‘Doubting Thomas’ John 20:19–31

"Doubting Thomas." If you look up this phrase in the dictionary, you'll find something like: "one who habitually or instinctively doubts or questions." A "doubting Thomas" is somebody who always lags behind in matters of faith. A "doubting Thomas" always needs more proof, more time. A "doubting Thomas" has a hard time trusting others.

For years I've felt bad for Thomas, also known as Didymus.  I mean, how'd you like it if your name went down in history attached to "doubting"? How would it feel to know that every time someone uses your name it had a negative connotation?

Of course Thomas isn't the only person in history whose name is married to some depressing connotation. It's synonymous with making a really bad, obvious mistake. You know, whatever else comes of my life, I really hope that by the end of it my name isn't synonymous with something bad.

Part of my point in today's sermon is to come to the defence of "doubting Thomas." I'd like to suggest a new phrase for this disciple, not "doubting Thomas," but "honest Thomas."  -  it almost rhymes! But, more importantly, I think it accurately portrays the character of the one who was willing to be honest even when it wasn't pretty, and even when others were not quite so truthful.

More importantly still, when we really understand what's going on with Thomas, we'll find new freedom to be honest about our own faith, or, as is sometimes the case, lack of it. Believe it or not, I'm going to suggest in this sermon today that you and I need to be more like Thomas, not by doubting more, but by being more honest with God and with each other.

Before we examine the story of Thomas in detail, we need to remember the context. The historical setting was Jesus's mission of proclaiming and enacting the kingdom of God. He assembled around him a group of close followers who came to believe that he was the Messiah who would save Israel. Through Jesus, they thought, Israel would finally be set free from the heavy hand of Rome and God would once again rule over his free people.

But all of these hopes came crashing down when Jesus was arrested, tried before a kangaroo court, and sentenced by the Roman governor to death by crucifixion. For the disciples of Jesus, his death wasn't merely a horrific execution of a dear friend. It was the end of their vision, the passion in which they had invested years of life. The death of Jesus must have felt like a giant betrayal, not only by Jesus, but even by God himself. Why, after all, did the Lord back up Jesus's ministry with such mighty miracles if, in the end, it was all for nothing? For Thomas and his friends, the death of Jesus must have seemed like a cruel trick.

But then, on Easter morning, some women claimed that the tomb where Jesus had been buried was empty, and that they had even seen him alive. "Nonsense," Thomas must have figured. "Nothing but delirium. Wishful thinking!"

Yet that evening, while Thomas was away from the group, Jesus appeared to the other disciples. When he returned, they excitedly reported to him: "We've seen the Lord." But Thomas didn't share their joy or confidence. He said to his fellow disciples, "I won't believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side." (v 25) There you have it: doubting Thomas.

But do you blame him? Remember, he had been burned before, big time. He had gone out on a limb for God, and the limb broke off. What had that got him?  Discouragement.  Defeat. Devastation! Thomas wasn't going to fall into that trap all over again. No way! Can you relate to Thomas at all? I know some of you can. You went out on a limb. You trusted God. You tried to live as a good Christian, to do the right things, when all of a sudden your life fell apart: your marriage disintegrated, or you got cancer, or you lost your job, or your teenager got involved with the wrong crowd. No matter how you try to rationalize what happened, the truth is that you have felt let down by God. And no matter how much others try to encourage you, you're just not sure you're ready to trust him again. There are some of you here right now who know exactly what I mean. So you can relate to Thomas.

Or maybe you connect with Thomas because, like him, you don't believe in Jesus. You've heard your friends and family members tell you how great it is to be a Christian.

You hear people like myself talk about God's love in Christ, but you're still not sure. So you can relate to Thomas as one who stands on the outside of faith, peering in.

To be honest, if I had been in Thomas's shoes, I'm not sure I would have been able to accept the testimony of the other disciples. You see, some people are sceptics. Some think a lot, maybe too much. Some don't find it easy to put their faith in anything. So putting ourselves in Thomas's place I wonder: Wouldn't it have made just as much sense to suppose that the disciples had had too much to drink, or that they'd seen some sort of ghost, or that their grief had overwhelmed their reason?

Whether Thomas should have believed or not, at any rate he was bluntly honest about where he was. He didn't pretend.  He told the truth. Was he "doubting Thomas"? Well, perhaps. But even more clearly he was "honest Thomas."

