Reach Out

Today I am participating in the Five Minute Friday with Kate Motaung and her crew of brilliant writers. The word this Friday is {reach}.

Setting my timer for 5 minutes… and go!

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Thomas had great difficulty believing that Jesus was alive and had visited with the other disciples.

Could life truly be resurrected from death?

“So the other disciples told him,
“We have seen the Lord!”
But he (Thomas) said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.””
‭‭John‬ ‭20‬:‭25‬

We all grieve differently. Thomas no doubt had followed Jesus and experienced most of the same situations as all the other disciples. However, Thomas had his own personality & his own life experiences through which he filtered his experience with Jesus. His faith was sight.

The relevant truth for me, and I hope for you, is that Thomas didn’t get left out because he had difficulty believing Jesus was alive. I have to remind myself that the other 10 disciples believed Jesus was alive because they too had seen Him with their own eyes.

It’s true that 10 eye witnesses were not enough proof for Thomas. However, we don’t know why.

Perhaps Thomas’ heart was just so grieved, broken and disappointed. Perhaps he was feeling betrayed by Jesus and didn’t want to feel like a fool for continuing to believe.

“A week later His (Jesus) disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said,
“Peace be with you!”
Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.””
‭‭John‬ ‭20‬:‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

A week went by and then Thomas was no longer overwhelmed with doubt. His heart opened to not only the possibility, but the reality that Jesus was alive again. Perhaps Thomas no longer felt abandoned. Maybe all his disappointment dissipated as He heard the Word of God speak directly to him.

Whatever manifested between Jesus and Thomas the result was belief.

Faith bloomed.

Thomas surrendered.

“Thomas said to Him,
“My Lord and my God!””
‭‭John‬ ‭20‬:‭28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus certainly invited Thomas to reach out and touch Him in order that Thomas might believe. Isn’t it miraculous and humbling to recognize the King of all kings would have such a detailed concern for Thomas that Jesus would do whatever it took to help Thomas have faith.

Jesus invites us to reach for Him, but the absolute truth is that He’s already been reaching for us.

Eyes on Jesus and Shine,

~Lisa