seen in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand
in his side, I will not believe.”
Eight days later, the disciples were inside again and Thomas was with them. Despite the locked
doors Jesus came and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to
Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands; stretch out your hand and put it into my side.
Resist no longer and be a believer.”
Thomas then said, “You are my Lord and my God.” Jesus replied, “You believe because you see
me, don’t you? Happy are those who have not seen and believe.”
Reflect
We are citizens of the household of God. Our first loyalty is not to any city or nation on the
earth, but to the kingdom of God. That does not mean, however, that we should not follow our
nation’s just laws and contribute to the good of our community, but that our hearts should be
set on heaven first.
We become part of God’s household by Baptism which makes us part of the Body of Christ,
adopted children of our Father in heaven. Like Thomas, we show our citizenship by proclaiming,
“My Lord and my God,” as the Spirit prompts us. Our life is a journey to our heavenly homeland.
That journey is made difficult by our sinful desires which separate us from God. But through
God’s grace and the power of the Spirit, we can continue to grow in holiness, relying on Christ
and apostolic teaching to keep us on our path to our ultimate destination where we will live with
God forever.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023