Thomas: from Doubtful Touch to “My Lord”
Daily Scripture
John 20:24-28
24 Thomas, the one called Didymus [or the twin], one of the Twelve, wasn’t with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples told him, “We’ve seen the Lord!”
But he replied, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, put my finger in the wounds left by the nails, and put my hand into his side, I won’t believe.”
26 After eight days his disciples were again in a house and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus entered and stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here. Look at my hands. Put your hand into my side. No more disbelief. Believe!”
28 Thomas responded to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!”
Daily Reflection & Prayer
For unstated reasons, Thomas missed Jesus’ first meeting with the disciples. He refused to take their word for the incredible claim that Jesus was alive. But Jesus was patient with Thomas’ fears and questions. He came again when Thomas was present, and said, “Look at my hands. Put your hand into my side.” As with Mary in the garden, the presence of his clearly alive Lord swept away all of Thomas’ doubts. He worshipped, calling Jesus “my Lord and my God.”
- John began his gospel with the bold faith statement that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). At the end, Thomas “is the first person in this book to look at Jesus of Nazareth and address the word ‘God’ directly to him.” * Will you join him in bowing before the risen Jesus and declaring, “My Lord and my God”?
- The risen Jesus was different—e.g. he ignored locked doors (verse 26). He was no ghost—he said, “Put your hand into my side.” This was Jesus, yet with a changed, deathless physical body. The Word who became flesh (John 1:14) arose as undying flesh. “In the resurrection of Jesus himself the power of the creator God was at work to bring about the renewal of the world, and through the work of the spirit this same creator God will give new, glorious, deathless bodily life (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:50-53) to all his people.” ** How can knowing about the risen Jesus “flesh out” your hope for eternal life with him?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you are my Lord and my God. You are my Creator and my Redeemer. Because you live, I too will live forever. I thank you and praise you today. Amen.
GPS Insights
Leah Swank-Miller
Leah Swank-Miller serves as Pastor of Care and Director of Student Ministries at Resurrection Overland Park. A Kansas native, she has been a professional actress for nearly two decades, and she loves to see the vastness of God’s creation through theatre and the arts. Leah graduated with an M. Div. from Saint Paul School of Theology. Leah, Brian, and their two children love to play tennis, golf, soccer, and board games.
I love sunsets! I’ve seen sunsets over the ocean, in the mountains, and almost everywhere in between, yet with every shade of pink, red, and orange, a Kansas sunset fills me with the most awe. If you’ve spent any significant time in the Midwest, you know how epic a Kansas sunset can be. This past year, my family and I moved to a new home, and while I love it, our new view of the Kansas sunsets is blocked by houses and trees. My previous backyard allowed me a wide view of God’s splendor in the sky, and nowadays I’m missing it. All I get is a small window of view between trees and our neighbor’s homes. I’ll look out and say “Oh, I bet it’s a beautiful sunset tonight” solely based on the small sliver of light I can see.
My faith feels a lot like this at times. I know God is there, and I’ve been blessed to see God‘s handiwork on display in significant ways. But there are seasons and stages where all I can see of God is a small window. Sometimes, all I carry with me in dark and trying times is a small sliver of hope. Because I’ve seen and experienced the miracle of God in the world around me and my own life, I can hold on to the understanding that even if I cannot see God, I know God is there. I can’t see sunsets every night, but I know the sun will set every night. God will bring beauty from ashes and turn graves into gardens. And when I doubt God‘s ability to do so, God, in God‘s infinite patience and grace, will appear to me through the locked doors of my heart.
The story of Thomas is a reflection of all of us. None of us is immune to doubt. I believe Jesus knew the importance of doubt in our faith journey. God is not afraid of our questions. God is not afraid of our doubts. Jesus did not shun or scold Thomas but instead showed up and revealed his scars. Jesus shows up in locked rooms and tucked-away places of our lives. Jesus shows up when we don’t expect it. And especially when obstacles block our view of God, Jesus will show up, even if it’s just a slight shimmer of sunset through the trees.
And while I can no longer see sunsets from my new home, do you know what I do have a clear view of? The sunrise. Now, I’m not a morning person. And yet, the sunrise is a great reminder for me of the importance of different perspectives and views of God’s handiwork. Maybe the story of Thomas is more than his doubt; maybe it also points to the importance of seeing God in new ways. And when we ask God for that, our eyes, minds, and hearts are more prone to see how God is moving and showing up in the world around us in ways we may have never seen before. When I think about placing my hands and fingers on the scars and wounds of Jesus, it pains me. I imagine that pain moved Thomas. It moved him to exclaim “My Lord, my God”, and he continued to make that proclamation for the rest of his life, changing and motivating the course of Christian history. That’s how powerful it is to be moved by our doubts, questioning, and pain, and see God in new ways. In what new way will you see God today?
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Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* N. T. Wright, John for Everyone, Part 2: Chapters 11-21 (The New Testament for Everyone) (p. 151). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition.
** Wright, N. T., Paul for Everyone: 1 Corinthians (The New Testament for Everyone) (p. 224). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition.
