Month: Apr 2025

Seeing is believing: how Thomas’ challenge shaped his faith

Beth - blogger, coach, consultantLeave a comment

Today’s lectionary reading brings us the story of Thomas after Jesus’ crucifiction and burial (John 20: 19-31). For most of us, it’s a well-known story. 

Jesus comes to the disciples who are meeting and praying together in hiding, but Thomas is absent this day. When he returns, they tell him that Jesus has risen and visited, but he doubts. 

“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.” (John 20:25)

And yet, when Jesus returns to visit a week later, Thomas is there and witnesses for himself that Jesus has indeed risen. 

“Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” (John 20: 27)

So, what would it take for your faith to be challenged and strengthened? 

What personal experience could you have that would confirm to you that God’s power in your life is real? 

Peter stumbled and fell into faith

Perhaps an easier example for us to relate to is Peter, the rock on which Jesus said the church would be built. We see many instances where Peter shows a great understanding of Christ, only to overshadow it with his doubting, hesitance, and failure of faith.

Peter was possibly the only one to see Jesus walking on water, yet this same Peter was hot-tempered and rebuked the children that wanted to come to Jesus. 

He’s passionate and impetuous: Peter was the first to say that he would accompany Jesus in prison and death, but at the moment of truth, denied that he even knew him.

This very same Peter was told off three times for falling asleep while accompanying Jesus in the garden for prayer. 

From euphoria to failure

Peter gets swept up in the euphoria of Jesus’s power and miracles.

I want that!

But he crumbles under persecution. 

He got it – Jesus was the messiah.

And he lost it – I’m too scared to follow this road of faith. 

Many of us, like Peter, have denied that we knew Jesus: with our words, or with our actions, or our priorities.

Perhaps you’ve lost faith, because of fear – just like Peter.

Nonetheless, Peter still becomes the pillar of the early church, an example for others to follow. 

Peter is the first to run to the empty tomb. He is also the first to jump out of the boat and swim to the shore to see Jesus after the resurrection.

In order to counter Peter’s denial of Christ three times before the crucifixion, we see Jesus ask Peter three times “Do you love me?”. Having failed three times, it’s important for Peter to confirm three times that he has overcome this failure in faith and believes. 

But his journey was plagued by missteps and mistakes.

Do your actions speak of faith or doubt? 

Thomas doubts strengthen his faith

It’s easy to see how Peter’s mistakes turn into strength. 

But Thomas has a different road of challenges before him. They are more subtle, but equally strong.

And these are the mental doubts and stumbling blocks we face.

When we lose a loved one, or don’t get that dream job, it’s easy to fall into the mental loop of doubt and asking “Why?”

People around us are quick to give us empty platitudes:

  • “Everything happens for a reason…”
  • “God won’t give you more than you can handle…”
  • “God has a wonderful plan for your life…”

And for Thomas, that challenge was seeing the man and friend that he believed in killed to satisfy the bloodthirst of the mobs and political powerplays.

The monkey mind: making you second-guess yourself

I’m sure he had millions of thoughts running through his head:

  • We did so much for the sick, the needy and the masses, but they turned their backs on Jesus.
  • Everyone listened to Jesus’ teachings, but is this the end of our journey?
  • Jesus promised us the kingdom of heaven, but now all we have is death and despair. 

And when the disciples tell him that they’ve seen a resurrected Jesus, Thomas doesn’t jump with joy and faith. 

He’s cynical. He’s rational and thoughtful, not easily swayed by a cheerful friend.

He no doubt has a million thoughts running through his head as he tries to make sense of his experiences of the past three years. 

Show me the money

Most of us have heard someone say “Show me the money.”

I don’t want any of your stories: I want to see the evidence. Don’t talk about the value you bring to the table, show me the value and benefits. 

And for Thomas, it wasn’t enough that others had experienced seeing Jesus. He needed to experience this for himself. 

When Jesus shows up, he doesn’t lecture Thomas. We might judge Thomas and read judgment into Jesus’ words to him, but does Jesus actually judge him?

Instead, Jesus says:

“Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Do not doubt but believe.” (v. 27)

Thomas said: “Show me the money!” and Jesus’ response is “Here’s the cold, hard cash.” Stop doubting. Here you go. 

His evidence is the wounds and scars, yet he overcame this. 

The challenge to overcome

For most of us, we find it easier to trust someone that has the battle scars than someone finely dressed, that hasn’t experienced life’s hard knocks. 