Thomas in fact turned out to be more honest than some of the other disciples. As far as we know, none of them admitted to having any doubts about Jesus at this time. They were happy to go along for the Resurrection ride. But if you turn over to Matthew 28, you read something quite startling. The disciples have followed Jesus's orders to go to Galilee, their home ground, and meet him there. This is what it says beginning with verse 16: "Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him - but some of them still doubted!" Did you catch that? "But some of them still doubted."

As far as we know, these disciples had been willing to play along as if they truly believed, but in fact their doubts persisted. Unlike Thomas, however, they weren't honest. They pretended to have unhesitant faith when all along they weren't quite sure.

If you're struggling with doubt today, don't pretend. And don't judge yourself. Doubt is a natural part of the faith journey of many, many Christians. If you doubt, be an "honest Thomas." First, tell the Lord about it. Don't hold back in your prayers. God can handle your doubt. God wants you to be completely honest in prayer. Second, if you're struggling with doubt, you can be an "honest Thomas" by sharing it with others whom you can trust. Get them to pray with you, support you, and walk with you through the dark valley of doubt. They'll help you get through.

Let's take another look at John 20 to see how Jesus responds to Thomas. It says, "Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them." For eight days Thomas was left in his doubt. For eight days he stood around watching the celebration of his colleagues while he was stuck in indecision. Don't you think Thomas began to wonder if Jesus had forgotten him? Maybe he began to fear that he would never get to see the risen Jesus, that he would live in doubt forever.

The fact is that Jesus chose to let Thomas wait. He didn't show up right away to relieve Thomas's fears. We don't know why. We don't know what needed to happen in Thomas before Jesus appeared to him. All we know is that Jesus made him wait.

There will be times when you're struggling with faith and doubt, and God will make you wait. It won't seem fair at the time. In fact, it might seem mean. But God knows what he's doing.

The Psalmists often speak of how for days they cried out to God for help. And for days God was silent. For days they begged to see God. And for days the eyes of their hearts were blind. They would feel desperate, terrified, and empty. And God would have seemed to have abandoned them during that time, their "eight days" of waiting, if you will.

I don't know what God was doing with Thomas during his eight days, but sometimes during our times of doubt, he can break our pride and set us free from our self-reliance. He will show us the limits of our reason. He will teach us that we can’t do things alone or in our own strength. And he will prepare us to receive his grace, not as something we think we have earned, but as a free gift.

When, after eight days, Jesus finally appeared to the disciples in Thomas's presence, he addressed the "doubter" directly: "Put your finger here and see my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don't be faithless any longer. Believe!" (v. 27).

Do you know what's missing here? The rebuke! The guilt! The lecture on not doubting! It's not here. Jesus doesn't reprimand Thomas for his unbelief. Rather, he gently and mercifully offers Thomas exactly what he had wanted. Jesus met Thomas right where he was. And he offered himself to Thomas: "Here, touch me, and believe."

In his time and in his way, Jesus comes to us and makes himself known to us. Sometimes he does it in the way we have wanted. Sometimes he doesn't. But he always gives us exactly what we really need. And it comes, not because we've earned it, but by grace.

Many of us struggle with doubt that can seem to choke the very life out of us. We can fall into a pit of despair and not know how to climb out. We can use books, logic, and evidence that demands a verdict. We can be stuck in unbelief, helpless before God.

We may cry out to God, again and again and again. We may have sleepless nights and eventually pour our hearts to God, and often when we do, you may feel a calming presence surrounding and embracing you. The desperate doubts may drain out of your tormented souls, replaced by the deepest peace you’ve ever known. Your tears of sorrow may become tears of joy. It’s as if Jesus himself is saying to us, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don't be faithless any longer. Believe!"

Returning to John 20, notice how Thomas responded to Jesus. It's curious, isn't it, that we're never told whether or not Thomas actually touched Jesus's wounds. The silence of the text suggests he didn't. Confronted by the gracious presence and offer of Jesus, Thomas exclaimed, "My Lord and my God!" He didn't need to touch Jesus after all because the presence of his Lord had touched his heart.

Now I want you to notice something absolutely crucial here. Thomas said, "My Lord and my God!" This makes him the first person in the gospels, perhaps even the first person in all of history, to confess Jesus not only as Lord, but also as God. Doubting Thomas, or better yet, honest Thomas became faithful Thomas, bold Thomas, believing Thomas.

