Honesty and intimacy - John 20:24-30
“’Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.’ A week later…” (John 20:25)
Faith is not irrational. It is a considered response to the evidence available to us. Some people appear to require a higher burden of proof than others – actually it’s more likely that different pieces of evidence are weighed differently by different people according to personality, experience, training and outlook. For some people, emotional feelings are all important – viewed as highly unreliable and subjective by others. For some, living experience is all important. For others, historical evidence is what seems to matter most. Even the philosophical case for Christ is the clincher for some people.
Thomas should not be looked down upon as “doubting Thomas”. Actually, he was honest and courageous enough to voice what many others were probably thinking. Quite understandably, he had severe doubts as to whether all this talk of resurrection was actually true. “I can’t believe until I see Jesus and touch him for myself,” he declared. Jesus wasn’t angered or disappointed. It was a heart-felt prayer that Jesus answered emphatically, allowing Thomas to run his finger over the cruel scars that the nails and whips left on his body. Thomas never doubted again. He became an evangelist, taking the good news about Jesus all over the Roman world, probably ending up being martyred for his faith in India. When John wrote his gospel, Thomas allowed his story to remain for all of us to be encouraged to investigate the claims of Christ. His testimony is convincing – he expressed reasonable doubt and became utterly convinced by what he experienced by way of an answer. His is a journey that, in our own unique way, we must all go on.
As we pray today, let’s check our attitude towards those around us (the majority) who do not believe that Jesus was who he said he was, and that he rose from the dead. Let’s ask God that by the way we live and share our own testimony – the story of how we came to faith and remain in it – we might be able to convince others to believe and place their trust in Jesus.
Let’s pray for many of our friends to accept an invitation to come along and investigate what they do or do not believe about Jesus, in a community where it’s safe to air our doubts as was true for Thomas amongst the disciples – I love how neither Jesus nor the other disciples criticise him for being vocal about his doubts. Jesus met him where he was at and provided the necessary proof.
One station in our prayer room is devoted to praying for our brothers and sisters in the persecuted church and the work of organisations like Open Doors to assist them. Let’s join in these prayers today from wherever we are reading this.
“But these [things recorded about Jesus] are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31)
