Mark Dohle
Well-Known Member
What if St. Thomas did not see and touch the Risen Lord?
St. Thomas would not believe the 10 apostles when they said that they saw the risen Lord. He demanded proof. He did not trust the word of his fellow disciples of Jesus. What if Jesus did not come and appear to him? Would he be right? Did the apostles see the Risen Lord, or would St. Thomas be right? Or would St. Thomas have lost out if he did not experience the Risen Lord? Would he have left the assembly and missed out on having a couscous loving relationship with Jesus Christ?
Today, people can choose to believe the Apostles or not, to believe that they are trustworthy or not, to have faith or not. We believe many things from those we trust. We don’t feel the need to check up on everything said to us. Today it is good for Christians to understand what it means to trust the word of others. To understand that what is being said in the New Testament is truly life-shattering, heart-expanding, and soul healing if believed. Sad to say, (one reason, though not the only one why many don’t believe), is how Christians, treat others, or in what manner they use the Scriptures, or talk about their faith. Instead of showing Christ Jesus what they show is the desire to control, dominate and scare others into believing……it does not work.
To read the New Testament is like reading others books. We have a relationship with it; our perspective will dictate to us how we read it, what we look for and how it affects us. We will find what we look for. If the New Testament is true, then in a real sense it is the “Word of God”. However it is not God, a revelation is not total, it is when we think that we know the mind of Christ that we can cause trouble, for then we are merely giving others a piece of our own minds.
There is a reason that preaching is a gift, it allows people to express their faith without taking away from the dignity of those they speak to. Those who do not have the gift of preaching will often cause harm to others. There seem to be more Christians who preach who should not. There is more than one way to show Christ to others. How we treat them for instance, how we ‘see’ them, how we respect them because they are made in the image and likeness of God, and in a real sense, a deep sense, how we treat them and judge them and hurt them, is how we treat Christ Jesus.-BrMD