Knowing God - John 20:27

(from Pastor)

Then [Jesus] said to Thomas,

"Put your finger here and see my hands.

Reach out your hand and put it in my side.

Do not doubt but believe."

John 20:27

 

Another friend asked a question ... "In John 20:17 Jesus tells Mary Magdalene not to touch him because he had not ascended yet to the Father. Then eight days (vs 26 & 27) Jesus invites Thomas to touch his wounds and stick his hand into the side wound. I find this confusing."

 

I love the questions! Keep them coming! In fact, the question was so good, I thought I'd share my two cents worth with all of you. I said ...

 

I don't have my Greek New Testament with me, so I can't answer it definitively from the Greek (I'm such a phenomenal Greek scholar anyway!), but here's what I think ...

 

The King James and about a third of the translations render the passage with Mary Magdalene (v. 17) as some form of "touch me not" or "don't touch me." The majority of the translations, however -- approximately two-third -- render it more like "do not hold on to me." In fact, in helping understand this passage, I like the CBJ version best: Jesus says, "Stop holding on to me."

 

Spiritually that's the difference between Mary Magdalene's touching -- or not -- and Thomas's. Thomas needed to touch to believe. Mary Magdalene, on the other hand, needed to let go of the physical touching to have a belief that would carry her for the rest of her life (and through all the challenges of being a first-century, persecuted disciple).

 

The question is: Do you, like Thomas, need some physical proof ... or some physical healing ... or some physical answer ... in order to believe? Or do you, like Mary Magdalene need to quit holding out for a physical answer and just start trusting even more?

 

Great question!

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who always needs to 

let go and let God!