Face doubts
The disciples] told [Thomas], “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.” John 20:25
I suspect that we all have some sympathy for Thomas and are not inclined to blame him for his reluctance to believe that Jesus had risen from death. We know that there was often a competitive spirit among the disciples, and they were no doubt happy to brag that they had seen the Lord. I am sure Thomas desperately wanted to believe that they were right, but he needed to be sure and so he asserted that he needed evidence.
More than a week later, Jesus came to the disciples who, once again, were meeting behind locked doors. He invited Thomas to see the evidence and to put his hand into the wound in his side. John doesn’t record whether Thomas took Jesus up on this offer or not. Thomas simply exclaimed: “My Lord and my God!” (v28). He was absolutely convinced. Jesus observed that Thomas believed because he had seen him and added: “blessed are those who believe without seeing me” (v29).
Clearly, we don’t have the opportunity to check the evidence in the way that Thomas did. So, what are we supposed to do with our doubts? Firstly, we should accept that doubts are a normal part of life. I don’t believe that God calls us to take a leap in the dark, which is what many people think faith is all about. He has, in fact, given us a huge amount of evidence. He invites us to look at his amazing creation, to see the way in which he reveals himself in the Bible, to listen to the testimony of people who have followed him over the past 2,000 years and to learn from the experience of the Christians around us. Yes, God calls us to take a leap of faith – but it’s a leap in the light.
QUESTION
What do you do when you face doubts?
PRAYER
Lord God, when I face doubts help me to open my eyes to the evidence of yourself in creation, history and in the Christians around me. Amen