John 20:29
“Have
you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
If we do not believe because we have not
seen it, we are called a doubting Thomas.
We only tend to believe if we see it first-hand. This is what Thomas the disciple wanted when
his fellow apostles told him that they have seen the risen Christ. He remarked, “Unless I see the mark of the
nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his
side, I will not believe.”
Thomas, as pictured in the scripture, is a
pessimist. When Jesus decided to return
to the place near Jerusalem where Lazarus died, he exclaimed, “Yes, let's go
there that we might die with him.”
He fully knew that they are now being hunted by the Jewish authorities
and will be condemned to death. And now,
a week after the Lord’s resurrection, his pessimism persists.
All of these pessimisms simply vanished in
the air, as soon as He saw Jesus. Thomas
slips to his knees and says in awe, “My Lord and my God!” He uttered the greatest confession of faith
recorded anywhere in the Bible. Doubting
Thomas does not stay a doubter. When he
sees the risen Jesus, all that Jesus has taught over the years now sinks in,
and up to his death Thomas is an outspoken advocate for his Lord. Thomas traveled to the east coast of India,
preaching relentlessly. He is killed
near Mylapore about 72 AD, near present-day Madras. Tradition tells us that he is thrown into a
pit, then pierced through with a spear.
He is speaking to us, doubters today, to
those of us who have seen our hopes and dreams destroyed. He is telling us his story of his fears and
doubts and how Jesus' life had changed everything. Let us exclaim our faith together with him,
as we recount his joy at seeing and knowing the risen Jesus himself – “My Lord
and my God!”
Lord Jesus, Saint Thomas doubted Your
resurrection until he touched Your wounds.
Once he was cured of his doubt, You freed him and he began the work You
had called him to do. I ask him to pray
for me when I question the direction in which You are leading me. Forgive me for mistrusting You, Lord, and
help me to grow from the experience.
Amen +
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
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