I Refuse To Believe

July 03, 2021

From today’s reading…

So the other disciples said to him, ‘We have seen the Lord,’ but he answered, ‘Unless I can see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe.’” John 20:25

This was Easter Sunday.

Mary of Magdala had seen and engaged with the risen Jesus that morning.

“In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week,” Jesus appeared to the disciples, “and stood among them” (v19).

That’s not all Jesus did that night.

He also breathed life into the disciples in much the same way God breathed life into man in Genesis 2:7, “and man became a living being.”

So now the disciples are “filled with joy,” (John 20:20) (They have “20/20 vision” after seeing Jesus’s hands and His side. Get it? Ha!)

They receive the peace of the Lord (v21).

They receive the Holy Spirit (v22).

They are instructed on how to forgive and retain sins (v23).

So this was not a little impromptu visit by Jesus.

Nor was it a simple courtesy call.

Jesus didn’t just drive by, honk His horn, and wave at His peeps as He cruised the old neighborhood.

No.

This was a meaningful, significant meeting of many faithful followers of Jesus, who were moved, who were blessed, who were given a mission, and therefore, changed.

And Thomas doubted them. Yeah, yeah. I know, I know, Thomas eventually (“Eight days later,” as we see in verse 26), comes around.

But imagine being in the woods with 15-20-30 of your best friends who are all expert hiking/camping/hunting/outdoor type people, and they all tell you, “WE SAW A 15-FOOT TALL BEAR! IT WALKED RIGHT UP TO THE CAMP SITE WHILE YOU WERE OUT PICKING BERRIES! IT SAT DOWN AND GROWLED AT US FOR AN HOUR! DO NOT GO OUT ALONE! THIS THING IS BIG AND REAL AND POWERFUL AND SCARY!”

Imagine that scenario and telling those 20 people, “I’ll believe it when I see it. A bear that big has never been spotted in these woods. Y’all are crazy. I’ll continue walking around in the dark, alone, without a weapon, while eating hamburgers because I’m smarter than all of you put together. Bears don’t live out here anymore. They’ve all been run off. I’ll believe there’s a big bear out here when I see it, grab its fur, and tickle its belly.”

Surround yourself with friends you can trust.

Support one another.

Trust one another.

It’s the only way to…

Stay the course.Keep the faith.Endure.

Now go sell something.