Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.  So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

John 20:24-25

Today’s Hero of The Faith?

A guy we like to call “Doubting Thomas”. As if.

As if he was somehow deficient in his faith, just because he was running errands when Jesus made his big appearance. How about we call him “Healthily Skeptical Thomas” and give the guy a break?

I’m with Thomas. Knock me down for having a weak faith, but unless I can experience it in some way, it doesn’t seem real. For me, resurrection is more than an historical event 2000 years ago. It’s an intimate experience of the vast power of God’s grace. That’s something that I’ve had to see for myself, to believe.

This mindset can cause some problems, of course. If everything becomes too subjective, you’re not allowing faith to fill in the gaps that knowledge can’t quite cover. Faith, as Jesus says, is believing even when you haven’t seen.

But that’s just it. I know I wasn’t a witness to Jesus’ Easter Sunday appearances, but my faith helps me experience the miracle of that day in my own life. No, I don’t see the holes in his hands, but I recognize the holes in my life that have been miraculously filled by grace. No, I didn’t put my hand on the wound in his side, but I’ve experienced the pain of a world that is broken, and I’ve sensed the hope and healing power that Christ brings.

I’m with Thomas. Give me that thrill of forgiveness, that moment of recognition. That’s the extra *zing* that makes the scripture come alive for me. And that’s not a bad thing.

I’m done looking down on Doubting Thomas. Now I’m Touting Thomas. I think he had the right idea. And that means I’ll never stop looking. I’ll wait, patiently, or sometimes impatiently, for those glimpses of the divine. I’ve had ’em. And I hope you’ve had your share, too.

And if you aren’t sure, then a little healthy skepticism may be exactly the posture you should take. If it keeps your eyes and your heart open to the unexpected and previously unbelievable, then consider yourself an investigator of the faith. Allow Easter to flow into you and show you things you’d never imagined were possible.

Remember, a little doubt can be just the trick for strengthening a little faith. Who knows? Jesus may show up in your heart today.

Easter means anything is possible, for anyone. And if you think that doesn’t include you…

I doubt that very much.

Have a good week,

Mitch