Second Sunday of Easter

WesleyMen Lenten & Easter Devotionals 2025

Gospel Lectionary

John 20:19-31 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told 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 in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Reflection

Polarization has become a word that has increasingly characterized our societies and churches in recent years. A number of sensitive Christian leaders (like the Franciscan priest Richard Rohr, for example) have turned their attention to this concern.

I would like to give witness to diversification instead. In my experience in Europe, our Christian communities are becoming more diverse than ever due to migration. But “migration” is a technical word. What if we used a spiritual and theological lens to understand the diversification of our communities? We might instead say: God has called people to be on the move.

Every year, a group of diverse Christian leaders gathers in Stuttgart, Germany, for the Institute for Multicultural Ministry. These leaders come for a full week of exchange, study, sharing, and worshipping, bringing along the cultural diversity from their congregations and their individual backgrounds. A lay leader from Italy is actually from the Philippines. A pastor from Sweden is originally from Mexico. One participant from Norway is from Kenya, another from Ghana. One female pastor of European origin is co-leading a congregation with two male pastors – one from Nigeria, the other from Pakistan. And on and on.
When I experience the blessing of such a mix of cultures in one group, I am in awe, and I praise God who has sent such a wide variety of cultures and spiritualities to us in Europe. When there is an encounter of cultures, there can be challenges. But there are also opportunities. In the “other”, do we take the time to recognize the risen Christ in our midst?

When we speak about the differences among Jesus’ disciples, we often mean the little background we get from the Gospels. But imagine how different their thoughts and emotions, reactions and struggles may have been as they gathered after Jesus was crucified and…possibly risen? They were scared (John 20:19). No wonder. But being scared together does not necessarily bring a group to unity. More likely, each finds his or her own reason for what went wrong. Each has his or her own ideas about what to do next. Everyone interpreted the rumors that Jesus was alive differently. And then, suddenly – Jesus appears in their midst.

This is the blessing I want to give witness to: Jesus in the midst of all kinds of people, backgrounds, experiences, dreams, and spiritualities. When I have my doubts, I can meet people who are worlds apart from me because of their differences, and I hear them saying: “We have seen the Lord” (John 20:25). Thank you. You help me when I am on the move. You create an environment in which Jesus also meets me in my doubt.

Prayer

Pray with me: Jesus, the Risen Lord! You know how we struggle with the differences among us. You know how we are tempted to label views and even persons as right or wrong. Help us to learn from the whole variety of Your disciples who share their witness of having met You and open our eyes to affirm that: yes, You are in our midst. Amen.

Dr. Üllas Tankler, based in Estonia, has served with the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church for 20 years as a regional representative for Europe, Eurasia and North Africa.