John 20:24-29
Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.” Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
Homily:
Doubting Thomas – a person who continually seeks validation from direct personal experience.
We all are.
When we ask for something from God, our faith is inversely proportional to the time it takes for our prayers to be answered. As time passes, our faith wanes. We go to others we think are “closer” to God and ask them to pray for us. Sometimes coincidentally, our prayers are answered. Then we replace God with those people. They become our mouthpiece to God, because from direct personal experience, God listened to them. When those people, being human, fail, we dig in and support them, because we cannot afford to lose our mouthpiece to God.
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” – Hebrews 11:1
The underlying basis of doubt is a commitment to an alternative story from the one presented to you. It looked like Thomas was more committed to an unrisen Christ. For if he hoped for a risen Christ and had an assurance that it will be so, he would have believed immediately he was told that it was so. Confirmation bias is hardwired into our being. This is why Jesus cautioned him to not be faithless.
Personal experience will always be limited, because we do not have the time or space to fit in all experiences.
I do not need to jump off a skyscraper to experience what it will feel like to touch ground, before I realize it is a death trap. I know that death is almost certain with such a choice, even without experience.
But doubt is not all bad. Doubt is the foundation of science. The doubt of Thomas brought a blessing to you and I – “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe”.
I believe. I am blessed.