2 Easter, Year B

“THANK GOD FOR LEAKY BUCKETS!”
A sermon by The Rev. Gene TuckerGiven at Trinity Church, Mt. Vernon, IL; Sunday, April 19, 2009
Acts 3:12a, 13–15, 17–26; Psalm 118:19–24; I John 1:1–6; John 20:19–31

It was springtime, that time of the year when the small country church would hold its annual Revival, just as it had done for as long as anyone could remember.

And, sure enough, just as it had always happened, for as long as anyone could remember, old Willie stood up at the time of the altar call, and offered his testimony. At the end of which, he would always cry out, “Lord, fill me up!”.

And so, just as Willie made his way down to the altar in front, a person was heard to say, “Lord, don’t do it! He leaks!”[1]

Now why would God want to fill up a leaky bucket?

Wouldn’t that be a waste of God’s grace?

All I can say is, “Thank God for leaky buckets!”

For, you see, we are all leaky buckets, inferior vessels which are unable to contain God’s grace without that grace being experienced in the work that God must do in each of us to fix the seams of our hearts, so that we can be fitting vessels of God’s grace.

As we consider the very familiar account of “Doubting Thomas” (heard every year on the Second Sunday of Easter), that’s precisely what is in play here: We can identify with Thomas’ situation: He is – in essence – telling the other ten disciples that “He wants what they they got,” a resurrection appearance, a direct encounter with Jesus Christ.

But, Thomas goes one step further: not only will Thomas not believe their testimony, Thomas says that he won’t believe “Unless I can put my finger in the prints of the nails.” (In his insistence on a direct, physical sign, Thomas is no different from the Jewish leadership of his day, who also insisted on having a “sign” to prove that Jesus is who He said He is.)

Thomas is an unworthy vessel to receive God’s grace, for Thomas’ heart leaks from his insistence on setting the terms by which God will fill his heart with the goodness and faith that can come only from God.

But, thank God for leaky buckets! Thank God for inferior vessels which are chosen to contain God’s grace.

For it is out of such unworthy vessels that God’s grace is most clearly seen, and it is out of such leaky buckets that God’s grace often flows most freely.

You see, I can write my own name in the blank in Jesus’ statement which says, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believe.”

I am one of those who has “not seen”, and yet, who believe.

I am the recipient of God’s grace, seen in Thomas’ struggles to come to the place of believing.

Are you one of those, too?

Has God repaired the leaky seams of your heart, so that you can receive God’s grace, and hold it as a treasure?

Has God removed the lid that you have put over the opening to your vessel, much as Thomas did?

I hope so.

But, let’s look at the account again to connect one more truth to what we have already said:
God entered Thomas’ heart, mind and soul, giving Thomas exactly what Thomas asked for. In so doing the Lord removed the barrier, the obstacle to the receiving of God’s grace.

But God did not enter Thomas’ unbelief[2] in order to create a private repository for God’s grace.

On the contrary, God met Thomas’ needs right where he was in order to repair Thomas’ heart, and in order that Thomas would be able not only to contain God’s grace, but to allow that grace to overflow for the benefit of others.

To share God’s goodness and God’s grace is exactly what Thomas did, for tradition tells us that he went out into the world, as far as the subcontinent of India, carrying the Good News[3] with him. Even today, there is a church in India that bears his name, the Mar Thoma Church.

For, you see, the message from today’s Gospel account is clear: God’s grace is seen in the mending of Thomas’ heart, just as it is seen in the overflow of God’s grace that was made possible by that mending.

So it is to be with us: We are called to allow God to mend the leaky seams of our hearts, that we may bear witness to God’s restorative properties. We are then called to receive God’s grace, to hold it, and to allow it to overflow to others, that God’s truth may be learned, and God’s power seen.

AMEN.
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[1] I am compelled to give credit where credit is due for this story, which came from Helen Pace.
[2] The Greek word actually means “unbelieving” more than it means “doubting”.
[3] An early Church historian tells us that Thomas carried with him a copy of the Gospel according to Matthew in Hebrew, a document which is now lost to us.