Want to know why Dr. Joe Dispenza is so popular? It’s not just what he’s teaching, but rather that he first had to get himself out of his semi-paralysed state and back on his feet again! Six of his vertebrae has compound fractures. He risked being a quadriplegic. But he overcame this challenge. 

We trust his scars and his journey. He walked the talk. Those scars tell a story of faith and healing. 

Similarly, people are willing to follow the teachings of Louise Hay who healed herself from cervical cancer through forgiveness and letting go.

Because, for many of us, seeing is believing.

We need to see the scars and wounds of others to believe that it’s possible for us to heal and get back on our feet. M

Much like Thomas, we say when I see the nail marks in his hands and the wound in his side, then I’ll believe that healing is possible.

We need these live examples to open our eyes to the possibilities of what could be. 

What challenge are you facing?

So today, I ask:

What challenge are you facing and what example do you need to strengthen your faith? 

Perhaps you’ve lost your business and are struggling with financial difficulties: 

  • Job had everything – the richest man, a wonderful family with children and grandchildren, and a fantastic reputation – only to have it all disappear in a moment. Can you find inspiration in Job for seeing is believing?
  • David is another great example – reduced to living in caves, running and hiding despite having been anointed to be the new king.

If you’re looking for modern examples, there are many like J.K. Rowling who went from a broke mother to becoming a billionaire through her creative efforts in writing.  Even Richard Branson, the owner of Virgin, had a rought start to life.

For others, it’s getting through betrayal.

Wasn’t Jesus betrayed? And David, by his son Absalom? Or Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers. 

Perhaps the challenge to your faith is sickness.

And we have many examples of healing:

  • Natural healing – you break a bone, the doctor sets it back in place and immobilises it, and your body takes care of the rest! The doctor only has to make sure it’s aligned, so that when healing takes place, it’s all in the right place. 
  • Sometimes, the miracle we need comes in the form of a doctor and medicine! But isn’t that still healing. The knowledge and how to help the body to overcome sickness and injury pave the road to recovery.
  • Most of us, of course, just want the miracle healing. The instant, no rational explanation, kind of healing. Of course there are examples of this – in life and in the Bible. But this isn’t the most common type.
  • We also have examples of miraculous healing over time – like Dr. Joe Dispenza and Louise Hay that weren’t healed in a day, but rather healed little by little. How many of us are willing to hold our faith, day by day, for this healing?
  • And sometimes, the healing that happens is in the heart – with acceptance for what is, forgiveness and letting go of resentment. Perhaps there is no physical manifestation, but what gets healed is relationships and we let go of bitterness.  Isn’t this also a miracle? 

What scars and wounds do you need to see, like Thomas, in order to restore your faith?

Do not doubt, but believe.

John 20: 27

How Jesus got cancelled: faith, expectations, and betrayal

Beth - blogger, coach, consultantLeave a comment

On Sunday Jesus is welcomed into Jerusalem with crowds, praise and celebration, waving palms and welcoming him with joy. Celebrating with the disciples after his arrival, we learn of the Last Supper.

Nevertheless, on Spy Wednesday he’s betrayed and arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, and by Friday he’s crucified.

How quickly public opinion changes and you fall from hero to zero. From being welcomed as the saviour to asking to release Barabbas, a Jewish bandit and rebel.

We have many examples of cancel culture in the past five years, for political motives as well as personal indiscretions. Whether it’s sexual indiscretion, badly handled brand messaging or simply holding an unpopular opinion.

So, what changed? Why did public opinion pivot so rapidly?

Personally, I think it all comes down to expectations, which play a huge role in our relationships.

There’s nothing like having hope and expecting a certain outcome, only to face disappointment.

If we don’t guard our hearts, bitterness and resentment grow within.

On Palm Sunday, Jesus rides into Jerusalem as a king, sitting on a colt, as prophesied in the Old Testament.

The crowds that welcomed him (all by word of mouth), have witnessed his miracles and healing hands. But now they are expecting more.

While they might be grateful for everything that he’s done so far, they still expect him to give more. 

What they are looking for is that hero that will save them from the tyranny of the Roman Empire. The new king. The Messiah. 

And Jesus is bound to disappoint them.

And as we’ve learned time and time again in our relationships, disappointment often leads to a cruel backlash. 

Jesus wasn’t offering a physical salvation, but spiritual. While he had healed many physical ailments, many of those miracles went hand-in-hand with spiritual healing and a change of behaviour and habits. 

Largely overlooked by the crowds.

Their faith and belief in his teachings, which overturned the status quo and Pharisees, seemingly overlooked the underlying message.

When they heard “the Kingdom of God is at hand”, they believed in a physical kingdom, returning to the glories of David and Solomon. 

