He wanted PROOF that Christ had risen. While everyone was excitedly talking about seeing Jesus after being buried, Thomas asked specifically to put his hands where the nails had penetrated Jesus' hands. He even asked to put his hands INTO the wound in His side. Ew!
But honestly, I understand Thomas. I like proof, too.
But Jesus said something, after providing proof, that knocked me down yesterday as I read it.
After Jesus gives Thomas EXACTLY what he asked and Thomas has his proof, Jesus says, "You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me."
At first blush, I read this as Jesus scolding Thomas. But I grew up being scolded and scolding others, so I have to ask God to give me fresh new eyes to read these words so that I can see the Message from His perspective. Why did He make these specific Words a part of His Living Message?
After asking this, I read it all again and found myself focused anew on the word "BLESSED".
I noticed that I had been reading it like it was an old English word, Bless-ed. Like it was inconsequential. With new eyes, I see that this word is VERY consequential.
The consequences are these:
You decide that you will believe without seeing. You decide that you will believe without proof. You decide to stop demanding and, instead, give your life over to follow Jesus fully.
And, in this one sentence (one tiny sentence) Jesus promises that He will retroactively BLESS your life.
Okay, doubters., imagine this: Your grandmother pulls you aside for a sweet moment when you turn 16. She says she's looked forward to this moment since you were born. Your grandmother looks into your eyes and tells you that, on the day you were born, a King came to stand beside your cradle. She tells you about this King's majesty, handsome beauty and soft kindness. Then she tells you a surprising, but exciting truth. The King traveled all this way to speak a blessing over your life. And she describes to you all the things this King spoke. He spoke over you that your life would be marked with greatness; but not according to this puny world's standards. He spoke gifts into your life that you would touch others with kind inspiration. He spoke that you would encounter many obstacles and heartaches; but you would not only overcome those, you would use them to comfort others. And finally this King spoke over you that while many things and people would try to enslave you and dominate you; your life would be marked with freedom: a peace and contentedness that defied all explanation.
So the REAL question is this: How would we live our lives if we all knew that there had been a profound blessing upon us at birth? I know that, if I had heard and believed this at age 16, there would be MORE wonderful stories to tell and fewer instances of vultures circling the skies over roadkill created by my poor choices.
Here's the Truth: When you choose to follow Christ (the King), no matter what age, it's as if He retroactively appears at the side of your cradle, adopts you as His own, speaks a blessing over your life that NOTHING will be wasted and gives you freedom to live in peace and contentedness according to His blessings.
"Blessed are those who believe without seeing me"
I'm experiencing a season of my life where the "roadkill" is being redeemed...changed...do I dare say resurrected to a new life? I don't say this to minimize Christ's sacrifice and victory; I use this word to show that His death and resurrection are Ongoing...Living and Life-Restoring. I chose at age 31 to "believe without seeing" and I am just amazed to encounter regular moments where something that felt terribly bad in my past (that I prefer and try unsuccessfully to forget) is placed before me and I'm given the BLESSING to make a new choice and receive new freedom and peace.
I haven't had the luxury that Thomas had of seeing, feeling and experiencing scientific proof; but I'm living a daily life that is all the proof I need!!
