meditation

In John 20:29 Jesus said to Thomas, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” As you probably remember, Thomas had doubted that Jesus had risen from the dead and would not believe until he saw physical proof. And Jesus gave him that proof, but went on to say that not seeing and yet believing was the higher way.

In John’s Gospel, there are times when people believed because they saw, but the higher blessing comes to those who believe and then see. And because Jesus is seated at the right hand of the father, we cannot see him face to face—yet. But we see him all around us just the same because we see him by faith as we believe the Gospel, see the Gospel lived out in the lives of God’s people, and as we celebrate the Gospel by eating at this meal every week.

Later, Peter, when talking about our faith said, “whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,  receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls (1 Pet. 1:8-9). As we break the bread and as we drink the wine, we do not see Jesus face to face, but know his presence because we see him in the meal and in the lives of those sitting around us.