John 20:24-31 (NRSV)
Read John 20:24-31 on biblegateway.com
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
Jesus chose to give Thomas the gift of faith. His fellow disciples had already experienced the risen Jesus or they might have made the same kind of statement he did, "Unless I see ... " Out of love for Thomas, Jesus let him see. Jesus knows that we are still people who need to hear and see and touch. So he comes to us too. He comes and touches us in the flowing water at the fount, the morsel of bread in our hands, the sip of wine on our tongues, the word in our ears, the outstretched hand of a fellow Christian. He does this so that we might believe.
Having met Thomas in this story, we can imagine that he might have asked himself a time or two in the days to come, "Did I really see him?" And then he would have discovered that, finally, he too had to live by faith. Even if he didn't see Jesus again in the flesh, Jesus came and stayed close to him, as he does for us.
Prayer
Gracious God, we too need Jesus to come close enough that we might believe. We give you thanks for the many ways you provide us his touch, his voice, his light, to give us faith. Amen.