John 20:24-29 Wrote:24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

This is my favourite resurrection passage. For those who have kept up with my previous reflections, I have probably talked about it before, but it’s worth repeating and reflecting on again and again.

We tend to remember Thomas as ‘Doubting Thomas’ and he gets a pretty bad press, but this one event, by which he has earned that monicker, is the single most relatable thing any disciple does - at least as far as I am concerned.

As someone brought up in a non-Christian household, as someone who has always had a scientific and imaginative outlook on life, as someone who studied evolutionary biology at university, faith has, at times, been quite a struggle for me and I have struggled more when around other Christians who frame doubt as a serious sin. But doubt is a fact of life. We all experience it at some point or other and it’s a pretty logical consequence of the rational minds we have been given.

Thomas’s doubt is not unreasonable, given the circumstances. Yes, his friends have all told him that Jesus is alive and yes, he’s seen Jesus perform many miracles and even raise the dead back to life, which is more than most of us can say, but even so, this is different. Thomas, like the other disciples, saw his master beaten and scarred and crucified. It looked final. It looked like defeat. Any talk of resurrection must’ve sounded like wishful thinking at best and outright hysteria at worst. So Thomas desire for hard evidence to counter his grief is understandable, rather than something for which we should condemn him.

So that’s why I like Thomas, why I feel I can relate to him, but, whilst it’s great to see ourselves in characters in a story, the best part of the story isn’t Thomas, but Jesus’ response to him, which is just the most beautiful, gracious acceptance of Thomas and what Thomas needs to have faith.

Jesus appears to Thomas and offers him the very evidence that Thomas had requested a week before - a reminder that Jesus was listening even when he wasn’t physically present - and Thomas accepts this. He doesn’t make further excuses or try to convince himself that Jesus is a ghost or an illusion. He accepts the evidence Jesus has provided and proclaims, in a wonderful affirmation of faith rather than doubt, “My Lord and my God!”

I believe that God is patient and tolerant of our doubts, that He accepts us as the rational, sometimes cynical humans we are. I believe He knows what we need to believe and will provide it, graciously if we ask for it.

In the spirituality of Ignatius of Loyola, it is suggested that we put ourselves inside stories in the Bible, using our imagination to flesh them out into a living reality around us. This Easter Sunday, perhaps you could put yourself in Thomas’ shoes and imagine what it must have been like for him, after Jesus’ death with all the grief and terror that that must have brought him. Imagine what you might have thought when the other disciples told you of the resurrection. What would you have needed to believe? If you don’t believe now, what would it take?

Happy Easter!