Terms of Condition: Question, Ask, Seek (part 1)

Lectio Divina based on John 20:19-31

Thomas put specific conditions for believing –

                He must be able to touch – he must have PROOF…that Jesus is who He says is.

We, who have believed by faith, call him “Doubting Thomas” now –

                Haughtily positioning ourselves above him (after all, Jesus calls us ‘blessed’)

                Yet, the invitation to believe carried a mission: as the Father sent me, so I send you.

All these thousands of years later, one of the proofs WE use to support believing in these stories of Jesus of Nazareth as Son of God is that ALL his early supporters WENT and also DIED for the message.

Their willingness to die for the Resurrection is one of the proofs we use for it being a reliable fact.

So, I will not fault Thomas for wanting to be certain.

He knew that if he were to go and preach, he must KNOW.

His testimony must be reliable, firm, and able to be proved.

How much more reliable can you get than, “I have touched and seen.”?

We rely on faith to see … because these relied on sight to believe.

In the commentary for Lectors, the verbs Jesus used are noted: unbelieving to believing signifies an ongoing relationship. This is the movement of faith – and it is ongoing throughout our lives. As we move through one room to the next, or ascend higher up the mountain, our lives move from unbelieving to believing.

One of the Clifton Strengths themes I hear in Thomas based on his comment of, “Let us go and die with him also,” (John 11, the story of Lazarus) is Deliberative. He did not believe based on others’ words alone – he is logical, reasoned, factual, analytical. Jesus gave a mission to the disciples in the Upper Room. This time, they would die for that mission. I think Thomas wanted certainty of his message, of his hope – he would not go blindly.

The invitation for all who question remains: be not unbelieving, but believe.

Question, yes – AND seek the answers.

It is not enough to remain a questioner – you must SEEK.

Do not remain passive – questioning, criticizing –

                Seek the One!

                Seek the answers!

                Find the heart of the faith!

When you find, do not remain as a questioner –

                Receive:

                                Life. Peace. A mission.

You will not find if you do not seek.

You do not possess because you do not ask.

Do not expect the proof to be presented to you at no cost – no effort of your own:

                You must move from passive to active to ever obtain the goal of faith:

                Jesus.