This is where honesty with God leads. This is the outcome of an open confession of doubt. This is not pretend faith. This is not the sort of Christianity we wear as a costume to impress others. It's a 100% genuine faith that issues from the deepest corners of our soul. It's a faith that transforms our lives. It's the sort of faith that I want. And I expect you do too.

Notice how Jesus finishes his encounter with Thomas: "You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who haven't seen me and believe anyway." This is a word of encouragement for you and me, because we don't get to see Jesus. One day we'll see him face to face. But that day is still a long way off for most of us. In the meanwhile, you and I are those who have to believe without seeing.

And in this we are blessed. Being blessed doesn't mean we're great, or worthy, or morally superior. Being blessed means that God has chosen to pour out his goodness upon us, to be gracious to us, to reveal his Son to us. Indeed, all who believe without seeing are truly blessed.

Have you been blessed in this way? Do you believe in Jesus, even though you haven't seen him? If so, then praise God! You've been granted a marvellous gift. So use it and enjoy it and share it with others. Let your faith in Christ be the centre of your life.

I'm sure there are some of you here this morning who came not fully believing in Jesus. You just haven't been ready to put your trust in him. But maybe during this service you've sensed the presence of Jesus through his Spirit. Maybe you've heard his invitation to believe, even as he once gave it to Thomas. If this describes your experience, then I would invite you to say "yes" to Jesus today. Put your trust in the one who died for you, bearing your sin, and who was raised from the dead three days later so that you might have the fullness of life forever.

I expect that there are some of you here today who still feel like Thomas before he saw Jesus. You've heard the good news of salvation in Christ. You've heard that Christ is risen. You've heard the invitation to find true life in him. But you're still not sure. If this is how you're feeling right now, then let me encourage you to be like honest Thomas. Be real. Don't pretend. Tell God exactly where you are and ask for his help. And, if I could add one more thing, keep on hanging out with God's people. If you live around here, come back and join us for worship. Or sign up for a forthcoming Alpha course. Or talk with a Simon, Phill or myself. Let us walk with you on your journey to faith.

No matter where we are in our relationship with Jesus today, the good news is that he meets us in that place. In his time and his way, he graciously draws us near to his heart so we might know his love and grace. The one who gave his life for you so that you might be forgiven, the one who was raised so that you might live forever, seeks a genuine, honest relationship with you. He wants, not just a religious performance, but an intimate friendship. So no matter where you are on the road of faith, let the risen Jesus walk with you today, tomorrow, and every day from here on. Amen!

The Problem of Unanswered Prayer

Introduction

I am a great believer in the power of prayer. I have seen some wonderful answers to prayer, including seeing people being healed. And every time a prayer is answered, it builds up faith and gives great encouragement. And in the Bible we are given some wonderful encouragements about prayer, for example in John 14:13-14 Jesus declares "I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." And in Matthew 18:19 Jesus says "I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven."

But for all the prayers that are answered, I can think of many that don't appear to have been answered. I think about all the people I've prayed for to be healed but who haven't – for example my friend Pete who died from cancer in July at the age of 45. Pete was chaplain in the Royal Air Force, passionate about Jesus and doing wonderful work – why wasn't our prayers for healing answered?

And then I hear people talk about how God helps them to find a car parking space when they go shopping, and I'm left wondering is God more concerned about finding parking spaces, than he is in healing people who are desperately ill. Or when someone survives a plane crash and they say it was an answer to prayer, I think about all the other people who were on that plane and praying just as hard but didn't survive.

The question of unanswered prayer is a really big issue for many people, as Philip Yancey in his book on prayer writes: "What kind of companion who has the power to save a life or heal a disease would 'sit on his hands' despite urgent pleas for help?" (page 208 'Prayer: Does it make any difference?')

The Inconsistency Problem

The question for me isn't 'Does God answer prayer', because I believe passionately that He does. The problem is about the inconsistency of the answers to prayer. Why are some prayers answered and others apparently not?

Blockages to Prayer

There are a number of reasons why God may not answer our prayers as we wish.

