Thursday 03 July 2014
- Bible Book:
- John
“Then Jesus 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.’” (vv. 27-29)
Background
Today, the Church in the West celebrates the feast of St Thomas.In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Thomas only appears as aname in each of the lists of the twelve Apostles (
When Jesus's friend Lazarus was seriously ill (
When Jesus tells the disciples that he's going to prepare aplace in heaven for them, saying "You know the way ... where I amgoing", who is it who asks the question no one else dares to ask,"Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know theway?" (John 14:1-5)? Thomas!
And who is it that is missing when Jesus first appears to hisdisciples after his resurrection (
It was perfectly understandable that Thomas wanted proof. He wasprepared to stand up to the ten apostles who had seen Jesus comeback to life and tell them he wanted more than a wishfulhappy-ever-after fairy-tale. He needed to be convinced.
Yet who was it who was the first person to recognise that Jesuswas no mere prophet, no mere teacher or miracle-worker, no mereMessiah … but Emmanuel, God-with-us? Thomas!
In his quest for certainty, Thomas has been dubbed 'doubting'.Actually, it would be more appropriate to call him 'BelievingThomas'. For it was Thomas who was the first to say to Jesus, "MyLord and my God!" (v. 28).
To Ponder
- Is it alright to doubt? What proof do we need to be certain offaith?
- When have you had to 'eat your words' because you got thingswrong? How does that help you to help others to discover thetruth?