BLESSED

I’m from Missouri, the “Show me,” state.  Good, empirical evidence is crucial to Missouri folks.  That’s why I think the disciple, Thomas, would have been a good citizen of South East Missouri.

After his ten fellow disciples told him that they had seen the resurrected Lord, he said to them, ““Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe” (John 29:25). 

Can you blame him?  I can’t.  In fact, I celebrate his courage and his conviction.  Asking someone to believe in the resurrection is a huge request, isn’t’ it? Over the years I’ve learned to cut people a little slack as they wrestle with what must appear to them to be an outrageous claim.

I celebrate Thomas because of the fact that when the issue became clear and he encountered the resurrected Lord, any doubt he may have had ended, and he fell on his knees before Jesus and said to him,  My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).

Now the ball is in our court.  What will we do with the resurrection?  Jesus asked Thomas, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed?” (John 20:29). What will He say to us?  We weren’t there on that glorious Sunday morning.  We’ve come on the scene two thousand years later.  None of us will ever see the historical event of His resurrection.  Are we left to our own devices to find a way to abundant life?  No. 

To us Jesus says, “Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed” (John 20:29).  People who believe,  even though they haven’t seen, are covered by Jesus.  He’s got our back.  We are embraced by grace and living the life as people of a new reality.  The kingdom of God has spoken, shaken all history, conquered death, and poured the very life of God into us. 

No wonder Jesus says to everyone who comes to you Him, “Blessed.”