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In John 20:24-29, Jesus makes an appearance among 11 of his disciples after his Resurrection. One of the disciples, Thomas, wasn’t there, when Jesus came, and when the other 11 tell Thomas they’ve seen Jesus, he responds in Verse 25 “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 [Jesus was here].” Here is Thomas, telling people we presume he trusts as his friends, that he doubts their assertion. Does he think they’re playing a practical joke on him? Or has he grown up in a part of the world where it is safer and more prudent to find out for yourself when someone tells you something? Or perhaps Thomas, within his span of knowledge, just finds what his friends tell him to be incomprehensible, given what he knows and has ascertained about the natural world.
In certain places and situations, it is indeed risky to rely on what someone else says, without some means of verification. It is risky to yourself and to your household. The number of people out there who make a living from scamming off others and fraudulently inducing others is countless. There are other people who actually mean well but may tell you things they believe to be true to their knowledge but are not. People have lost their life savings, and their lives, because of listening to these people. My point? It’s generally not a bad idea to verify things you’re not familiar with.
Well, the lesson inferred by the first few passages of John 20:24-29 doesn’t end there. According to Verses 26-29, eight days later all 12 disciples including Thomas was in a room when Jesus appears. He tells Thomas to put his finger through one of the holes in Jesus’ hands, that was the result of being nailed to the cross, and to place his hand on Jesus’ side. By doing so, Thomas does what he wants Jesus to let him do. Having done this, Thomas proclaims ““My Lord and my God!”
What does Jesus say at that point? He says in Verse 29, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Is Jesus dissing Thomas because Thomas had to see for himself? It is unlikely, particularly when Verses such as 1 John 4:1 leaves an opening for us to test those who tell them something that has to do with their understanding of God. Seems that Jesus is inferring that Thomas should at least lean more toward accepting things without actually seeing those things are far as God is concerned. Hebrews 11:1 does say that faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things NOT SEEN.
Among the commentators, it is believed that Jesus’ blessing is for those who have seen firsthand the benefits of their faith and trust in God, to the point where they need no further empirical convincing regarding God and his Works, and what they are told.
So what is the main lesson here? Seems that it is OK to be a Doubting Thomas, but in matters of God in which you’ve experienced His Benefits, your faith in Him should include believing, or in other words giving the benefit of the doubt to, things you haven’t seen firsthand.
In certain places and situations, it is indeed risky to rely on what someone else says, without some means of verification. It is risky to yourself and to your household. The number of people out there who make a living from scamming off others and fraudulently inducing others is countless. There are other people who actually mean well but may tell you things they believe to be true to their knowledge but are not. People have lost their life savings, and their lives, because of listening to these people. My point? It’s generally not a bad idea to verify things you’re not familiar with.
Well, the lesson inferred by the first few passages of John 20:24-29 doesn’t end there. According to Verses 26-29, eight days later all 12 disciples including Thomas was in a room when Jesus appears. He tells Thomas to put his finger through one of the holes in Jesus’ hands, that was the result of being nailed to the cross, and to place his hand on Jesus’ side. By doing so, Thomas does what he wants Jesus to let him do. Having done this, Thomas proclaims ““My Lord and my God!”
What does Jesus say at that point? He says in Verse 29, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Is Jesus dissing Thomas because Thomas had to see for himself? It is unlikely, particularly when Verses such as 1 John 4:1 leaves an opening for us to test those who tell them something that has to do with their understanding of God. Seems that Jesus is inferring that Thomas should at least lean more toward accepting things without actually seeing those things are far as God is concerned. Hebrews 11:1 does say that faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things NOT SEEN.
Among the commentators, it is believed that Jesus’ blessing is for those who have seen firsthand the benefits of their faith and trust in God, to the point where they need no further empirical convincing regarding God and his Works, and what they are told.
So what is the main lesson here? Seems that it is OK to be a Doubting Thomas, but in matters of God in which you’ve experienced His Benefits, your faith in Him should include believing, or in other words giving the benefit of the doubt to, things you haven’t seen firsthand.
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