#DailyDevotion Blessed Are Those Who Cry My Lord & My God By Faith

John 20²⁴But Thomas, one of the twelve, who was called Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other disciplės told him, “We saw the Lord.” “Unless I see the marks of the nails in His hands,” he told them, “and put my finger in the marks of the nails and put my hand in His side, I won’t believe it.” ²⁶A week later His disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace to you!” He said. ²⁷Then He told Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at My hands — and take your hand and put it in My side. And don’t doubt but believe.” ²⁸“My Lord and my God!” Thomas answered Him. ²⁹“Do you believe because you’ve seen Me?” Jesus asked him. “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” ³⁰ His disciples saw Jesus do many other miracles that are not written in this book. ³¹But these things are written so that you believe Jesus is the Christ, God’s Son, and by believing have life in His name.

I tell you, Thomas gets a bad rap. Poor guy gets called doubting Thomas. Well we all know from the Easter readings not one of the other disciples believed the report of the women or the disciples from Emmaus until they too saw Jesus with their own eyes and saw the marks of the nails in his hand or the wound in his side and saw him eat something to prove he wasn’t a ghost. I guess Thomas get a bad rap because he is the only one of them who was honest enough to speak out look what everyone else was only thinking.

Jesus however was than happy to oblige. “Peace to you! Shalom!” Jesus says as he makes himself visible in the locked room. Jesus addresses Thomas who wasn’t there Easter evening showing him his hands and his side and directing him to do everything Thomas said he needed to do to believe Jesus is risen. Thomas though needs not do any of that. He doesn’t even need to see Jesus eat some food. Thomas cries out with joy, “My Lord and my God!” Now it is most interesting with all the places in the Bible there may be a variant reading there is not one here. Every copy in the ancient copies of John, everyone of them says the exact same thing at this place. Seeing Jesus risen from the dead he knows exactly who he is dealing with.

Yet you and I are more blessed than Thomas or the rest of the Apostles. We are more blessed than the five hundred who saw Jesus risen or the Apostle Paul to whom Jesus appeared. Jesus says as much, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” We have seen the risen Lord, yet at the message of the good news of Jesus Christ we believed what we were told. Such faith gives to us eternal life. This faith lifts us to the right hand of God where Christ reigns now. This faith receives all the gifts of God and the inheritance of God, his righteousness, holiness and glory. As St. Peter tells us, ⁸“You never saw Him, but you love Him. You don’t see Him now, but you believe in Him. And a joy, unspeakable and wonderful, fills you with delight ⁹as you receive by faith what you’re looking for — your salvation.” These things John saw and heard were written so you may believe and have life in Jesus’ name. Indeed it is the whole point and purpose of all the Scriptures that you believe in Jesus and have life in his name. Jesus is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah! Amen.

Heavenly Father, you have provided the Scriptures to us that we may hear them, believe and receive eternal life from your hand. Open our ears, hearts, mind and spirit that when we hear the good news that we believe, are strengthened by it and receive all good things from you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.