John 20:24-31
Jesus Appears to Thomas
24Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25So 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 it."
26A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" 27Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."
28Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
29Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
30Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.31But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Jesus appeared to the disciples after He was resurrected...Thomas was not with the disciples when Jesus appeared...The other disciples told Thomas they had seen the LORD...When one you completely trust tells you a truth, would you believe him or her?...Would you believe ten other people that you had been very close to for three years (who were taught honesty and not to lie, by our Messiah)?...
Thomas who had been with Jesus for three years did not believe or trust the other ten disciples about seeing Jesus...After all this time with Jesus bringing the good news about our Father, teaching love for all, Thomas still does not believe the ones he trusted the most...
Thomas would go a week without seeing Jesus, after the other disciples had seen Him (a week earlier)...The others would have been ecstatic (for this weekly period)... Thomas would have watched the others in disbelief, and would have been wondering many things...Many things probably went through this head...What did they see, why was the tomb empty, who took the body, are the others playing a joke on me, why wasn't I there when He appeared, am I the only one who will not get to see Him?...Why can't I believe them?...Why cannot I believe in the One who was sent?...Am I like the Pharisees?...
Jesus knows which ones of us are unbelieving and without faith...He knows which one of us are doubting...In Thomas' case Jesus' chooses to allow Thomas to see Him...When Jesus appears He tells Thomas to stop doubting and believe...Thomas recognizes that Jesus is "Our LORD and our God"...
We do not know why Jesus came back to appear to Thomas (and the others)...He may have felt that Thomas needed this one last extra something to push him through his doubt, so he (Thomas) could later spread the good news unfettered...
We know that doubt happens...We know that Jesus knows, when we doubt...We also know how hard it is to believe...If someone, as faithful as Thomas, cannot get the doubt out of his mind after three years with the Master, how hard is for us to not have some doubt...
Thomas had hope...We almost feel Thomas being ashamed and embarrassed, when he sees Jesus and says "My LORD and my God"...
All we know it was part of God's plan for Thomas to see Jesus...Thomas had one week of being with the Twelve (minus Judas) and still would not stop doubting and believe...
So when you have one of those days when your faith is doubting and weak, think of St. Thomas, later nicknamed the Doubting Thomas...He is one of our great Saints and was one of great doubt...
We are reminded about doubt in Mark 9:22-24, where a father asks Jesus to heal his son...The father asks Jesus if He can heal the boy...
But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us...."'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes..."Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"...
John the Baptist, the great messenger sent ahead of Jesus even asks (in Matthew 11:2), "Are you the one who was to come or should we expect someone else"?...
We can have belief and doubt at the same time...We as believers can be weak, doubtful, slow, and only reach Jesus a drip at a time but we are given hope, blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed...
The father in Mark 9:24 sums it up...I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief...