St. Thomas and the Way, the Truth, and the Life

"Thomas said to him, 'Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?'" John 14:5. Every bible-reading Christian worth his salt should know John 14:6. (I am the way, the truth, and the life...") But what comes before it? What brings about this wonderful response? It is the question of Thomas that does this, that arouses this answer in Jesus. He has just told that disciples about His Father's house and its many mansions or rooms. He says that he will come again and take them to himself. He says that they know the way that He is going.

Thomas, of course, takes it in the knees. He is thrown under the bus every December 21st as the dumb, doubting, foolish Thomas. Another look is worth our while. He asks the question he asks because he is truly lost. He doesn't know any better than any other Jew of the first century how to get to Heaven. In essence, he is asking for directions. Some women might say that only a Mr. Wonderful would ask for directions at any time in his life. But this is exactly what Thomas does. Can we call this doubt? Heaven forbid! Heaven forbid that we would be quick to condemn a man who knows he is lost and needs directions. Jesus' response is that He Himself is the only direction Thomas will ever, ever need. It is the teaching of the Church and the Scriptures that there is no other name by which men might be saved (Acts 4:12). And - it is not merely the name of Jesus which can save us - it is He Himself. Thus, when Jesus is raised, it is not unreasonable that Thomas wants to see His wounds. Thomas knew the question - "how can we know the way?" But, he also knew the answer - "I am the way, the truth and the life." If this Risen Jesus was a fraud, Thomas knew both the question and the answer, thus, he must inspect Jesus closely. He must know if the walking, breathing, eating Risen Christ is truly the same who answered his question.

This holds a great deal of hope for us. There is nothing wrong with inspecting Jesus, with putting our fingers in His side, feeling the wounds in His hands. Doubt does not drive us - it is rather a need for direction - a way. Our inquiry into what is true is not driven by doubt, but rather by a desire for the right Jesus and the right God to follow after. We cannot ask directions from a fraud - a charlatan who offers nothing but a lie. This charlatan will lead us away from Life and into eternal death. The Jesus whom the Church proclaims and has proclaimed is this very same Jesus whom Thomas inspected and touched in His Risen Body. It is the truth of the Gospel that is proclaimed and it is not with a doubting mind that we inspect and learn and discover it. It is with the inquiry of one who knows he is lost and needs directions. Thanks be to God, not for Thomas the doubter, but for Thomas who asks for directions.