This crowd had real problems and real needs.

And they expected Jesus to be the Saviour and hero that would fix everything. 

They were disappointed to find out that he offered spiritual salvation and a spiritual Kingdom of Heaven. 

But don’t we still do the same now?

We elect politicians and then criticize them when they don’t fix all the problems in our community. But what about the community getting together and facing the problems and working together for healing and improvement?

We watch blockbuster movies, celebrating heroes like Ironman, Superman, Captain America and Daredevil. All heroes, some with a small band of misfits, that do the impossible and save the world.

Imagine how boring a movie would be to show a community that came together and worked tirelessly to improve their city, but with no heroes or individuals that stood out to take the lead.

Since time immemorial, like Bonnie Tyler, we’ve been singing “I need a hero”:

He’s gotta be strong and he’s gotta be fast
And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight

And it’s these very same expectations that lead to disappointment, and ultimately lead to betrayal. 

How faith turns into disappointment

Take a moment to consider your prayers this week.

What did you pray and ask for?

Were you asking God for a specific outcome or solution? Or have you learned, like Jesus in Gethsemane to pray for God’s will to be done.

Jesus alerts the disciples that night:

My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. (Matt. 26: 38)

Nonetheless, he prays (v. 39):

“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

As such, he’s not disappointed in the outcome, no matter how much it pains him.

But many  times, we’re tied to a particular outcome. We pray for healing for a person, and the expected outcome is that the illness or physical healing take place and be immediate.

And in doing so, we overlook that sometimes that most profound healing takes place over time. It’s like building up strength and stamina from walking and doing exercise every day. It can only be built by repetition.

Many times, our healing only happens by repetition – like forgiveness that takes place 70 time 7 times. Regularly letting go of the hurt and pain and replacing it with forgiveness.

But we want the instant gratification. Give me the pill that can stop the pain and get me back up and running immediately. Who care what the long term side-effects might be.

We want miracles and instant healing, not gradual improvement. 

As such, we’re disappointed and disillusioned when the outcome is long term. 

What expectations are you putting on miracles?

Disappointment in our relationships

Think also about your relationships with friends and family. Or perhaps going a bit further to those that you know.

Do you know someone who received a lot of help and support from someone, and then when that person stopped helping and supporting them they almost became enemies?

What’s really happening? Often, the person receiving the help is initially angry and frustrated with themselves. They might even hate themselves for being helpless and needing to rely on someone else’s benevolence.

But over time, they begin to hate the other, because this persons generosity highlights their own shortcomings and feelings of inadequacy. Most of this lies deep within as latent bitterness. Covered up with an band-aid of gratitude and praise. 

Nonetheless, the moment that benefactor fails to step up and meet a need, they become the subject of criticism. The hidden bitterness and resentment bubbles to the surface, and accusations fly of selfishness and pride. 

Now imagine the crowds that Jesus faced in Jerusalem.

So many expectations placed upon him with different people expecting from him different things.

And he fails to give them what they wanted.

It all ends with the cries to release Barabbas, the bandit and rabble-rouser.  He’s been known to revolt in small ways against the Romans. While he doesn’t promise to rebuild a kingdom, he openly opposes the Roman Empire.

And being disappointed that Jesus never had plans to revolt, they turn to the popular insurrectionist and rebel leader. 

And just like that, Jesus gets cancelled by popular opinion. 

Betrayal after disappointment

I wonder which hurt Jesus more: the betrayal of Judas or of Peter? Remember, Jesus predicts both of them.

At the last supper, he highlights that Judas will hand him over. In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus warns Peter that before morning he will have denied him and turned his back on him. 

Which one of us would have dared to respond differently to the crowd than Peter?

We’ll never know whether Judas betrayed Jesus to cover up slipping his hand in the till and expecting to replace the missing coin by using the funds he received from the Pharisees, or whether he was simply disappointed, like the crowds, that Jesus wasn’t the Messiah that would save Israel from the Roman Empire.

No matter what lay beneath his betrayal, Peter’s actions were much more about fear and peer pressure. 

Was Peter afraid of being put in the same cell as Jesus if he was identified as being his follower? Or was he simply ashamed to be different? Had he lost complete faith in Jesus being the Messiah?

Your expections, your faith

So now, it’s your turn.

What expectations do you have when you pray and in your daily spiritual habits?

When you sit quietly in your heart, are you holding onto any bitterness or resentment towards God for unanswered prayers or situations in life that didn’t go how you expected God’s hand to move?

Each of us needs to be honest within about the state of our faith.