Eastertide
April 3, 2016

Scripture Reading: John 20:19-31

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 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.’

 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.’ 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.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ 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.’
–John 20:14-29

I have always thought Thomas got a bad rap by being vilified as the doubter. He was the disciple who first responded positively to Jesus when he decided to go to Bethany after hearing of Lazarus’ death. Thomas knew how dangerous it was for Jesus even to get that close to Jerusalem. Yet Thomas expressed his willingness to die with Jesus.

Doubting is a part of faith. We grapple every day with questions about what something means and how we are to respond. I compare the acts of God, reported in the Bible and since, with what I call the test of love. For I strongly believe that God is love and I struggle to understand the meaning of love. I wonder does this story describe the acts of a God who is love and if so how is love manifested in the events of the story? We grow in our ability to love like Jesus loved when we dive deeply into the fragments of his life from which we draw our conclusions.

I think this is what John is calling us to do when he ends this scripture with the phrase, Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe. Thomas had not seen Jesus as he was absent at the first resurrection encounter between Jesus and his disciples. Thomas, the doubter, did not trust what he was told filtered by the experience of others but once he encountered the living Christ he understood. That opportunity is available for us to this day.

Prayer: Lord, guide our study and help us understand the meaning in the message. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.