{"id":1054,"date":"2013-04-07T12:10:13","date_gmt":"2013-04-07T16:10:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=1054"},"modified":"2013-04-07T12:10:13","modified_gmt":"2013-04-07T16:10:13","slug":"doubt-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/doubt-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Doubt"},"content":{"rendered":"

2nd<\/sup> Sunday of Easter, Year C<\/a>
\nActs 5:12-16
\nRevelation 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19
\nJohn 20:19-31
\nApril 7, 2013<\/p>\n

Jesus has been crucified.\u00a0 They know the tomb is empty.\u00a0 The disciples are locked in a room.\u00a0 Why did they lock themselves in a room?<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t for a conclave.<\/p>\n

We are told it was for \u201cfear of the Jews.\u201d\u00a0 Jesus has been crucified and the disciples are likely afraid that the same fate awaits them so they hide from the Jews.<\/p>\n

That fear is a very real fear but I suspect their fear was more than that.\u00a0 They would have been full of confusion.\u00a0 How could this happen?\u00a0 They thought Jesus was the Messiah.\u00a0 In their thinking, there is no way Jesus would have ended up crucified.<\/p>\n

If that wasn\u2019t confusing enough, the tomb of Jesus has been found empty.\u00a0 Jesus is risen but what does that mean?\u00a0 No one had risen before so for now the empty tomb and word that Jesus is risen might only add to confusion.<\/p>\n

Confusion and doubt.<\/p>\n

Jesus knew how the disciples were feeling.\u00a0 That\u2019s why his first words to them were \u201cPeace be with you.\u201d\u00a0 He knows their hearts are not at peace.<\/p>\n

He brings peace.<\/p>\n

He also knows they do not understand the Resurrection.\u00a0 He showed them his hands and feet so they could see the nail marks to know that he is not just a ghost but is risen with his body.<\/p>\n

Then he breathes on them, giving them the Holy Spirit so that they might understand.<\/p>\n

Peace.<\/p>\n

But Thomas wasn\u2019t there.\u00a0 When Thomas hears what has happened he tells the others unless he can touch Jesus\u2019 wounds he will not believe.<\/p>\n

For this he gets a bad rap as \u201cDoubting Thomas.\u201d\u00a0 Did he doubt?\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 In some way, so did the other disciples until they saw the risen Jesus.<\/p>\n

If they had no doubt in Jesus, they won\u2019t have locked themselves in the room.\u00a0 They won\u2019t have been confused and troubled by what happened.<\/p>\n

Jesus did not give up on the disciples for their doubt and neither did he give up on Thomas.\u00a0 He appeared again to the disciples a second time.\u00a0 This time Thomas was there and when he saw for himself he called out to Jesus, \u201cMy Lord and my God.\u201d<\/p>\n

No more doubt.<\/p>\n

Jesus then says \u201cBlessed are those who have not seen and have believed.\u201d<\/p>\n

We have not seen for ourselves but we believe in Jesus because of what the scriptures tell us, what the Holy Spirit tells us, and what we believe.<\/p>\n

Do we have doubts?<\/p>\n

I do.\u00a0 I like to think my doubts are more about what I do myself but they involve God.\u00a0 How do we know God exists?\u00a0 Sometimes the way I know God exists is the simple fact of what I accomplish as a person, a priest, and a pastor.\u00a0 I have NO DOUBT that I could not do what I alone.\u00a0 There must be a God for me to do these things.<\/p>\n

Doubt is not denial that God exists.\u00a0 Can we deny God\u2019s existence?\u00a0 Yes but that\u2019s not the same as doubt.<\/p>\n

Doubt comes from a lack of understanding.\u00a0 We don\u2019t know why things happen as they do.\u00a0 But we can have this doubt and still believe.<\/p>\n

If you look up the word \u201cfaith\u201d in a dictionary, you find a definition that says \u201cto believe in what cannot be proven.\u201d<\/p>\n

We might not understand.\u00a0 We might not be able to understand but we can believe in faith, trusting in God, seeking his peace.<\/p>\n

And when we trust, we find peace.\u00a0 When we don\u2019t have all the answers, we can try to find answers but in faith we trust.<\/p>\n

Do we have doubts?\u00a0 Sure, hopefully they are minor and based on simply not understanding but trusting.<\/p>\n

When does \u201cdoubt\u201d become a problem?<\/p>\n

I think there are two key points to knowing when doubt is a problem.\u00a0 First, if our doubt leads us to reject the faith and the existence of God or to think that God might exist but doesn\u2019t care is problematic.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not talking about doubt for just an instant moment like in tragedy.\u00a0 We turn that over to God.\u00a0 That doubt comes from not understanding but we can still believe in faith.<\/p>\n

The other point when I see doubt as a big problem\/sin is when doubt puts us behind locked doors that keep us from acting.\u00a0 This looks like the doubt we see in the disciples in the gospel.\u00a0 Note for them, it is not the end.\u00a0 They still have faith and in that faith, Jesus comes to them.<\/p>\n

What doubts do you have?\u00a0 Is it real unbelief or a lack of understanding to be handed over in faith?<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

2nd Sunday of Easter, Year C Acts 5:12-16 Revelation 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19 John 20:19-31 April 7, 2013 Jesus has been crucified.\u00a0 They know the tomb is empty.\u00a0 The disciples are locked in a room.\u00a0 Why did they lock themselves in a room? It wasn\u2019t for a conclave. We are told it was for \u201cfear of …<\/p>\n

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