FRIVOLOUS PRAYERS

Some prayers go unanswered because they are frivolous, for example we might have sympathy for the student that comes out of an exam and prays "Dear Lord please make Paris the capital of Turkey", but that prayer is not going to be answered. More seriously if someone is a chain smoker they don't have the right to pray "Protect me from lung cancer."

SIN BLOCKAGE

Another reason prayers may go unanswered is if we have some unconfessed sin in our lives. A while ago I had problems with the toilets at home which weren't flushing properly, eventually I discovered that what was causing the problem was that the drains were completely blocked, and we had to get someone in to unblock them. Sin in our lives can do something similar in our relationship with God.

The psalmist writes "If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened." (Ps 66:18) And in Isaiah, the prophet records these words from God. "When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow." (Is 1:15-16)

So it is not only our private spiritual state but also our social concern (or lack of it), for the poor and marginalised, that has a direct bearing on how our prayers are received. How I treat God's creation and God's people will determine in part how God receives my prayers and my worship.

Contradictory Prayers

Then there are contradictory prayers, which simply can't be granted. If a dozen people pray to get the same job, eleven must ultimately come to terms with unanswered prayer. Or while we might be praying for a nice hot sunny day, a farmer may be praying for rain.

The Blessing of Unanswered Prayers

There are of course times when we should be grateful that God doesn't always answer our prayers. Imagine what it would be like if God answered every prayer – and not just the good requests, but prayers for vengeance, or retaliation, or the prayers of people waging war against other nations.

When Jesus wasn't welcomed by the Samaritan villages James and John asked "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" But Jesus turned and rebuked them, imagine what would have happened if that prayer had been answered.

How can we be certain that we pray always with the best motives at heart?

If God always answered our prayers then He would in effect turn the world over to us, and what would the consequences of that be?

The country singer Garth Brooks had a hit song, 'Thank God for Unanswered Prayers', in which he has the line 'Just because he doesn't answer, doesn't mean he don't care. Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.'

Jesus' Unanswered Prayers

As we think about the question of unanswered prayer, it is helpful to realise that Jesus too knows what it is like not to have prayers answered. For example, in John 17 Jesus prayed for the unity of his followers, 'that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.' (John 17:21) But you only have to look at the church today to realise how far that prayer remains from being answered.

Think too about when Jesus went out on a mountainside and prayed all night before calling his disciples and choosing twelve of them to be apostles, this included Judas Iscariot. I wonder whether Jesus ever questioned the Father's guidance, as Jesus had to put up with their petty concerns, and lack of faith, especially when they all abandoned him at his greatest point of need.

But Jesus' greatest unanswered prayer was his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane when he prayed to his Father to 'take this cup from me.'

What would the consequence have been if Jesus' prayer had been answered, and he did not go to Golgotha?

For me knowing that even Jesus had some unanswered prayers doesn't solve the problem of unanswered prayer, but it does bring some comfort to know he has experienced what we experience.

If we are hoping to find an easy answer to this question about prayer, then we will be disappointed, because I don't think there is one. Instead we are called to live with the mystery that is prayer. In the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18), Jesus encourages us to keep on praying. Whilst I live with the tension of unanswered prayers, I have seen enough answered prayers to know that prayer does make a difference, and to keep on praying.

I can look back on my life and I can now understand why God didn't answer some of my prayers the way I wanted. But there are also other prayers which I'll never understand the reason why they weren't answered the way I would have hoped for, and in those situations I have to trust that there was a reason for God to act the way he did. For 'my ways [are] higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts' (Is 55:9), reminds God.

If you read the Psalms, which are often full of groans and laments often over God's lack of response, they always come back to the theme of God's faithfulness. And so no matter how circumstances appear at any given moment, we can trust the fact that God is the one that rules the universe, and that we have a divine promise that one day all shall be well.

How God answers prayer

Maybe a big part of the reason why we feel God doesn't always answer prayer is because God is answering our prayers in ways we fail to recognise.

I came across the following quote as I was preparing this talk, "A theist believes in a God in heaven whereas a Christian believes in a God who is also physically present on this earth inside of human beings… God is still present, as physical and as real today, as God was in the historical Jesus. God still has skin, human skin, and physically walks on this earth just as Jesus did." God calls us to work in partnership with Him, and as we inform God what we think should be done in the world, He reminds us of our own role in doing it.

