A Word Joel - May 28, 2025
“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.’ 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.’”
John 20:26-27
On the evening of the first Easter, Jesus appears to his frightened disciples and speaks
words of peace to them, but Thomas missed it. When his friends tell him, “We’ve seen
the Lord,” Thomas speaks honestly, which is something religious people often don’t
want to hear. Religion often values conformity over honesty, but Thomas says, “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.” For 2000 years, Thomas has paid the price of daring
to speak the truth and say what many of us would want to say but are too afraid to do
so. I need to see it to believe it. Who can blame him?
A week later, Jesus shows up and again the very first word out of his mouth is peace.
Shalom in Hebrew means wholeness and completion. Jesus is saying to his disciples,
you are complete. Whether you are full of faith or have your doubts, you are good just
as you are. If like Thomas, you have doubts and you are in a religious community, you
can really feel out of place. You may think, what’s wrong with me? Why are other people
able to believe but I’m not? Jesus says there is nothing wrong with you. You are whole
just as you are, but, while I’m here, why don’t you reach out and touch my hands and
my side? If this is what you need, I’ll give you what you need.
There’s been a lot of talk recently about the so-called sin of empathy. The idea is that in
our desire to empathize, we can lose sight of the truth. But Jesus in this story is the
embodiment of empathy. Instead of shaming Thomas and saying, “How dare you?”
Jesus empathizes with Thomas’ doubt and vulnerably presents his own scarred body,
saying if this is what you need to believe, then come closer. I’m right here.
The truth is that faith is not a choice, nor can it be forced. Faith is a gift from God that
grows and changes over time. The story of Thomas isn’t meant to shame us into
silencing our doubts. The story of Thomas is the story of a God who empathizes with
us, draws us near to Him, and gives us exactly what we need, the gift of faith in a
vulnerable and gracious God. That God can be trusted, even when we don’t see.
Although the doors were shut, 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. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’”
John 20:26-27
On the evening of the first Easter, Jesus appears to his frightened disciples and speaks
words of peace to them, but Thomas missed it. When his friends tell him, “We’ve seen
the Lord,” Thomas speaks honestly, which is something religious people often don’t
want to hear. Religion often values conformity over honesty, but Thomas says, “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.” For 2000 years, Thomas has paid the price of daring
to speak the truth and say what many of us would want to say but are too afraid to do
so. I need to see it to believe it. Who can blame him?
A week later, Jesus shows up and again the very first word out of his mouth is peace.
Shalom in Hebrew means wholeness and completion. Jesus is saying to his disciples,
you are complete. Whether you are full of faith or have your doubts, you are good just
as you are. If like Thomas, you have doubts and you are in a religious community, you
can really feel out of place. You may think, what’s wrong with me? Why are other people
able to believe but I’m not? Jesus says there is nothing wrong with you. You are whole
just as you are, but, while I’m here, why don’t you reach out and touch my hands and
my side? If this is what you need, I’ll give you what you need.
There’s been a lot of talk recently about the so-called sin of empathy. The idea is that in
our desire to empathize, we can lose sight of the truth. But Jesus in this story is the
embodiment of empathy. Instead of shaming Thomas and saying, “How dare you?”
Jesus empathizes with Thomas’ doubt and vulnerably presents his own scarred body,
saying if this is what you need to believe, then come closer. I’m right here.
The truth is that faith is not a choice, nor can it be forced. Faith is a gift from God that
grows and changes over time. The story of Thomas isn’t meant to shame us into
silencing our doubts. The story of Thomas is the story of a God who empathizes with
us, draws us near to Him, and gives us exactly what we need, the gift of faith in a
vulnerable and gracious God. That God can be trusted, even when we don’t see.
Recent
Archive
2025
January
February
March
April
May
2024
June
July
August
September
October
November
No Comments