on today’s readings, but mostly some humour to help us all through these dark days.
So the other disciples told Thomas, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.”
What a moment for Thomas!
He could have said, ” Oh I was only joking,” but he wasn’t about to lie, and he truly saw where he had been wrong.
Sometimes we do that don’t we – say something to indicate we weren’t really serious when we get caught out in something we may have said seriously?
But saying,’ Oh I was just joking’ doesn’t really go down too well as an excuse.
On the other hand, used appropriately, humour can be something that lifts our spirits when we are down.
Humour can enlighten what is a dark situation.
The tragic happenings, the betrayal of Jesus by Judas and the religious authorities were anything but humorous moments, but I feel sure that prior to this, at happier times, times when he was relaxing with his disciples, Jesus would enjoy some humour.
When Jesus is portrayed in movies, he always seems so serious, so involved in his ministry that he can’t relax, that he can’t have a humorous thought, that he never smiled or laughed.
But if God came to earth in the person of a human being, then, I believe his demeanor would not have to be serious at all times.
If he were a normal human being, then he just wouldn’t be able to ignore the happiness, the good feelings, the times to laugh, that some times epitomize our human-ness.
And neither can we.
We have come through the solemnity of Lent, the joy and the heartbreak of Easter, and we are relieved to be back in our normal way of being. Well, almost normal.
So, being ‘ almost ‘ normal, we can indulge in a little humour.
Consequently, I have a few anecdotes to share with you
A lesson on conscience?
Mark Twain said, ” When I was a boy, I was walking along a street and I happened to spy a cart full of watermelons. I was fond of watermelon, so I sneaked quietly up to the cart and snitched one. Then I ran into a nearby alley and sank my teeth into the melon.
No sooner had I done so, however, than a strange feeling came over me. Without a moment’s hesitation I made my decision. I walked back to the cart, replaced the melon – and took a ripe one.
A lesson on lying?
In Boston, a minister notices a group of boys standing around a small stray dog. “What are you doing boys?”
“Telling lies” said one boy.” The one who tells the biggest lie gets to keep the dog.”.
“Why when I was your age, ” the shocked minister said, ” I never thought of telling a lie.”
The boys looked at one another, a little crestfallen. Finally one shrugged, and said, “I guess he wins the dog.”
On honest dealing:
A farmer in Bloomington bought a horse and was told honestly by the seller that there was only one thing wrong with the horse. He liked to sit on avocados. The farmer said, ‘Well that’s fine with me. There aren’t any avocados around here. So he put down his money and mounted the horse and started home.
On the way he had to cross a stream, and right in the middle the horse sat down and wouldn’t budge. The farmer walked back to the horse dealer, and explained what happened. ” Well, you never said nothing about water, so I didn’t tell you,” the seller said.
“Didn’t tell me what?” the farmer asked.
The horseman explained, “If he can’t get avocados, he likes to sit on fish.”
Learning about the use of language:
A minister new to a church, and living in a rectory, called a church elder, and said, ” I like the house, and the large yard, but I was wondering who cuts the grass.”
The elder said ‘ Well the minister before you used to take time every Friday to cut the grass himself. Have you thought about that?”
The minister said, “Well I could call him, but I doubt he would come.”
So he had to cut it himself, and he had no mower, but a few days later he was walking along and he saw a sign, ‘ Lawn mower for sale,’ and there in the backyard was a young boy using a lawn mower to cut the grass.
He went in and asked the boy, ” Is that the mower for sale,” The boy nodded.
“How much do you want for it?”
“Twenty dollars,”
So the minister gave the twenty dollars, and the boy shut down the machine, and the minister wheeled it back to the rectory.
The next day he thought he would cut the grass, went to start the mower. No matter how hard he tried, it just wouldn’t fire up.
So more than a little miffed, he walked back to the house where he had bought the mower, and seeing the boy sitting on the fence, said, “That mower you sold to me doesn’t work. I pulled that cord maybe twenty times, and nothing!”
The boy said, ” I forgot to tell you, that when you are pulling the cord, you have to cuss at it.”
The minister said, “Well, I don’t know if I really remember how to cuss.”
The boy told him, ” Keep pulling on that card and it’ll come back to yer.”
On strategic timing:
A farmer took his horse to see the veterinarian. He complained about the horse, “One day he limps, the next day he doesn’t ..What should I do?”
The vet advised him, ” On the day he doesn’t limp, sell him.”
And Finally on subterfuge::
‘A school principal received a call. The voice said, ” Thomas Bradley won’t be in school today.” The principal. was a bit suspicious of the voice, so he asked, ” Who is this speaking?”
The voice came back, ” My father.”
Even in dark days, a little humour can let in some light.
If we allow it.