The divine mercy Sunday!

John 20:19–31

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. 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.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to 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 into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

Food for thought!

As we come to the end of the written gospel, we are reminded that this is not all the gospel; there is still more good news that was not written nor was writable down in human words. Indeed, most of what we have of Jesus is what he did in the last three years of his life. What, for instance, did Jesus do during his 30 years of hidden life? As we know, Jesus lived about 33 years of age, of which some 30 years, he spent at Nazareth, his home village. But as to what he did during this time, we know very little. The gospels focus on his last 3 years. This is why John confesses that "There are so many other things Jesus did. If they were all written down, each of them, one by one, I can't imagine a world big enough to hold such a library of books."

We are not sorry for what was not written down because what we have is what our heavenly Father intended for us. In other words, although we don't have all the good news of Jesus, we have all the good news of Jesus that we need and that God intended for us and for our salvation: 

"Jesus provided far more God- revealing signs than are written down in this book. These are written down so you will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act of believing, have real and eternal life in the way he personally revealed it." (John 20:30-31)

As we read the written gospel, we believe the unwritten gospel as well. This is what Jesus is recommending Thomas to do: Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.

And talking of seeing and believing. Today’s gospel gives us an example of a man who struggled with the two. His name is Thomas. “In the evening of the day Jesus rose from the dead, the first day of the week, ... the disciples had met ... Jesus came and stood among them (John 20:19).” Jesus had told them, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20). 

On the first Christian Sunday morning following the resurrection of the Lord, all the disciples are gathered for Sunday service and what do we notice? Thomas is not there. Where is Thomas? You can see that Thomas is like one of these modern-day Christians who do not go to church regularly on Sundays. Such people are not there in church when Jesus comes to meet his people and to strengthen them in their faith. As a result, they remain with their doubts. 

Initially all the disciples had their doubts. But because of their encounter with the risen Lord in Sunday worship their doubt was turned into faith. Thomas missed that experience. But, being a wise man, Thomas resolved never again to miss the Sunday gathering of believers. The gospel reading continues, “A week later [i.e. the following Sunday] his disciples were again in the house, and [this time around] Thomas was with them [and as usual] Jesus came and stood among them (John 20:26). 

This time Thomas had his own share of the resurrection experience. Immediately his doubt changed into faith and he fell down and worshiped Jesus, saying, “My Lord and my God!” (v. 28). 

Now ask yourself, What if Thomas had stayed away from church saying, “Prove it! Prove it to me that Jesus is risen and then I will come,” would it be possible to prove it to him by arguments alone? Sometimes the best argument you can give to skeptics about faith and God, is a sentence in three words: “Come and see.”

Today, we celebrate the feast of the Divine Mercy. Or better, it is the feast of the benevolence of the Lord. Jesus is indeed benevolent and merciful, because when the other disciples told Thomas, “We have seen the Lord,” he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” A  week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”

Notice the words of Jesus are the words that were said by Thomas. It means that when Thomas said them, Jesus was invisibly there listening to him and even seeing him. Fortunately, he did not blast him; he waited for eight days to speak to him. Jesus is merciful; he is kind; he benevolent. "He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities." (Psalm 103:10).

"LORD, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared." (Psalm 130:3-4).

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail." (Lamentations 3:22).

"For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee." (Psalm 86:5).