Image-i-nations

It happens that… God does exactly what we want!
It does happen, yes, that God goes along with what we ask for, even to the detail of it.
We may have hoped for something but… we told ourselves that… it could not come about, and… suddenly…
There it is: our request, our secret hope, has been fulfilled!

This is precisely what happened to Thomas, the apostle, as we see in today’s gospel text (John 20:19-31).
On Easter night, Jesus had appeared to the other apostles, but Thomas was absent.
When he came back to the group, they did not delay telling him:

“We have seen the Lord.”

That was too much for Thomas!
He may have thought that, not only the women who had claimed having had a vision of angels saying Jesus was alive, were out of their minds (Luke 24:11), but his own friends as well were thinking strange thoughts.

“He said to them,
“Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were,
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

A statement that left no doubt as to Thomas’ position: he was as categorical as one can be!
He needed to see and to touch – nothing else would bring him to accept the claim of the group.

A week later, Jesus comes again to the group of the apostles and, this time, Thomas is present.
After greeting them, Jesus addresses himself directly to Thomas:

“Put your finger here; see my hands.
Reach out your hand and put it into my side.
Stop doubting and believe.”

The words of Jesus are a direct echo of those that Thomas spoke.
What Jesus asks Thomas to do is a perfect replica of what Thomas himself demanded!

But… there is an addition…
Jesus tells Thomas: “Stop doubting and believe.”

Jesus did as Thomas required so as to help him grow in faith.
Jesus complied with the condition that Thomas has set so as to enable him to overcome his doubt.

Who knows… God may be ready to do the same for each one of us…

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/2e-dimanche-de-paques-annee-c-2025/

Source: Image: https://ca.pinterest.com/srjswann/thomas/