Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (ESV)

“I’ll believe it when I see it.” Many of us have said or at least thought these words, often dripping with sarcasm and doubt, when someone claims they will do something that seems unlikely. As I read the context of today’s scripture, Thomas’ words can sound a little like that sarcastic statement, but as I study the words, a few things stand out to me leading up to Jesus’ last statement to Thomas in verse 29.  

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Thomas was not with the disciples when Jesus first appeared, so they told him they had seen Jesus alive. But Thomas had doubts. In speaking with the other disciples, prior to seeing Jesus for himself, Thomas tells them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe” (vs. 25). This I will never believe is different than the I can’t believe it! that I tend to replace it with in my head. While it does seem that Thomas is having a hard time believing without seeing, his language implies a stubbornness that he will not believe without proof. There may be a certain level of pridefulness that is keeping Thomas from trusting in what the other disciples are telling him they had witnessed.  

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Imagine if a group of your closest friends told you something they witnessed, and your response was “Nope, it didn’t happen. I refuse to believe you.” Although Thomas’ words in this passage do not seem to be sarcastic, they are telling; he is openly stating his weakness, that his faith is small. Too often, we attribute any mention of doubt as a refusal to believe rather than a level of uncertainty. I cannot help feeling a little bad for Thomas here, where he earned his nickname among Christians as, “Doubting Thomas,” because I relate to him in this moment. Maybe Thomas did have a habit of being skeptical in his heart rather than believing in faith, but maybe he just needed to see Jesus.  

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Jesus had been brutally beaten, bloodied, mangled, and unrecognizable the last time Thomas likely saw him alive. I think If someone told me that a person I had seen so disfigured was alive and well, I would have questions. I’d want to see!

Jesus’ encounter with Thomas is so beautiful here. He meets Thomas right in his doubt, whether it was a willful skepticism or weak faith, Jesus makes it clear he wants Thomas to believe. Jesus says specifically to Thomas in verse 27, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” What strikes me here is that this is not a rebuke to Thomas. Jesus graciously shows himself to Thomas in exactly the way Thomas had said he needed so he could believe.  

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Sometimes the tone that comes to mind when I read Jesus’ words sounds a bit harsh, but in verse 29, I don’t see that harsh tone. What I hear is a loving friend who knows Thomas so well, he knew Thomas needed to see him. I hear words said with an understanding smile that sound a bit more like, “I knew you would need to lay eyes on me. I want you to get to the point that you won’t need to see to believe, but I also knew you weren’t quite there yet. Look, I’ll show you what you need to believe.”

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Perhaps you can relate to Thomas. You want to trust God’s goodness. You want to have big faith that he will take care of the big asks in your life, but it just doesn’t feel that easy! Are you willfully, skeptically doubting God, or is your doubt one of uncertainty that has grown and made your faith weak? Are you discounting a friend’s witness because their experience wasn’t yours? Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Ask him to help your faith grow. He is gracious to meet you in your doubts and, through them, expand your faith.

Jesus, I am so thankful for your response to Thomas in this passage. You give us exactly the proof we need for our faith and invite us to trust you more. Help us to see where we doubt and require you to “show us” yourself, rather than trusting that you are who you say you are. Grow our faith and trust in you. Amen.