I Don't Believe

                                       Divine Mercy Sunday (Second Sunday of Easter 2016)

This reading from St. Johns’ Gospel reminds us of the great love Jesus has for us and freely gives of His Mercy.

Thomas has been coined “doubting Thomas” and I’m not so sure about the accuracy of that phrase.

Remember back in Chapter 11:16 when Jesus is summoned to go to Lazarus, who has been dead for several days and Thomas makes the statement

           

“Let us also go to die with him.” John 11:16

Remember that the Jews were just about to stone Jesus (John 10:31) and for the apostles to return to this hostile environment was an almost guarantee that there was going to be trouble.

Thomas isn’t worried about the trouble and John felt this was important enough, and made an impression deep enough, that he wanted to make sure he mentioned this in his account.

Lazarus is dead Jesus said so why in the world would Thomas want to return to a hostile environment unless he believed in the power of Christ and that He could be raised from the dead.

Well, they go back and Lazarus is raised from the dead.

So, here we are, another intimate setting and Jesus appears to them without Thomas being present. 

I’m not sure Thomas was doubting as much as he was hurt and being defensive, like what we do when we are being stubborn after our feelings get hurt.

Thomas said that he “won’t believe” unless he feels the wounds with his fingers, but, he will have to wait another week until that happens.

That must have been one long week.  Can we relate to this?  I can. When we do things for the wrong reasons we can feel betrayed or unappreciated and I wonder if that wasn’t a touch of what Thomas was feeling at that moment.

Thomas was ready to die for Jesus and the good news; yet, Jesus doesn’t make a point to appear to Thomas until after another week.

The idea is that purity of intention and working for God and the Love of Jesus doesn’t require us to see the fruits of our labor.

We need to trust that Jesus knows our hearts and that the purity of our work for the glory of God needs no earthly reward and we won’t even need Jesus to appear to “prove” He loves us.

Thomas may have been offended that he wasn’t present and Jesus lets him think about it for a week.

We know from John’s Gospel that Jesus does appear to him and comes through that stubborn “Locked door” to see his friends and that’s when Thomas makes that great profession of faith

            “My Lord and My God” John 20: 28

Our hearts may be locked with pains and disappointments in life; our hearts may be locked because Jesus didn’t respond to us quickly enough, no matter why the heart is locked, Jesus will come in and transform us in ways that we can’t even imagine.  His mercy is not restricted and has no boundary.

Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?  Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” John 20:29

Believe that you may have Eternal Life.