On Thomas the Apostle, 3 July (John 20:24-29) – Doubting Thomas?

I find the distinction between belief and faith to be of help in understanding this gospel passage.  Belief is trust in someone else’s experience of God, the way a child trusts its parents’ experience.  Faith is conviction based on one’s own personal experience of God.

When Thomas says, “I refuse to believe,” I don’t think he’s saying, “I refuse to believe that you’ve seen the risen Christ.”  I think he’s saying, “I want to have my own experience of the risen Christ, and I refuse to be the little brother who has to trust his older brothers’ experience.”

I imagine the others would have reminded that he was absent when Christ appeared to them; he should stay close to the community of Apostles if he wants to see Christ, should he appear to them again.

The risen Christ does appear to them again, and this time Thomas is with them, and makes his great profession of faith, “My Lord and my God.”  And Jesus adds, “Blessed are those have not seen and yet believe.” 

As they begin to let go of the child’s trust in their parents’ experience, adolescents often act as though it’s possible for them to experience everything in life.  In adulthood we come to realize that it isn’t possible to experience everything; we come to understand that our adult Christian lives must be based on a combination of belief and faith, of trust in others’ experience of God as well as our own experience of God.  We can’t all see the risen Christ; blessed are those who have not seen him, and yet believe.