Devotion:
For an audio version of this devotion, click here.
Read John 20:24-29.
I think Thomas gets a bum rap! Because of this one incident, we give him the name “Doubting Thomas,” and even refer sometimes to a person who wavers as a “doubting Thomas.” I much prefer to call him “Analytical Thomas!” Perhaps that is because if I had been in Thomas’ situation, having not seen the risen Christ, I too may have asked for some physical evidence of his having risen. We so easily forget that, when Jesus was summoned to cross back over the Jordan to save Lazarus, a move that likely would cost him his life, this same Thomas had said to the other apostles, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
The key lesson for us in this passage is that we are to believe and have faith without requiring physical proof. While it is great to enjoy reading about archaeological finds that support stories in the Bible, exploring all the images and stories of the Shroud of Turin, and the like, we cannot base our faith on such things. Instead, we are to remember the blessing Jesus gave for those of us who will never see the physical evidence and yet will believe.
Personal Worship Option:
Almighty God, when I seek proof, give me faith instead. When I ask for evidence, give me confidence in your holy truth. And when I doubt, forgive me. Amen.
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