Is your door STILL locked?
“Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them.” John 20:26
Jesus shows the disciples the wounds from His crucifixion on what we can consider the first Easter evening. Now it’s true, Thomas is missing from this scene, but those there are filled with joy (John 20:20). They SEE Jesus. They HEAR Jesus. They FEEL Jesus.
So, why is the door locked eight days later? I can only reason that they are STILL afraid.
Maybe in a scene we do not have in the Bible, Thomas convinces them to lock the door again. We all know people into super safety.
But locking the door AGAIN? Um, this is JESUS they met here. You can’t say they’re being prudent. They’re scared.
Fear has a hold on us, too. If I crunched the numbers, I would say the majority of our church people in Harford see, hear, and feel Jesus; presence. But still far too many of us seek safety first because this is what I hear. We can’t do THAT! It costs too much. Oh, and we have to hold onto THAT. What if we ran out someday?
Pfft. If churches today ran on faith and not fear…yes….imagine this!
Wait. No. Don’t imagine this. Do this.
Others have. They’ve stretched it. They’ve walked it. They’ve trusted it. They’ve shared it not timidly but with boldness. What is ‘it?’ It is the faith that Jesus is there. It is the fact that Jesus is with us.
Today is your day. Lock your door. Live in a fear you are so familiar with that you can’t even name it anymore.
Or step out. Don’t see limits, see love. To see love — to BE love — unlock your heart.
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Dear Lord,
Thomas needed to touch you. We do, too. Let’s experience You firsthand, up close, real, and personal. And let’s bring this to worship tomorrow where there are too many still too scared.
Amen.
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