This the sermon shared on April 11: Holy Humor Sunday!

Tommy the Twin—that’s what he was called back in the day.  Jesus and Thomas were blood brothers growing up.  They walked to school and learned the Torah together.  They would wander off from time to time in the hills near Nazareth.  Thomas and Jesus were so close, people referred to them as the twins. 

There are a few things about Tommy worth mentioning.  He brightest bulb in the flower bed. He had a knack for saying and doing the wrong thing.  He was almost never around when the fun and exciting thing happened.  Jesus and Thomas used to go out exploring the hills looking for lost treasure.  They tried to find Noah’s Ark, sure that it must be hidden somewhere behind the next hill.   They never found it.  However, one day Jesus and Biff found it, and they went to tell Thomas all about it.  The next time they went to see it, it was gone.  He missed it.   They were never able to find it again.

The others quickly realized that Tommy was a little gullible.  Jesus and Thomas were sitting on a roof and they both were to jump off.  Thomas jumped off first.  He died in the fall.  But Jesus was his friend, so Jesus brought him back to life.  It wasn’t long before Tommy’s parents forbade him from hanging out with that bad influence, Jesus. 

So, they separated for some time.  It wasn’t until after they had learned their trades that Tommy ran into Jesus again.   This time Jesus was saying and doing some pretty awesome stuff.  Jesus had left his carpentry gig, and was into ministry full time.  The old friendship was rekindled, and they were like two peas from the same pod.  Jesus and Thomas, so much alike- they were like twins.  

The others worried about Thomas and tried to help him along.  It seems that every time something important happened- Thomas was doing something else.

The Transfiguration: who was with Jesus?  Peter, James and John.  Thomas was supposed to be there, but he was attending a ‘get rich quick seminar.’  However, it was just a pyramid scheme- ironic, it was actually investing in the pyramids of Egypt.  He missed the wedding in Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine, because he went jackalope hunting with Judas, it took him all day before he realized there was no such thing as a jackalope.  How could Judas betray him like that? He missed the Sermon on the Mount because he was promised a free 4 day/3 night Dead Sea cruise by only attending a time share seminar. He bought some waterfront property in Sodom, only because as a bonus they threw in Gomorrah.   

A little known fact was that he was kicked out of the upper room, and missed most of the Last Supper.  Mary Magdalene had to step in as Jesus’ ‘plus one.’   Just before they started to eat, the others waited as Thomas filled his mouth with lamb, and as soon as he did, one of the others said, “Hey Tommy, why don’t you say a blessing for the food.” 

They were always messing with Tommy, playing practical jokes-  pulling out his cushion before he sat down, or putting Whoopie cushions on the cushions.   When everyone else was drinking wine, they’d put water in his glass- and say something like, “Looks like Jesus turned it back.” 

At the supper he started to recruit for Direct Marketing (Amway)- and the others had had enough of that. So, they politely asked him to leave. 

They would tell him all the tales of the things he missed.  Jesus walked on water.  Jesus healed this guy, and restored the sight of that one, and forgave this lady her sins.  And Thomas believed everything.  So naturally, when Jesus kept telling him he had to go to Jerusalem and was going to be crucified—Thomas just went along.  Tommy figured this was going to be Jesus and the gang’s biggest practical joke yet.  He was like, “Oh, sure, of course, you’re going to die and come back from the dead.”             

Thomas went along with the joke.  After all, this is exactly what they had been doing to him all along.  This was no different.  It was a little sick, but then, Jesus had said so many things that seemed crazy, and even the Palm Sunday parade went a little too far.   

When Judas conspired to betray Jesus, Thomas went along.  When Peter denied Jesus, Thomas went along.  When Jesus stood trial- Thomas watched, amazed at the theatrics and commitment of so many people in on this giant practical joke—wow, they are really trying to get me. 

Imagine Thomas’ surprise when he watched in the distance- the actual crucifixion of Jesus—his blood brother, his twin!  This was no joke!  This was real! Or was it?  Was it a joke? Could Jesus just do what he had done for everyone else, and perform a last second miracle.  He could save everyone else—surely, he could save himself.  If this was a joke—where were the others?  Why were they not standing behind a rock, ready to jump out laughing?  They all disappeared.  They were gone.  This is real—no joke!

A few days later, after the Passover and the Sabbath- it was Sunday.  He decided to go back to the room where he last dined with his mates.  He would apologize for his social blunder, and would say “Good-bye” to his friends.  There wasn’t much left for him in Palestine.  He would travel to India.  He had always wanted to go there, and now there was nothing keeping him but bitter memories.

Of course Thomas was a little late, all the others were there, except Judas.  Tommy was late because he was busy picking up his newest entrepreneurial venture, T-shirts that read, “I followed Jesus for 3 years and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.” He didn’t sell any.  I guess people weren’t quite ready for T-shirts.   

When he got to the upper room, the door was locked.  Of course it was.  At first he thought, this was the gang, trying to be funny.  Then it occurred to him, NO! They went after Jesus, and now they are coming after us.  He rapped the secret knock, and waited.  When he went in—they spun an incredible story about Jesus coming back and talking to them—but then Jesus had to leave again.  Thomas missed the original “Grateful Dead” show.    

Thomas had had enough of their practical jokes and chicken little baloney.  He was done.  He was traumatized.  He didn’t really know what to believe.  If Jesus was dead—then this is horrible joke.  If he was alive—then this Passover plot was the greatest practical joke of all time. If he was alive—and this is news to them too—then Jesus is the real deal.

“I tell you what,” he said not too confidently, ‘If Jesus steps in here right now, and I can actually stick my fingers in the holes on his hands and side, then I will believe.”  Thomas is either an outlier, or the most practical and authentic one of the bunch. 

He did meet Jesus.  He did believe.  He did go to India, and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout India, and converted the multitudes until he was eventually martyred.  And that is no joke!