April 19th WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL

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Weekly Meditation
by Lena Petty
JOHN 20:19-29
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.' After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Parent has sent me, so I send you.' When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.'

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, 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 the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.'

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, 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. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.' 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 have come to believe.'

When Jesus entered the place where the disciples were (behind locked doors), He greeted them and immediately showed his hands and side. Then the disciples rejoiced. Was there a need for the wounds to be shown, in order for Jesus to be identified or possibly relieve their fear? In the first part of chapter 20 it talks about Mary going to the tomb and thinking she was talking to the gardener. Was Jesus cloaked, or just in his pre-ascended state, unrecognizable?

This passage is a lesson of continued sacrifice, patience and tolerance. Despite all that Jesus had done in plain view, for some it was not in clear sight but clouded sight. All that the prophets had foretold unfolded right in front of Thomas and the others. There were those who witnessed the same thing and yet saw something different.

Jesus could have rebuked Thomas (and the others) but instead of getting angry at them, Jesus demonstrated Patience and shows his scarred hands and side. When Jesus reached out to soothe and remove all their doubt, Thomas responded accordingly, "my Lord and my God!" Jesus showed them Love inorder to reassure those that doubted, instead of proving a point and being right.

We must be consciously aware that everyone along this journey (though we are journeying together), is not growing, maturing and learning at the same rate. But we are all growing, learning and maturing.

To close: Remember the next time you and someone else are having a conversation or watching something and you notice that the other one did not see or hear what you did, extend Grace to them. Jesus was not concerned with being right more than Jesus was concerned with being true to his ministry and being even in the resurrection as in life "Rabboni" (teacher).