How many times in your life have you either said or thought, “I will believe it when I see it.”
I know I have probably said or thought this ideal more times than I could ever count. This is especially true if you have, on numerous occasions, been led astray by someone, or you have been tricked into believing what a person has declared to you to be absolutely true, but was not.
In a day and age, when there are so many scam operations taking place in our world, it is difficult to believe a person on merely their word. For many individuals, me included, a person’s defense mechanism for dealing with these types of deceptive tactics is on high alert, and rightfully so!
In the Gospel reading for this coming Sunday, we read about the story of Jesus coming to the disciples, who were in a locked room for fear of what might happen to them as Jesus’ followers. As this drama goes, Jesus appears to all of the Apostles but Thomas. Where was Thomas at this first visit? Who knows! Jesus then leaves and absent Thomas arrives back to where his fellow comrades are staying. The joyful group of guys share with their brother, in the faith, the amazing visit they had with their Lord. Of course Thomas was quite skeptical about the information he was told. He was no fool and was not going to be a part of anyone’s prank or trickery, right!
As the story continues to build Jesus arrives once again unexpectedly. And this time Thomas is present. The Lord confronts this man of doubt with the challenges: “put you finger on my hand wounds and place your hand into my side.” The reality of who Jesus was, in this moment, had to be pretty hard to dispute or dispel as a sick joke. Seeing was believing no doubt.
Yet, Jesus said to Thomas, and I believe us as well, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Neither you nor I have physically seen, touched, or heard the voice of our risen Savior Jesus Christ. Some would say our belief in Him is foolishness and stupidity. They think, “how could you possibly have so much faith in someone you cannot see or have never met in person?” Remember, our faith rests on the very Word of God. And it is grounded in being sure of what Jesus did on the cross and in His resurrection for the forgiveness of our sins and the saving of our souls, even when we did not see these things with our own eyes. As Christians, we walk by faith, the faith given to us in our baptism, and not by sight. And yes, we to can declare Jesus as our Lord and God just like Thomas did! Pastor McCarty