Wounded Healers
Easter 2 – Narrative Lectionary 4
April 8, 2018
Redeemer, Good Thunder, MN
John 20.19-31
Every time I read this story I wonder, “Where’s Thomas?” Did he miss the curfew and get locked out? Did he draw the short straw and have to fetch groceries? Or maybe he just wasn’t afraid of the Jewish religious leaders. And why did Jesus decide to appear to the disciples when Thomas wasn’t there? Couldn’t he have waited? Was he punishing Thomas for something? I really don’t blame Thomas for being cranky, wanting what the others received. By the way, did he ever get the Holy Spirit? And why call him “Doubting Thomas?” Why not “Curious Thomas” or “Brave Thomas” or “Jesus-Likes-Them-Better-Than-Me Thomas?” Not being there must have hurt and wounded Thomas deeply.
Of course, it’s Jesus’ wounds that are a focal point in our reading, amazing when you think about it. On the one hand, John wants us to know that the Jesus who appears to the disciples now apostles is the same Jesus they knew before his crucifixion and resurrection. Theologically speaking, he also tells us that the resurrected Jesus is the crucified Jesus and vice versa. Who Jesus is just doesn’t go away. On the other hand, it is curious that Jesus still bears the marks of his crucifixion in his resurrected body. After all, Jesus has not been resuscitated; he has been resurrected and transformed. We know this because in many of his post-resurrection appearances, Jesus is not recognized until he speaks someone’s name or in a certain way.
I see another important facet to the presence of Jesus’ wounds: solidarity with our own woundedness. The marks that Jesus carries tell us that Jesus not only suffered on our behalf, but also that Jesus understands our own wounds, especially those that are borne through no fault of our own. Jesus helps us understand that our wounds are an important part of our past and who we are. His presence in our lives gives us the assurance that we can not only survive our woundedness but also the promise that our wounds will be transformed and be a force for something positive in the world.
Kay and Matt were in their late forties when Matt developed cancer. As you can imagine, it was hard, especially since they had two daughters, one in high school and the other in college. Matt did okay for a while, but died a couple of years later. As you can also imagine, Kay was devastated. She would often say that she had a Matt sized hole in her life. But she said she knew God was somehow going to use her experience and prayed for God’s grace for it to happen. Indeed, Kay found herself more compassionate for others and she helped start a grief support group. Kay went back to school to get a counseling degree so she could help college students who had difficulties in school. Kay knew that God didn’t cause Matt’s cancer or her woundedness, but God transformed Kay’s wounds into something positive.
We all carry wounds in our lives, some not as deep as Kay’s and some even deeper. I remember being bullied as a youth simply because I liked learning and was good at it. We didn’t all it bullying then; we called it “junior high,” but the effect was the same. So, I have compassion for those who suffer such taunts. The promise of the resurrection is that although our wounds are part of who we are, they don’t dictate our lives. On the contrary, we are able to help others, to let them know they aren’t alone, as Henri Nouwen says, “wounded healers.” We have this assurance because of the most important mark we carry on our bodies, the cross of Jesus Christ traced on our foreheads in Baptism, reminding us that we are beloved, transformed children of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.
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