The way God is at work in the world, the way in which He answers our prayers, is often different to how we expect Him to act, and because of that maybe we fail to recognise God at work.

The following checklist can be helpful for us to make sure our prayers are on target:

1. What do I really want? Am I being specific, or am I just rambling about nothing in particular?
   
2. Can God grant this request? Or is it against God's nature to do so?
   
3. Have I done my part? Or am I praying to lose weight when I haven't dieted?
   
4. How is my relationship with God? Are we on speaking terms?
   
5. Who will get the credit if my request is granted? Do I have God's interest in mind?
   
6. Do I really want my prayer answered? What would the consequences be if the prayer was answered?
   

We have to realise that whether we get the answers we want or not, God can make use of whatever happens. Nothing is irredeemable. The author John Baillie prayed this prayer:

Teach me, O God, so to use all the circumstances of my life today that they may bring forth in me the fruits of holiness rather than the fruits of sin. Let me use disappointment as material for patience. Let me use success as material for thankfulness. Let me use trouble as material for perseverance. Let me use danger as material for courage. Let me use reproach as material for long suffering. Let me use praise as material for humility. Let me use pleasures as material for temperance. Let me use pain as material for endurance.

Finally, it is important to remember that prayer is not just about our requests and petitions, it is about companionship, walking with God day by day, when times are good and also when times are hard. And it is therefore important that we do not neglect prayer. And whilst we have to live with the mystery of times when prayer isn't answered, the more we do pray, the more we will discover God does answer prayer.

The problem of suffering

THE PROBLEM OF SUFFERING

I want to start this series today, by addressing one of the most difficult questions that as Christians we have to face. It is a question which has been asked a great deal during the last few weeks following the devastating earthquake in Haiti. It is the question of suffering. If there is a good and loving God, why does he allow suffering in our world?

I am asked this question more than any other question. Why would a good God allow suffering, especially if we believe in an all powerful God, who presumably has the power to stop these things from happening? The reality is that for many people the problem of suffering is one of the biggest stumbling blocks to believing in the existence of God.

The problem of suffering, and God’s role in it is not a new thing, it is as old as humanity. For example some of the most repeated prayers of the psalmist are ‘Why?’ ‘How long?’ and ‘Where have you gone?’ Just as the psalmist was not afraid to express his feelings to God and Jacob was prepared to wrestle with God in Genesis, so I think we need to wrestle with God over these difficult questions, and express honestly our feelings of frustration, anger, confusion and also doubt.

To ask the tough questions of God is not a sign of doubt, but of faith. It shows we believe there is one who can help.

Of course, we may not always get the answers we are searching for. And this is one of the challenges of living the Christian faith. It is not always clear why certain things should happen the way they do. Sometimes if someone asks me, ‘Why did God allow this to happen?’ or ‘Where is God in this’ the only answer I can give is ‘I don’t know’. You see faith is not a refuge from reality. It is a demand that we face reality, with all its difficulties, opportunities and implications.

IS SUFFERING ALWAYS BAD?

But before we go further, we need to stop and ask ourselves the question, is suffering always bad? The answer is no.

Although none of us like to experience suffering or pain, it can serve a purpose. For example when you burn you hand by touching something which is very hot, the pain actually serves as a warning to your body to remove your hand from that hot object before it gets damaged. Pain is your body’s way of telling you something is not right. So pain & suffering can serve a purpose. It can act as a warning to us, or as a wake up call that something is not right.

Another form of pain or suffering that we experience comes when we lose people we love. The pain we feel after experiencing bereavement is a direct result of the love we feel towards that person. The greater the love, the greater the sense of loss we feel. CS Lewis in his book ‘The Four Loves’ said this, “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken.” He goes on to say, the only way to avoid that pain is to avoid loving. I personally would rather experience the joy of love, and with it the experience of pain that we feel when we lose those we love, than not to love at all.

So not all suffering is necessarily bad, it can serve a purpose.

IS SUFFERING ALWAYS GOD’S FAULT

This leads me onto the next point, which is that is suffering always God’s fault?

People sometimes view God as if he were a puppet master, pulling all the strings, controlling all the events that take place here on earth. But is this correct? Where does free will fit into this view of God?

