Today is the Second Sunday of Easter, when the Gospel reading is John’s account of Jesus’ coming and standing among his disciples on the evening of Easter Day. Thomas, who was not present when Jesus came, required proper evidence before he could believe. A week later (the Sunday following Easter Day) Jesus came and stood among his disciples again. This time Thomas was there and Jesus provided him with the evidence he needed. Thomas saw and heard and touched the risen Jesus, and then he believed. But Jesus said ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’
For those of you who wanted to do some thinking and preparation for today’s service during the preceding week, I invited reflection on the image of hearing. In today’s picture from his book, The Windy Day, Teddy Horsley pricks up his ears to help him hear more clearly.
Risen Lord,
when Thomas was questioning his faith,
you came and made yourself known to him.
When we, too, are questioning our faith,
help us to sense your presence
and to hear your voice speaking to us;
for you are alive and reign for ever.
Amen.
Next week, the Third Sunday of Easter, the Gospel reading is John’s account of the risen Jesus’ appearance at the lakeside where he cooked fish for the disciples on a charcoal fire. The image to help us prepare for next week’s theme is breakfast. You can find out more about that theme by looking at the Educational Resources and the Preparation Resources.
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