Breaking the Word

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 Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.  (Jn 20:19-31)

Belief in the resurrection is God given. It is a revelation. Every time it Jesus who makes a move to reveal himself to his disciples and communicates to them that he is the one who is risen from the dead. Disciples have forgotten all what they have heard which Jesus had preached while he was on the earth. This belief cannot be derived from anything other than an experience.

Jesus gives this experience to individuals and the experiences are personal. We see this with Mary of Magdala, Peter, the disciples who were on their way to Emmaus. Even when he appears to the group of disciples he does not neglect the individual as in the case of Thomas in today’s story. Jesus wants his disciples to be individually convinced of his resurrection.

Belief in the resurrection does not come only from experience alone. There will be people who come to believe without having an experience. They come to this belief from hearing of the narration of experiences. All what Jesus has said and done are not written down. But what is written down is to bring the reader to faith. There are people who begin to believe because of experiences and there are others who come to faith by listening to the narration of these experiences and there are still others who believe of what they read from the scriptures.  

When he had risen, early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. After this he appeared in another form to two of them walking along on their way to the country. They returned and told the others; but they did not believe them either. (But) later, as the eleven were at table, he appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed those who saw him after he had been raised. He said to them, "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. (Mk 16:9-15)

Mark gives a summary statement of the resurrection appearances. Even though he does not give a summary of all the appearances, yet he gives the important ones. The first witness is always a woman. It is interesting that the person who receives the revelation always goes to the other disciples to communicate. Similarly the two disciples who were on their way, they too rushed back and reported. Those who receive the revelation always reported to the others.

This communication is always received with disbelief. Reports are never accepted. The disciples began to believe only when they themselves have had the revelation. Disbelief seemed have been the trade mark of the disciples. Is this the way of writing to include another revelation? However there were many revelations and every revelation was preceded by a non-belief from the disciples. Jesus obliged them every time but rebuked them always.

The final commandment of Jesus was to go and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Since salvation is to every creature the proclamation of the gospel is also to every creature. What is the gospel that the disciples have to proclaim? In the context it has to be the resurrection of Jesus. The gospel is also the kingdom which is established in Jesus. The gospel is also the forgiveness for those who repent. The basis of all the gospels is the resurrection of Jesus.