Doubting Thomas
by
the Reverend Dr. Michael Piazza
But Thomas, one of the twelve, who was called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” Eight days later His disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be to you.” Then He said to Thomas, “Place your finger here, and see My hands; and take your hand and put it into My side; and do not continue in disbelief, but be a believer.” Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus *said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”
- John 20:24-29
Thomas finally walked in carrying the pizza, and the disciples have their first chance to do what Christ has commissioned them to do: tell someone the good news. "Thomas, we have seen the Lord. He is risen!"
The problem was Thomas didn't believe them. Can you imagine how they felt? Here comes their first customer, and he won't buy it. Thomas says, "I won't believe until I can see it with my own eyes, touch it with my own hands." With that attitude, there are lots of Thomas twins running around.
It would be unfair to criticize Thomas for having doubts. We all have them. It’s as normal and natural as breathing. Notice Jesus didn’t condemn Thomas for his doubts. Instead, He offers a blessing to those who give their energy to their faith, rather than to their doubts. "Thomas, because you have seen you have believed, but blessed are those who have not seen yet believe."
We all have doubts, but we all also have faith. Which one we empower is up to us. It’s a choice we make moment by moment, day by day. Ultimately, we all must choose. We empower the faith in our life, or we empower the doubts. We empower the things of life, or we empower the things of death. Either way, it’s a choice; it’s a gamble. As for me, I choose to gamble on the good.
I often have wondered why our doubts have so much power over us. Why are we so prone to see the bad rather than the good? I sometimes think it’s because life has wounded us so often. We all have been hurt. It isn't a gay and lesbian thing or a heterosexual thing. Life has left each of us scarred and battered. Those scars can leave us with more faith in the things of death than in the things of life.
As twins of Thomas, though, our scars also have the power of life. Thomas was forever transformed by the scars of Jesus.
Dr. William Willimon was the pastor of Duke Chapel at Duke University. He once wrote in an article:
We've got this freshmen kid in the Chapel Choir. In a recent sermon I mentioned how I believed we are all "marked" by God, for life, for some good thing. The freshman's mother happened to be in the congregation that morning. After the service she came up to me, pushing her sheepish freshman son before her toward me.
"This one's marked," she said. "We nearly lost him when he was born. For six weeks he was in the hospital on oxygen. As the little guy hung between life and death, I prayed to God the whole time. I told God that if he lived, I would dedicate him to God. He has a scar to this day on his heel. The scar is where they fed him through a needle in his heel for six weeks. I have always looked upon that scar as God's mark. When he was a little boy, I'd point to that scar on his heel and say, 'See that? It's a sign that God has plans for you. You're a gift from God and you've got the scar to prove it.'"
That mother was right, but you've got your scars, too. Some are visible; most are not. They can be signs of our brokenness or signs of the power of God to raise us to new life. Jesus still has scars, to prove his love for you. Perhaps, like Thomas, we must let our scars of doubt be touched by his scars of love.
Blessings,
Rev. Dr. Michael Piazza
© 2026 Michael Piazza
Rev. Piazza is a nationally-known author, activist, and church growth consultant.
He is the founder and president of Agile Church Consulting and the co-pastor of Progressive Spirit UCC (formerly Arlington Congregational Church) in Jacksonville, Florida
You can follow him on Facebook and Bluesky
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