Eight days later His disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be to you.” Then He said to Thomas, “Place your finger here, and see My hands; and take your hand and put it into My side; and do not continue in disbelief, but be a believer.” Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you now believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed” (John 20:26-29, New American Standard Bible).

We often judge Thomas for doubting. We even go so far as to call anybody who refuses to believe something a “doubting Thomas.” But, is he really worse than us? Do we really have more faith than he did?

Perhaps Thomas would have fit in at our modern American churches. He did not say he would never believe it. Thomas just demanded evidence. The other disciples told him Jesus had appeared to them, but he wanted proof. (Perhaps, after spending three years with them, he was still not convinced that they were reliable news sources.) To be honest, I can relate to him. “Prove it!”

However, when he saw the evidence, he believed. Thomas had insisted that he would not believe Jesus had risen until he actually placed his fingers into the wounds in the Lord’s hands and side. When Jesus appeared to them, He invited Thomas to touch the wounds. Have you ever noticed that the Bible does not say Thomas actually did touch the wounds? Jesus appeared, spoke to him, and invited him to feel the evidence he had demanded. That was all he needed. His faith revived and renewed, he acknowledged the risen Savior as his Lord and God.

Truly, we are blessed to believe. We do not have the privilege of seeing Jesus physically enter our room to greet us. Instead, we must trust the testimony of God’s Word and other Christians. Still, we can bring our questions to God. Having questions, wondering “how could God do this,” does not mean we are faithless. God will reward faith with assurance. In the words of St. Augustine, “Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.”

When has God ever given you proof, evidence, or assurance of your faith to alleviate doubt or uncertainty?

Copyright © 2023 Michael E. Lynch. All rights reserved.