"Unless I see the nail prints in his hands, I will not believe"

What do we need to see?  I have a picture of Jesus' hands in my office.  They are inviting, teaching and offering hands.  They are not yet nail marred.  They gesture a point, receive a need and suggest comfort and compassion. 

They are nice hands to study.  They tell us of the availability of God to us.  They are not clenched, or fists, but gently extended, palms up.  Open and freely capacious they offer no resistance to what they might encounter. 

I can imagine being like Thomas in the upper room; the others claim to have seen Jesus.  He missed out, and as a result felt hurt by being outside this first encounter.  That made him withdrawn and angry.  He claimed disbelief.  Never would he accept their story.  Well, not unless he too saw; but he had to see the wounds, the nail prints in his hands. 

Moreover he would have to touch them.  Put his hands there.  With sight there would have to be the reaching out and touching, tactile feeling to confirm what the others had said, and what he saw.

His hands would be palms down, assertive, but expressing hesitancy, even fear perhaps; a single finger pointing, extending, the others held back, ready to recoil further.

So came forth Jesus with nail scarred hands, and once again extending them.  "here, see touch; do not disbelieve, but be believing," he says.

Thomas's exclamation is an encouragement to us all.  We can see as he saw; suddenly faith came through.  "My Lord and my God!"  He did not even have to touch.  Spirit seeing spiritually does it all for us.

What do you need to see?  See his hands lovingly open to you.

          Peace,

Pastor Dave