Second Sunday of Easter: Gospel, John 20:19-31               

John 20:19-31

This pericope or smaller section of the twentieth chapter of John is so full. It is difficult to know what to address in our meditation for the week. At first I thought I would write a bit about the gift given by Jesus to the twelve and by extension to his pastors in the absolution of sins. And how we are all blessed in turn. Then, of course, comes Thomas, the twin. The one we know as “doubter,” who I think gets a bad rap.

Then I ran into the very end of our gospel text where we read, “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31). May I jump ahead just a bit before more comments? In the final chapter of the gospel, the next one, John closes his gospel thus: “ Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25).

Jesus was a miracle worker. We have so many in our four gospel accounts and even the Acts of the Apostles. Reading the end of John’s gospel confirms that the miracles were so plentiful that no one really had a grasp on the number. John also confirms to us that they were not performed as mere entertainment, nor to simply quench the thirst of those desiring “the tangible” from their “spiritual” leaders. The miracles or signs were done to evoke faith. And by that gift given to some by the Holy Spirit, fruit will come to them-others will reject and spiritual barrenness will be theirs. We know this to be the case.

Either way, the miracles of Jesus were many, powerful, and pointed. How do you and I receive them? Do we? Perhaps the more important inquiry is who do we see behind them? From whose hand and heart do the miracles come? Good things to ponder this week following Easter.