"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.”
I wonder why Thomas needed that?
What is it about seeing the wounds that would satisfy Thomas's doubt about the witness of the other disciples that they "had seen the Lord"? Is it a sign that we have a God who understands what it means to feel pain?
To be abandoned? To know death?
Does it help you to know that God has been there and done that? I know it helps me to remember that no matter what difficulty that I may be struggling with, I have a God who has experienced it, and has promised to carry me through it!
The wounds are a reminder to me that Jesus isn't separated from my struggles and pains, but in the midst of them with me, healing and reconciling.
May we remember Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, and as we experience our struggles and pains - may we see our Lord and be able to cry out to Jesus, "My Lord and My God!"