John 20:19-31

The editors of the Spark Story Bible for Children give brief titles to their retellings of biblical stories. When they come to Thomas’ encounter with Jesus in John chapter 20, these commentators give a title that is based on a popular (and I contend inaccurate) nickname for one of Jesus’ faithful followers.

Based on a quick reading of this passage in John’s gospel, chapter 20, some people have come to speak of “Doubting Thomas.” And the name seems to have stuck. When the large group of disciples who had seen the risen Lord Jesus told Thomas about their joy, Thomas had responded that it would take some seeing and more for him to believe what they were telling him. Then, when Jesus later appeared to Thomas (just like he had to the other disciples before) it seems that Thomas didn’t really need to go the extra distance of touching, etc., he simply believed, too.

That’s the faith that I love in Thomas.

Back in John chapter 11 (John 11:1-16), when Jesus is planning to go and visit Lazarus, while the Jews in that region were planning to kill the Lord, Thomas is the one disciple who says, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” In chapter 14 of John (verses 1-7), as Jesus is telling the disciples about a place that he is going away to prepare for them, Thomas raises the question they were all asking in their minds: “We don’t know where you are going, how can we know the way?”

Thomas had an informed faith, a faith that asked the right questions. That faith is alive.

Let’s celebrate faith and join Thomas in wanting to ask, question, listen, and believe deep down.

Prayer

Dear God, keep me so engaged in faith and life that I continue asking You to the questions that will help me live as a disciple of my Lord and Savior Jesus. Amen.