Some things just have to be seen to be believed, and Thomas knew that.
It wasn't that he thought his friends were lying when they told him what had happened in that room. It was just that it was a pretty amazing tale. He could understand that were afraid, so afraid that they all huddled together in that room that night, and locked all the doors and windows. After all, the crowds were getting a little out of hand. And he could understand how in their grief, they might see crazy things, and say crazy things. He understood, really he did.
But now they wanted him to believe it, too, just on their say-so. And that he couldn't do. He wasn't buying it. There was too much at stake. Jesus was just too important to Thomas; too important to all of them. Because if what they were telling him was true, that Jesus had somehow beat death and was now walking around town as if he had never been crucified – well, that would be huge. It would mean that death wasn't the final word. It would mean that what they had been doing mattered. It would mean that Jesus wasn't just another guy, not just some other teacher and healer. That he truly was anointed by God, or maybe even something more! No, this was all too important to Thomas to simply take their word for it. He needed to see it for himself. He needed to see Jesus, the REAL Jesus, in person. It wasn't that he thought they were lying to him. Really it wasn't. But things had been a little strained just the same. Here they all were, camped out in this tiny little house, and he was the only one who wasn't there at the time. He was the only one who missed seeing his Lord. "Peace is with you," he told them. And he showed them his wounds.
That's all Thomas wanted. He wanted to be sure, just like they were sure. He wanted to see the same way they all got to see – with their own two eyes. He wanted to come to believe the way they all came to believe – by touching him and talking to him. And so he waited, hoping that what they said was true, and terrified that he'd missed out.
"Let my peace be with you," Jesus said. And he turned to Thomas and opening his hand said, "put your finger in my palm... here, put your hand in my side. Don't be unbelieving. Believe." And suddenly, it all fell in place for Thomas. Suddenly, he saw who Jesus was all along. He fell to his knees and cried, "My Lord and my God!"
Thomas was one of the lucky ones. He was one of the few who saw Jesus face to face. But what about the rest of us – the ones who could not be there and could not know Jesus in person. How does this story affect us when it comes to our doubts and belief?
One of the most interesting parts of this story is how Jesus treats Thomas. He doesn't challenge him as an unfaithful coward, as someone whose doubt and questions were somehow unwelcome. Instead, Jesus goes out of his way to reassure him any way that he can: "Put your finger here... put your hand there, in my side." That's because in asking the questions, Thomas is seeking a way to understand. Show me Lord, let me touch you, and then I'll believe. And so he did.
I think that's how our faith works in us too. For some of us, it may be enough to hear the word of God through the scripture. As the bumper sticker says, "God said it. I believe it. That settles it." And those people are truly blessed. But for others of us, it takes something more. It's not that we're completely skeptical of everything we read or what our friends have told us. It's that we need something more to hold on to, something more physical than just the say-so of bible, or of a priest, or of our friends. Many of us are here because we truly want to believe, if only we could experience, like Thomas, the real presence of Christ in our day to day lives.
This is why the Eucharist is so important. Because it is through the Eucharist that we experience the real presence of Christ in our lives. We gather around that table, just as the disciples gathered in that room, and we share a meal in which Christ has promised to be present. We share a meal with our brothers and sisters in which Christ becomes a part of us – living with us and through us – so that we become a part of him.
This is what Jesus means when he talks about "eternal life", a phrase that is more properly translated as "life of the ages." It is something that has more to do with the quality of our lives than the quantity. It has more to do with the way we live our lives here and now, than what happens to us after we're gone. It is a way of living everyday as if we had just put our fingers in the nail holes of Jesus' hand, just as Thomas had done.
The good news of today's Gospel is contained in the last lines of the story: Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe... because through believing you may have life in his name. We are the blessed ones who have not seen and yet are called to believe. We are the ones who are seeking a full, rich, and loving life in Christ's name. If the Resurrection is about anything, it is about living that particular kind of life – a life where we share ourselves freely with one another, just has Christ shared himself with us.
Some things just have to be believed to be seen.
Thanks be to God.
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