John 20:24-29
Most of us know the story of the disciple Thomas, he is
often referred to as doubting Thomas, but is he that much different from all of
us? Now Thomas was more about placing
conditions on what he would do or on what he would believe, and most of us can
find a place in that boat. Just for a
moment ponder how you operate at work, with your neighbors, and family and it
may surprise you how many conditions we place on those relationships. Some of us have grown-up in homes that conditions
were placed on, and what favor would be shown to us and even for some there was
conditional love. And for me, as a
person who made a living in sales, it was always conditional. You wanted to fall from grace, all it
requires in sales is to miss quota, and often marriages set conditions on
love. I will love you if_________ and
you fill in the blank, yes, we are not that much different than Thomas the
disciple of Jesus.
If you are not acquainted with Thomas this is the ink that
got him to be called doubting Thomas: “Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not
with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the
Lord.” But he said to 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.” (John
20:24-25 ESV) It is so easy to call
Thomas a knucklehead, why would he not believe ten guys who had shared their
food and lived together for three years, plus it seems impossible that he would
not have heard the account also from Mary Magdalene and yet Thomas placed
conditions on what he would believe. So
as I ponder on this it became clear that I was not building campfires with
Jesus for three years, but at the age of 27 years I said rain on being a
Baptist and looked for a relationship with the same Jesus that Thomas and
eleven other guys had hung out with for three years. As I reflected back on that time, I had
placed many conditions on a relationship with Jesus, and for years I said I
believed Jesus was the Son of God, but I also believed He came with many
conditions. So I, like Thomas gave Him
my conditions, and guess what, Jesus is not offended by our stupidity, this is
Jesus’ action on Thomas’s condition: “Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and
Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood
among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then
he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your
hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” (John 20:26-27 ESV)
Could it be that this is not the Jesus your church or
friends have told you about, but that is who He is? He looks past your fears, He understands what
and why you disbelieve and His offer is “Do not disbelieve,
but believe.” In that
hotel room as I read Romans 10:9-10, it became clear that I had a need that
only Jesus could fill, and I removed the condition and just received His gift
of forgiveness and love, and at that moment I entered into Christ and He entered
into me; but what about Thomas? It is
recorded in the gospel of John, “Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to
him, “Have
you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and
yet have believed.”
(John 20:28-29 ESV)
Now that’s just cool, real cool!
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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