I would argue that much of the suffering that we see in the world is not caused by God but by ourselves. For example if you are a heavy smoker and develop lung cancer, God is not the one to blame, but yourself. Some of the natural disasters, which are often described as being acts of God, also have more to do with us that with God. For example scientists have established a clear link between human activity and global warming, which is causing sea levels to rise, resulting in flooding in many low lying countries. It is also changing our global weather pattern causing drought and famine in other parts of the world –the countries that are affected by these natural disasters are often the ones least able to cope with such tragedies.

God is not responsible for everything that happens on the planet. It is not God’s will that little girls are used as prostitutes in India, that evil dictators crush the poor beneath their heels & that terrible atrocities are committed in the wars that rage today around the world. Jesus taught us to pray: ‘your kingdom come, your will be done?’ (Mt 6:10). When we believe that everything that happens is because it is God’s will, we engage in Christian fatalism. Heaven is the realm where God’s sphere of rule is currently perfect – and we pray that perfect rule to be seen here on the earth.

Of course there are tragedies which we have little or no control over such as earthquakes. Whilst we can ask the question why God would allow these natural disasters to happen, we have to bear in mind that these forces that result in earthquakes, although destructive, also bring life to our planet. Without it, life would never have started or been sustained on our planet.

WHERE IS GOD WHEN DISASTER STRIKES

So where is God when disaster strikes? This is what Brother Roger, the founder of the Taize community in France, has to say on this subject:

“Some people wonder: if God existed, surely he would not allow wars, injustice, and the sickness or the oppression of even one single person on earth. If God existed, surely he would keep people from doing wrong.

Nearly three thousand years ago, the prophet Elijah went out into the desert one day to listen to God. A hurricane came roaring by, then an earthquake, then a violent fire. But Elijah realised that God was not in these violent outbursts of nature. Then everything became quiet and Elijah heard God in the murmur of a gentle breeze. And an astonishing fact dawned upon him: often, the voice of God comes to us in a breath of silence.

It was one of the first times in history that this purest of intuitions was written down: God does not terrorize anyone by violent means. God is never the author of evil, or earthquakes, of war or of natural disasters.

Neither suffering nor human distress is willed by God.

God never imposes himself. God leaves us free to love or not to love, to forgive or to refuse forgiveness. But God is never an indifferent witness to human affliction; God suffers with the innocent victim of incomprehensible trials; God suffers with each person. There is a pain that God experiences, a suffering felt by Christ.”

Where is God when suffering occurs? He is in the midst of it. Through Jesus, God has immersed himself into the world’s struggles. When Jesus’ friend Lazarus died we are told that Jesus stood at Lazarus’ tomb and wept. But there were others there who said, ‘He cured others, why couldn’t he keep this man from dying?’ In other words, could Jesus have not done something? Or where was God when this disaster struck? But as Christians we believe God was right there, in the person of Jesus, shedding tears of sadness over the death of a friend, and over the grief of others.

Ultimately when I am faced by the problem of suffering, I am always led back to the cross of Christ. Because the cross reminds me that God loves me even in the midst of pain and suffering. The cross also reminds us that God has the power to transform suffering and pain, evil and injustice into something good. And so the cross is a symbol of victory. When Jesus died on the cross, he died with a cry of triumph on his lips; triumph over pain and hatred, suffering and death. On the cross God showed that he cared about pain and suffering, shared it, and overcame it. Following the earthquake in Haiti, you might have thought it would have shaken the faith of Christians living in that country. But in a CNN report last week this is what one Haitian Christian said ‘A lot of people who never prayed or believed – now they believe.’ The people don’t feel abandoned by God and they ‘don't blame Jesus for all these things... They believe that Jesus saved them and are thankful for that.’

Where was God when the earthquake struck Haiti? I believe God was there and is there in the midst of the suffering. If the church is doing its job—binding wounds, comforting the grieving, offering food to the hungry—I don’t think people will wonder so much where God is when it hurts. They’ll know where God is: in the presence of his people on earth.

SUFFERING CHANGES US & MOVES US INTO ACTION

This leads me onto my final point, although I don’t believe God ever wills or causes us to suffering, He can use those experiences to help shape and change us. The suffering we sometimes experience in life can provide us with new opportunities we never thought possible. For example, I have met parents who through the tragedy of losing their children, have been able to support other parents going through similar situations. Suffering can also teach us to rely not upon ourselves, and our own strength or resources, but upon God. Malcolm Muggeridge, journalist, author and satirist said “Contrary to what might be expected, I look back on experiences that at the time seemed especially desolating and painful with particular satisfaction. Indeed, I can say with complete truthfulness that everything I have learned in my 75 years in this world, everything that has truly enhanced and enlightened my experience, has been through affliction and not through happiness.”

