Seeing is believing, or is it?
Thomas was a brave, cautious and questioning soul. He was amongst Jesus’ close followers. When Jesus announced that he was going to a neighbourhood where, recently, an attempt had been made on his life, Thomas was first to say that he’d go with him.
Days later, Jesus told his followers that he was leaving them, but that they knew the way to the place he was going. Distressed, Thomas pointed out that as he and his fellow disciples didn’t know where Jesus was going, how could they know the way?
The answer he was given was typical of the claims Jesus was making: statements that would be instrumental in his crucifixion which was just hours away. The claim? ‘I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.’
Knowing he was about to die and return to God his father, Jesus said that he himself was the only Way into God’s heaven.
Today, we hear about fake news and alternative truth. Jesus says that he himself is the origin of all Truth.
Jesus was put to death because he made claims about himself which no other man had ever made (or has made since) and performed various miracles to support his words. Who put Jesus to death on that first Good Friday? The connivance of religious, political and military authorities is the historical answer. Yet at a more profound level, it seems to me, that whenever we reject the claims of Jesus we, in effect, join in with the crowd on that Good Friday; the crowd that cried, ‘Away with him; crucify him!’
Jesus had said, ‘I am the Life’ and on the following Sunday, he rose from the dead. Thomas was not present with his friends when they first saw the resurrected Jesus. He was unwilling to take their word on trust. He wanted to see Jesus with his own eyes and touch him with his own hand. Subsequently, Jesus granted this whilst saying, ‘Stop doubting and believe’. The humbled Thomas could do nothing other than confess, ‘My Lord and my God’. Loving words of rebuke followed, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’
Doubting Thomas was being taught that, concerning the things of Jesus, the natural inclination is to want to know for sure in order to believe. However, God’s way for us is to believe in order to know. The latter is called Christian faith.