The Wounds He Did Not Hide
“Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!””
— John 20:24-28 (NIV)
Didymus is Greek for twin, and the Aramaic name this man carried means the same. John translates such words in many places, for a reader who did not know the local language. Earlier in this same book, he urged the others to go and die beside their teacher. The rest had not been asked to take anything on hearsay either. That same evening they were given the identical proof, and only then did the room fill with joy. So he asked for nothing the others had not already received. The Greek reckons eight days, counting the first and the last, which lands on the same weekday. They had shut themselves in, afraid of the authorities who had pressed for their teacher's execution. The wound in his torso came from a soldier's spear, pushed in after he had died. The line rendered as an order about doubt holds no word for uncertainty; literally it says, do not become unbelieving, but believing. Nothing in the account says he reached out and touched anything. The one who said out loud that he was not convinced is the one who was invited to come and check.
There is a question you never say out loud. Around other people you nod along, and at home you push it further down, because there is nobody to ask. Maybe a prayer said in a rush changed nothing and you never admitted that. Maybe you have been pulling a shift since morning and faith is the thing you never get around to thinking about. Maybe you stopped going to church a while ago because it felt wrong to turn up with a question like that. The man who doubted in this passage was back with the others before he was sure, and that is where Jesus showed him his wounds. You do not have to settle the question before you come.
Come with your question
- 1Today is Sunday, the same day of the week as in this passage. Go to Mass or a service with the question you cannot answer, and do not wait until you are sure. You do not have to talk to anyone about it; it is enough to come and stay to the end.
- 2If you cannot leave the house today, put on a live stream of a Mass or service and stay with it to the end. If today has already gone, step into an open church for ten minutes on your way somewhere this week.
Lord Jesus, there are things I say I believe that I am not sure of today. I do not want to keep performing in front of you. I am coming to your people today as I am, question and all. Make room for me among your people, question and all. Amen.
I go to church today with my question, without waiting for it to be settled.
Why is Thomas also called Didymus?
Both names mean twin, one in Aramaic and one in Greek, so the same nickname is given twice. John often translates such words for a reader who did not know the local language, and he never says who the twin was.
Did Thomas ask for more proof than the other disciples had?
No. That same evening the others had already been shown the wounds before they rejoiced. He asked for exactly what they had been given, only later.
Does the text say Thomas actually touched the wounds?
It does not. The invitation is recorded, then his answer, with no touching described in between. What he received was the offer itself.