Another aspect of suffering is that it often moves us into action. There is a well known poem which says:

Christ has no hands but our hands to do His work today
He has no feet but our feet to lead men in the way
He has no tongue but our tongue to tell men how He died
He has no help but our help to bring them to His side.

I believe as Christians we can only start to begin to answer the question of the problem of suffering, by looking to the suffering God, who calls us into partnership with him, to build a better world, so that in the midst of suffering and pain we can proclaim message of hope for all people. That God loves us, does not abandon us, but suffers alongside us, and has the power to transform these situations into something new. Amen.

Questions of Faith: What Does The Bible Say About Forgiveness?

Introduction

On July 7^th 2005, Jenny Nicholson, got on the tube at Paddington Station, to travel to the publishing company where she worked. It was a journey she had taken many times, but it was to be her last. She was one of fifty two people killed that day, as terrorists attacked the transport network in London, Jenny Nicholson was only 24 years old.

Just over three weeks later, on the 30^th July 2005, Anthony Walker, a young 18 year with a very promising future ahead of him, was brutally murdered by a gang of racists thugs in Merseyside.

The one thing linking these two stories, is that both Jenny Nicholson and Anthony Walker came from Christian families. But the families have responded to their deaths, has been quite different.

The mother of Jenny Nicholson, the Revd Julie Nicholson, found it impossible to forgive her daughter’s attackers, and resigned from her role as Parish Priest. In contrast however, the mother of Anthony Walker, Mrs Gee Walker, publicly forgive her sons killers in front of the gathered press. She went on to say that she felt no hate for her son’s killers, only sadness, she said, “Jesus commanded, ‘Take up your cross and follow me.’ So I try to stay focused and my message is peace, love and forgiveness.”

Both stories, illustrate the challenge of forgiveness. As Christians we are called to be prepared to forgive, yet as we see from these two stories, forgiveness can be costly, and difficult

The reality is that many people, including Christians find it difficult to forgive.

Why is forgiving people so important?

1 We are to follow Jesus’ example

As Christians we are to follow the example of Jesus, who as he was being nailed to the cross, cried out ‘Father, forgive them’. But the reality is that to forgive someone who has wronged you is not easy.

You yourself may have been hurt in the past, and you may feel that the person who wronged you doesn’t deserve to be forgiven, but then again did the people who put Jesus to death deserve to be forgiven? No. Do we deserve to be forgiven by God when we sin against him? No. But yet God still forgives us. And we too are called to forgive because God has forgiven us. Paul in Ephesians 4:31-32 writes, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

2 Forgiving is linked to being forgiven ourselves:

We are called to forgive other people, because being prepared to forgive other people is linked to being forgiven ourselves.

In the Lord’s Prayer, there is only one petition that has any condition attached to it: it is the petition of forgiveness. Jesus taught us to pray, “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us”.

Notice that Jesus assumed we would forgive others. Forgive us, AS WE forgive others… To forgive as Christians is not an optional extra, it is something we are meant to do. Notice also that our forgiveness in effect depends on our own willingness to forgive others. If we refuse to forgive those who have hurt us, it will have an impact upon our relationship with God. Jesus said, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

3 Because it is part of our spiritual growth

Another reason why we are to be prepared to forgive others, is that the more we learn and practice forgiveness, the more we become like God, who himself is merciful and forgiving. As Christians what enables us to forgive is the knowledge that we ourselves have been forgiven by God. God has forgiven us, not because we deserve it, but because he is full of grace and mercy.

4 Because it is in our own interest

An unwillingness to forgive people can have a detrimental effect upon us. If we hold on to resentment, anger or hatred, it can damage us, far more than the person we are unwilling to forgive. For example, I am sure we can all think of people, whose lives have been corrupted by the strong sense of bitterness and anger that they have felt towards a person or a situation.

If we do not forgive, we shall not enter into the all the joy and freedom God wants for us. Unwillingness to forgive ties us to the past, so that we cannot move forward.

What forgiving involves

So what does the process of forgiving involve?

