John 20:24-29   Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.  So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"  But Thomas said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my fingers where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."   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!"  then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed, blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Doubt

Doubt stems from questions that keep us from believing.  Generally you have to be very brave to be a doubter, because believers generally don't like doubters.  There are all kinds of doubt, of course.  There are lazy doubters who simply user their questions to question everything just because they like to shake everyone else's beliefs.  We doubt when we don't know, we doubt when we're afraid to know, and we doubt when we don't want to know. But most of the time disciples doubt because they are confused or lost.

Thomas doubted whether the other disciples had seen Jesus.  Thomas wanted to touch the resurrected Jesus himself as proof.  Jesus' response to Thomas is very important for disciples to understand.  Instead of rejecting Thomas and banishing him from the disciples, Jesus honored his doubts and showed up!  Disciples doubt from time to time, and Jesus honors our doubts. In effect, Jesus says, "I wish you didn't doubt, but I love you because your faith is so important that you are brave enough to ask the questions of your soul."