“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hand and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” The apostle Thomas is remembered primarily by this statement he makes in in John’s Gospel. This statement is symbolic of how many in the world today view Christianity and all religion. Many demand proof and have the need to see. They want something tangible, concrete, and visible.
No one today can see and experience Christ in the way Thomas did in that locked room. Thomas saw the risen Christ eating, praying, and discussing the events of the past week with his group of disciples. We cannot literally put our fingers in the wounds in his hands and his side like Thomas did. Christ seemed to know this when he said: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” We might not see him in a literal the way that Thomas did, but all who believe see Christ somehow in their lives of faith. They see him for who he is.
We must see Jesus somehow with our own eyes. Like Thomas and the other disciples, we also become followers of Christ through our faith. Through witnessing Christ’s presence in our lives, we in turn are called to be witnesses ourselves, just as Thomas did in his life when he became a missionary to Syria, Persia, and India. We pray that God help us in our disbelief. That God will watch over us on our journey of faith.
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