Is Thomas just collecting data?

There were many ideas that could have been presented in this past Sunday’s homily. It’s a very intense gospel written at a very intense time in the history of Christianity. John’s gospel was written around 90-100 CE. By then, there had been decades of persecution and execution, and most of the immediate followers of Jesus, who would have heard and experienced him first hand, were dead. Christians were being held together by community, oral history, faith, and by the spirit of Christ.

With that in mind, I’m still considering John’s inclusion of Thomas and his ‘doubting’ in such a prominent way. In the New American Bible, Thomas has his own section heading. I’d like to consider another perspective. What if John chose Thomas as the character to send a message to the struggling Christians. What if he didn’t really doubt in the negative, but was only looking for data to help him grow in faith? Maybe he wanted the same experience of Christ that the disciples experienced, and not just the telling of it. The last vignette of this Gospel (Jn 20: 24-29) is trying to encourage the Christians of this time of great doubt. “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed” (Jn 20:29). Thomas gives hope!

Doubt can be so beneficial

on this path.

Jesus appears to his disciples, sheltered in place. The Gospel reads, “…Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’When he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The

disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.” (Jn 20:19-20). When Thomas enters (Jn 20:24-25), he says “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

This sounds almost like the same experience with the difference that the disciples did not need to say “I will not believe.” Christ appeared, was there and showed them his wounds, “When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.” (Jn 20: 20). Then they rejoiced after he showed them his wounds. Thomas is asking to see the same wounds. I’m not sure I would consider that actually doubting, I might consider it collecting the data the same as the disciples, experience. The apostles were given the data without asking; Thomas asked.

As many of us have experienced, the spiritual path is long and slow. Doubt can be so beneficial on this path. It can be confirming and strengthening. It’s a powerful experience to tolerate and work through. It might be helpful these days to allow Christ to sooth our angst as we struggle to accept the consequences of Covid 19, if that’s what we are feeling. The data is there for us. “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed. “We are so blessed! Halleluiah!

*** Sunday, April 19th service now posted. ***

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