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
Sometimes we are like Thomas. Although we are Jesus’ disciples, we want proof that the Spirit of Christ is present in our lives. Though we know theoretically there is no place where the Spirit is not, the question remains: Do we really want to believe, or do we want to doubt from time to time?
In retrospect, my doubting is sometimes from fear or an unconscious desire to avoid doing what God is calling me to do. However, at 92, I have discovered that God won’t do anything for me that is mine to do.
If we truly want to grow our belief in God, we need to be open to God’s call—even though the path may be difficult. Jesus said: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” Jesus is telling Thomas and us, if you believe you will see, and if you don’t believe you won’t see. Believing is a transforming gift (see Luke 22:67).
Prayer
God, thank you for the gift to believe when we don’t see, the grace to forgive us when we doubt, and the patience to guide us toward self-awareness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Interested in digging deeper into today’s text?
Read more here.