Today is the feast of St. Thomas. At first, Thomas did not believe Jesus had risen from the dead, since he did not see Him in the flesh at the same time the rest of the disciples did. He did not believe that Jesus had died definitely—he simply withheld his belief until more evidence came forward. Sometimes we overlook Thomas’s reasonableness here, having heard time and again sermons that focus on the comparison between faith and incredulity. Blessed are those who have not seen, yes—but Thomas was not necessarily “in the wrong” here. Let’s take a look at his experience with fresh eyes, without comparing it to those who have not seen Jesus at all.
Thomas waited for Jesus to return and show Himself, so that he could have an opportunity to trust in the report of his friends. When Jesus comes, notice that He gets straight to the point: He immediately offers Thomas His hands and His side. After this Jesus says, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed” (John 20:29).
Nowhere does Jesus rebuke Thomas. Instead Jesus immediately honors Thomas’s request, even though He does not have to. He also draws the comparison between his belief and the faith of those who have not seen in a very gentle way. Sure, we call him “Doubting Thomas,” but Jesus didn’t. That’s worth dwelling on for a minute.
One of the many lessons here is that Jesus is willing to come to our level and give us what we ask for, even if it isn’t necessary, strictly speaking. Jesus cares for us and desires that we come to believe in Him in a way that is appropriate to our own personality and development.
This dovetails well with the first reading, which focuses on our call to be members of the household of God. God calls us into His household, an intimate space. He calls all sorts of people into His household, appearing indiscriminate with His kindness. The inhabitants of heaven are limited only by the replies of the invited, not by the generosity of the Host. These are privileges, and this kindness is often unfathomable.
It’s no wonder that Thomas needed some further evidence in order to believe the miracle of the Resurrection. And God understands this. He understands that His ways are often not clear to us, even if they come across in a good light. He is willing to come to us to help us understand His ways and to bring us to Himself, even if we need time or if we need a different approach than what others require.
Hoy es la fiesta de Santo Tomás. Al principio, Tomás no creía que Jesús hubiera resucitado, ya que no lo vio en persona al mismo tiempo que el resto de los discípulos. Tampoco creía que Jesús había muerto definitivamente; simplemente se abstuvo de creer hasta que se presentaran más pruebas. A veces pasamos por alto la sensatez de Tomás, tras haber escuchado repetidamente sermones que se centran en la comparación entre la fe y la incredulidad. Bienaventurados los que no han visto, sí, pero Tomás no estaba necesariamente equivocado en este caso. Analicemos su experiencia con nuevos ojos, sin compararla con la de quienes no han visto a Jesús.
Tomás esperó a que Jesús regresara y se mostrara para tener la oportunidad de confiar en el relato de sus amigos. Cuando Jesús llega, fíjense que va directo al grano: inmediatamente le ofrece a Tomás sus manos y su costado. Después de esto, Jesús dice: “Tú crees porque me has visto; dichosos los que creen sin haber visto” (Juan 20,29).
En ningún momento Jesús reprende a Tomás. En cambio, Jesús inmediatamente atiende su petición, aunque no está obligado a hacerlo. También, con mucha amabilidad, compara su creencia con la fe de quienes no han visto. Claro, nosotros lo llamamos “Tomás el incrédulo”, pero Jesús no lo hizo. Vale la pena reflexionar un momento en esto.
Una de las muchas lecciones aquí es que Jesús está dispuesto a ponerse a nuestro nivel y darnos lo que pedimos, aunque no sea estrictamente necesario. Jesús se preocupa por nosotros y desea que creamos en Él de una manera apropiada para nuestra personalidad y desarrollo.
Esto encaja bien con la primera lectura, que se centra en nuestro llamado a ser miembros de la familia de Dios. Dios nos llama a su casa, un espacio íntimo. Llama a todo tipo de personas a su casa, mostrándose indiscriminado con su bondad. Los habitantes del cielo están limitados únicamente por las respuestas de los invitados, no por la generosidad del Anfitrión. Estos son privilegios, y esta bondad a menudo es insondable.
No es de extrañar que Tomás necesitara más pruebas para creer en el milagro de la Resurrección. Y Dios lo entiende. Él comprende que sus caminos a menudo no nos resultan claros, aunque los percibamos con buenos ojos. Él está dispuesto a venir a nosotros para ayudarnos a comprender sus caminos y acercarnos a Él, incluso si necesitamos tiempo o un enfoque diferente al que otros requieren.
David Dashiell is a freelance author, editor, and publisher in Hawaii. He has three children, a degree in theology, and enjoys writing poetry and discussing philosophy, culture, music, theology, and comedy. You can find his poetry blog, Poems at Twilight, on Substack, his publishing company, Ether Press, here, and his personal website here.
Feature Image Credit: Caravaggio, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Incredulity_of_Saint_Thomas-Caravaggio_(1601-2).jpg
The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.
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