Early on in my teaching career, I was getting hours observing a history class when a group of boys burst into the classroom and announced that they had seen a snake in the hallway. Now, these were teenage boys at the end of the school year. So naturally, my first response was, “I don’t believe you.” When they persisted, the teacher and I told them to go down and take a picture, then we would believe them. They proceeded to leave the room, and when they returned they said they couldn’t take a picture because the school resource officer had already removed it from the building. Likely story. So the next day, I went to an administrator and asked him to confirm or deny the snake-in-the-hallway story. Sure enough, he confirmed the story with additional details, and my doubts were assuaged.
In the reading of the passage today, we learn that all of Thomas’ companions have witnessed something seemingly unbelievable. He responds, understandably, by saying he needs to see this for himself. While I do not want you to mistake my comparing the resurrected Jesus to a snake, I do think the principle of the human response holds true. Even with all the testimony and evidence stacked before us, we can be hard-hearted and slow to believe. That being said, there are benefits to a discerning heart. We do not want our children (or ourselves for that matter) to cling to just anyone’s words. We must have faith in what we cannot see coupled with an utmost allegiance to the truth of God’s Word. I am reminded of when Paul warns the Colossians to be on their guard against false teaching: “They have lost their connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.” Jesus’ resurrection, though hard for the disciples to comprehend at the time, was the fulfillment of His purpose on Earth. Though Thomas couldn’t discern this truth at first, it was exactly what was supposed to happen and had been prophesied throughout the Old Testament scriptures.
Let us pray for faith in our homes to trust the Lord despite what we can or cannot see.
Anne
*For those of you who are worked up about the snake story… it was “small” and “very skinny.” It had not wandered more than a few feet from the door to the outside before it was killed. Allegedly non-venomous. Never got that pic though…
~Featured pic: celebrating our baby turning one this weekend so reminiscing on one year ago with our oldest and youngest~
See Devotional here!