John 20:19-31 (NRSV)
Read John 20:19-31 on biblegateway.com
Verse 19When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Verse 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Verse 21Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." Verse 22When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Verse 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." Verse 24But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. Verse 25So 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."
Verse 26A 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." Verse 27Then 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." Verse 28Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Verse 29Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." Verse 30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. Verse 31But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
Devotion
If this is the only story we remember about Thomas, we do not remember enough. It was Thomas who, at the death of Lazarus, urged his fellow disciples to go with Jesus into enemy territory, “that we may die with him.” (John 11:16) It was Thomas who admitted, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:5) Thomas the Doubter was also Thomas the Risk-Taker and Thomas the Honest.
Faith and doubt are not opposites, understood to be mutually exclusive. Doubt is a faithful act of courage. Because we, like Thomas, are human, our knowledge is limited. There is an element of uncertainty in all our faith. Uncertainty cannot be removed, only accepted. Doubt is a necessary consequence of the risk of faith. Faith takes courage, and therefore can include doubt about itself. Perhaps it’s time for a new name: Faithful Thomas.
Prayer
O God, give me the doubt of Thomas, the courage of Thomas, the faith of Thomas. Help me to follow Jesus who is the way, the truth, and the life. Amen.