Doubting Thomas

John 20:29

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Poor Thomas. We have forever labeled him a doubter. That’s what he’s most remembered for. Not his missionary work in India, but for being a doubter. The thing is that doubting the word of others wasn’t so unusual in a disciple. Remember when Mary Magdalene came running in to tell the others that she has seen Jesus risen from the dead? They didn’t believe her. They had to run to the tomb to see for themselves. So when they see Jesus himself instead of just the empty grave clothes and they tell Thomas about it, it makes sense that Thomas didn’t believe.

The difference is that Thomas didn’t just want to see for himself. He wanted to touch for himself as well. He made a statement that showed a lack of willingness to believe when he demanded that he place his fingers in the nail marks. It wasn’t enough for Thomas to hear and see; he wanted more. How many of us have made some stubborn demand of God before we trust Him? Things like, “God, if you do this for me I will believe in you.”

Look at what happens next. Jesus appears when Thomas is present, and He knows what Thomas said to the other disciples. He offers Thomas the chance to do what Thomas had demanded in order to believe, but Thomas has changed his mind. As soon as he sees the Lord, he acknowledges him as Lord and God. Thomas saw and believed. Beyond believed in Jesus, he acknowledged him as God. Thomas words to Jesus up to that point had only ever been used of Yahweh. Thomas got it!

Then Jesus gently tells Thomas that he is blessed because he saw and believed (like all the disciples were blessed because they saw and believed), but there would be people who would be blessed more because they would believe without needing to see. It was less a chastisement of Thomas than it was a beautiful promise to the rest of us. We don’t need to live in the times of the disciples. We don’t need to see Jesus first hand like they did in order to have a deep and abiding faith. They lived with him and walked with him and even they struggled to believe in Him. We can have a deep and abiding faith without the input of our five senses. What an awesome promise Jesus gave us when He spoke to Thomas!

Father, I thank you that because you allowed your disciples to see you and touch you after your resurrection and you gave them a faith based on solid evidence of their senses, I am allowed the opportunity to believe without seeing. Because those men who walked with you were sure and firm in their testimony, I have a chance at deep and abiding faith, too, even though I have not yet seen or touched you. Thank you for the promise that my faith could be as real and true as theirs was. Thank you for the promise of your blessing on all who believe even though they have not yet seen. In Jesus’ name, Amen.