“Unless I should see in His hands the mark of the nails, and put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into His side, in no wise will I believe.” [Jn. 20:25]
And let us forget that people said: if we had seen Him we would not have denied Him. But this is not so, because the majority of those who denied Him had seen Him, and they denied Him because they did not love spiritual values, and the triumph over the devil and Hades was unknown in their hearts. They were in love with the world. And not the Ten Commandments! (Exodus 20:1-17)
You know in my memories I can still hear the hymns being sung from at the old German Reformed Church “Trust and Obey, for there’s no other way”, and yet I understand the Apostle Thomas’s request all too well! After all, how can this semi-intelligent creature standing before you today, place the fullness of my existence now and after death in the ever presence of a God who loves me, despite my inclination for darkness? My taste of the tree of knowledge has me wanting to thrust my hand into the pierced side of Christ before I believe, before I trust, before I obey! What will it take to gain my full surrender?
The free-will that flows through my veins seeking knowledge, seeking my personal interpretation of good and evil, which agreeably allows a separation from my Creator by not obeying, and simply not trusting. As I want to redefine trust as something I can personally weigh on my scales of justice with my limited selfish understanding and respect of the mystery of God, or should I say the omnipotence of God? Where is thy faith? Has the rooster screamed thrice in your life as well? “I know not the man.” (Matt 26:72)
Blessed Theophylact writes: “First He rebukes Thomas, saying, Reach hither thy hand; then He admonishes him: and be not faithless, but believing. From this it is clear that Thomas’ doubt was caused by lack of faith, and not because he was careful to verify the facts (as some say, wishing to put him in better light). But as soon as Thomas touched the Lord’s side, he was revealed as a superb theologian, proclaiming the two natures and single hypostasis of the one Christ. Thomas refers to the human nature of Christ, calling Him Lord; for the term “Lord” (Κύριος) is applied not just to God, but to men as well. (Thinking that Jesus was the gardener, Mary Magdalene had said to Him, Sir (Κύριε), if thou have borne Him hence… (v. 15). But when Thomas cries out, …and My God, he confesses Christ’s divine essence, and affirms that the names Lord and God refer to one and the same Person. By declaring blessed those who have not seen, and yet have believed, the Lord teaches us that faith means the acceptance of things not seen. He is referring, first to the disciples who believed without touching His side or the print of the nails, and second to those who would later believe (without any physical confirmation). He is not depriving Thomas of his share of blessedness, but encouraging all who have not seen. There was a common saying, “Blessed are the eyes that have seen the Lord.” Christ, however, praises those who will believe without seeing, declaring them to be truly blessed. “(From The Explanation of the Gospel of St. John by Blessed Theophylact, Archbishop of Ochrid and Bulgaria)
Believing without seeing! And how to we practice our belief in the One who yearns for our repentance, for our return? If we have come to church to have our needs met, then they will never be fully fulfilled! Did you hear that? But if we have to come to serve and give of ourselves, and then the love of Christ will tend to our wants, as He sees fit! Perhaps a good summary of this Sunday’s teachings would be an inventory of how much sacrificial love we share. That is the mark of the nails and wound of Christ’s love, and when people see them or touch them, they will believe! If we can trust and obey and love without limits, we will become the most fragrant Myrrhbearers the world has known!! Christ Is Risen!!!
Fr. Gabriel Weller 4-27-2025
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