Faith

A week later his disciples were again in the room, and Thomas was with them.  Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them, saying, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here; see my hands.  Reach your hand here and put it into my side. Be unbelieving no longer but believe.” Thomas said, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said, “Because you have seen me you have found faith. Happy are they who never saw me and yet have found faith.” John 20: 26-30

“Happy are they who never saw me and yet have found faith.” If I had been one of the disciples, I would probably have been Thomas. I would have been the one who would have wanted “hard evidence” when confronted with a miraculous situation. With evidence in hand, I would have accepted and believed. But I also would have wished that I could have been among those happy people who could believe with confidence without demanding proof. Many times in my life, faced with much less critical situations, I have wanted that simple, unswerving faith that some other people seemed to have. Thomas was reprimanded only lightly by Jesus, and he was not removed from the group of disciples, so his experiences give me personal hope. Maybe those of us who find doubts eating into our faith can still be counted as followers of Christ. Perhaps expressing our doubts, as Thomas did, is better than claiming a faith and belief that is not clear in our minds. Christ knew that to fulfill the purposes for which he came to this earth he would have to make the supreme sacrifice, giving his life. His Resurrection is a central part of Christian beliefs. Each of us knows that we will not have to give as much as Christ did, but we need to always realize that giving of ourselves without concern about reward is the way we demonstrate our faith.

Prayer: Dear Father in Heaven, we believe much, help us in our unbelief. Amen

Franklin Eldridge (reprinted from 2008 Eastridge Devotion book)