Episodes
Sunday Jun 15, 2014
But Some Doubted
Sunday Jun 15, 2014
Sunday Jun 15, 2014
Celebrating Rev. Dean Snyder
Rev. Dean Snyder
Matthew 28:16-20
It is the very end of the Gospel of Matthew. The resurrected Jesus had appeared to some of his women followers and told them to tell the disciples to go back to Galilee where they had been in ministry together. The 11 remaining disciples, without Judas, return to Galillee to the mountain where he had commanded them, where he had given them new commandments, probably the place where Jesus had given the Sermon on the Mount.
There Jesus appeared to them and gave them the commission that was to send Christianity into literally every corner of the world. "Go and make disciples of all nations..."
In telling the story Matthew that when the 11 disciples gathered at the mountain of the Sermon on the Mount saw or perceived Jesus there, they began to worship him.
And then he adds the words: "But some doubted."
But some doubted.
Some, more than one, not just Thomas. But some doubted, not just a couple. Some doubted.
Even among the 11 who had been close to Jesus his entire ministry, some doubted.
Then Jèsus came and said to them: "Go and make disciples...."
He said it to them ... All 11 ... Not just the ones who didn't doubt. He said to all 11 "Go and make disciples..."
I want to repeat one more time something I've tried to say again and again. Let me put it this way ... I believe the basic unit of faith is not the individual but the congregation.
I believe that on any given week so e of us will have faith, courage and hope and some of us will not. But it is okay because those on any given Sunday who have faith cover the rest of us who are doubtful and afraid.
I don't think we are saved as individuals. I think we are saved as congregations, we are saved as communities.
The most important thing we do as we work out our salvation with fear and trembling is to get ourselves into the presence of a congregation of God's people, commune and communicate with one another, and let those whose faith is intact cover those of us who doubt.
One of my teachers was the Lutheran preacher Ed Steimle. One Saturday during Holy Week Ed's wife said in the morning that she wasn't feeling well. By the end of the day she had died.
As he had every day of his life he went to Easter Sunday worship the next morning. He said as he stood there during the opening hymn, the Allelulias stuck in his throat. He could not sing them.
Then suddenly he realized he didn't need to. Others, he said, could sing the Allelulias for him that Easter.
Many Sundays I don't come to worship because I have a strong conviction that particular day that God is alive and active in our world. In fact here are weeks I doubt it. I come because I know that others will have faith for me.
Many Sundays I don't come to church because I am full of love for others and myself. In fact there are weeks when I feel as though love my love is drained away. But I know there are others here who will have enough love to cover me.
Same with hope. Same with courage.
So my encouragement to you is to stay close to the congregation. Keep your rear end in the pew. Say hello to your pew neighbor even when you don't feel like chatting. There are those here who will have faith for you when you doubt, love when you run out of love, hope for you when your hope runs low. There are those her who will sing Allelulias when the Alleluias stick in your throat.
Jesus send all of us into the world ... Some who believed and some who doubted.
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