“Unless”

By Rev. Michael Stonhouse

Meditation – Sunday, April 7, 2024

John 20:19-31 (Forward, p. 69) CEV p. 1129

Much has been made of Thomas’ inability to believe in Jesus’ resurrection at the onset, to believe simply on the word, the say-so, of the other disciples. And, really, who can blame him? A resurrection from the dead is unheard of, and even more so, after the horrendous death that Jesus had just endured. And so, Thomas, understandably—and, I’d say, rightly—wants some further evidence, some hard and irrefutable evidence. And, to give him credit, vis a vis the others, the ‘others’ had been given that evidence. And so, why, over the years, should he be singled out as ‘the doubter’?

And it isn’t at all like many of the doubters and skeptics that we see today. Many of them have stated point blank that they would not believe no matter what the evidence was that was presented to them. Thomas isn’t at all like that. He truly wants to believe. That’s why he states up front what it would take for him to believe. “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 25b). His is a faith wanting to be enlarged, wanting to be solidified and bolstered, which is exactly where most of us probably find ourselves. We have faith, but not enough, not strong enough for our being able to ‘go out on a limb’ with it. In this, we have Thomas, our friend and fellow seeker, our fellow ‘traveller’ in wanting to go further with Jesus, but not knowing how—at least, not yet.

Forward notes: “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 25b).

“As the Easter service unfolds every year with its triumphant celebration of Jesus’s resurrection, I have mixed thoughts about the story. I have questions about what happened and why, doubts about the empty tomb and Jesus’s rising from the dead. I have questions about the afterlife and what that means for me and those I love. So, it’s something of a relief on the second Sunday of Easter to hear this same gospel every year. In comes Thomas with his doubts and nagging questions. He even questions the metaphysics of the whole deal. But Thomas shows us that we can have doubt and belief and that doubt can strengthen our faith.

“Thomas helps us know that every Sunday is Easter. He encourages us to come together with other believers and doubters, to worship in community as we are fed through Jesus’s presence in the Eucharist, giving thanks for God’s abundant grace.”

Moving Forward: “What do you do with your doubts?”