Forgiveness doesn’t mean denying our feelings of hurt, anger, outrage, loss, but acknowledging them, and learning to let go of them so we can move forwards in freedom.

How can you forgive someone when you have been really hurt, especially when we have been hurt or let down by those who are closest to us?

There are some practical steps we can take:

· We can talk about it, especially to a wise and trusted friend.

· We can try to understand why the person who has upset us has acted in a certain way. In 2005 Abigail Witchalls was attacked whilst walking with her young son. The attack left her paralysed, and the man who attacked her later killed himself. Despite this terrible event Professor Sheila Hollins, Abagail’s mother was able to forgive the attacker. Professor Hollins said “His death is the real tragedy in this story because he lost his life and almost certainly this was the consequence of the mind-altering drugs he was using." She was able to forgive this man, in part because she understood the effect these drugs had upon him.

We can pray:

1 Pray for ourselves, by sharing our feelings with God, and asking for his help and grace to lead us to a point where we feel we can forgive.

2 Pray for the person who has hurt us that God will bless them- this can be difficult but helpful. Jesus said pray for those who persecute you.

3 And we can pray that God will somehow use what has happened for our good.

Reluctance to forgive

Sometimes we may be reluctant to forgive. It may be that we are afraid that if we do forgive, we will in effect by saying:

· That the offence didn’t really hurt me

· That I and my feelings don’t matter much

· That we believe the offender had a valid excuse to hurt us

· That the offender need not face any consequences for their actions

· That it is okay to hurt me again.

But forgiving someone doesn’t apply any of these things. Just as when Jesus said from the cross, Father forgive them, he wasn’t saying that our sin which took him to the cross wasn’t significant, it was, but he still forgave us.

Forgiveness is not just a one off event, it is an ongoing thing. In Matthew 18:21 Peter asks Jesus, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" To which Jesus replies, I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. In other words, it is an ongoing thing, and for some people, the process of forgiveness may take many years.

Corrie Ten Boom

I want to finish by telling the story of Corrie Ten Boom, and how she had to face the challenge of forgiving someone who had hurt her.

Corrie and nine members of her family were sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp in Germany after it was discovered that they had been sheltering Jesus refugees at their home in Holland. Although Corrie survived the concentration camp, many of her family didn’t, including her sister Betsie.

After the war Corrie was invited to speak in many countries about her experiences and about her faith. Corrie had always talked about the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation, but in 1947 she had to come face to face with the challenge and cost of true forgiveness. She was speaking at a church in Munich, when she met one of her former guards at Ravensbruck. And this what Corrie said about this encounter.

“Memories of the concentration camp came back with a rush: the huge room with its harsh overhead lights, the pathetic pile of dresses and shoes in the center of the floor, the shame of walking naked past this man. I could see my sister's frail form ahead of me, ribs sharp beneath the parchment of skin.

Now he was in front of me, hand thrust out: "A fine message, fraulein! How good it is to know that, as you say, all our sins are at the bottom of the sea!"

It was the first time since my release that I had been face to face with one of my captors and my blood seemed to freeze.

"You mentioned Ravensbruck in your talk," he was saying. "I was a guard there. But since that time," he went on, "I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fraulein--" again the hand came out--"will you forgive me?"

And I stood there--and could not. Betsie had died in that place--could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the asking?

It could not have been many seconds that he stood there, hand held out, but to me it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do.

For I had to do it--I knew that. The message that God forgives has a prior condition: that we forgive those who have injured us. "If you do not forgive men their trespasses," Jesus says, "neither will your Father in Heaven forgive your trespasses."

Still I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart. But forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart. "Jesus, help me!" I prayed silently. "I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling."

And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes.

"I forgive you, brother!" I cried. "With all my heart!"

For a long moment we grasped each other's hands, the former guard and former prisoner. I had never known God's love so intensely as I did then.

Conclusion

The greatest symbol we have for forgiveness is the cross of Jesus. The cross also reveals to us just how costly forgiveness can be, but also how necessary it is. Mother Teresa said, If we really want to love, we must learn how to forgive. In Christ’s suffering on the cross that not only do we see true love revealed, but also the power of forgiveness to bring healing & wholeness. This is what Corrie ten Boom discovered when she met her former capture, and this is what we too can discover if we are people who are prepared to forgive.