Significant. Who are they
Jn 20:19-31. When it was evening on that first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood inside and greeted them, "Peace be with you."
And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced to see the Lord. And Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” After these words, he breathed and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Those whose sins you forgive are forgiven them; which you retain are retained."
[media=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jFmnDCXM3X]
Thomas, called the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the rest of the disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he replied, "I will not believe unless I see the nail marks in His hands, and put my finger where the nails were, and place my hand in His side."
After eight days, the disciples were inside again and Thomas was with them. Even though the door was closed, Jesus entered, stood inside and greeted them, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, “Lift your finger here and see my hands, and lift up your hand and put it in my side. And stop being an unbeliever and be a believer.”
Thomas confessed to Him in response: "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, “Do you believe because you have seen me? Happy are those who have not seen but believed.”
Jesus performed many other signs in front of his disciples that are not recorded in this book. But these were written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.
Mercy is love that loves again! Tomasz despaired. His doubt came close to giving up waiting for love to reveal itself once again. Doubt lies on the other side of mercy, just as the shadow is always opposite the light. No sin can devastate the human soul as much as doubt. Beyond him there is only despair.
Jesus returned after eight days while the disciples were together inside the house. It was noted that they gathered inside because they were people who lived internally, deeply, spiritually. Jesus returned to the community that was still gathering and waiting. He came back like merciful love that wants to love again through forgiveness.
It is possible that after empowering the disciples with the power to forgive sins, Jesus himself demonstrated in Thomas how forgiveness is to be accomplished: by entering into the heart, even through wounds; to give a chance again; believe in doubters; to stretch out their hands to those who wounded them with nails; pass through closed doors; even risk having your heart broken, pinned down, impaled, just to win over all the doubting Thomases.
Mercy is most available to those who do not deny it to their wrongdoers. However, judgment is inexorable for those who do not show mercy to others. The Latin translation of the Bible (Vulgate) called Jesus' wounds Signa Clavoirum - signs of nails.
In military language, signa means a banner or even a military command ordering to go to battle. Perhaps this is not a coincidence, because the real war is taking place within man, between doubt and faith in God's mercy.
Jesus preferred to be wronged rather than judge the wrongdoers and those who abandoned Him and doubted Him. God cares about all of us and is faithful to his love. Thomas' unbelief penetrated no less deeply into the heart of Jesus than the spear. However, he was ready to expose his side once again and feel touched to the core, as long as Tomasz did not remain a disbeliever.
By appearing to the disciples with wounds, Jesus identified himself with everyone stigmatized by society. Slaves were branded on their foreheads or wore a collar around their necks. Bells for lepers, a yellow patch or star on clothes for Jews, identification numbers for concentration camp prisoners, wolf tickets for the "unthinking" during communism, yellow hair for prostitutes. People are stigmatized to this day, and to this day the stigmata of Jesus are their only chance to regain dignity.
In no religion, however, has any god or prophet appeared to his followers as marked or branded, except Jesus Christ.
All the rejected, freckled, red-haired, clumsy, ugly, divorced, left out, orphans, alcoholics, drug addicts who stick needles like nails into their hands and feet, homeless, stinking, raped, insulted by beatings, criminals, unsuccessfully looking for someone to help them trusted and gave some work, hopeless losers, enslaved, physically and morally mutilated can see their image in Christ marked with wounds.
And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced to see the Lord. And Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” After these words, he breathed and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Those whose sins you forgive are forgiven them; which you retain are retained."
[media=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jFmnDCXM3X]
Thomas, called the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the rest of the disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he replied, "I will not believe unless I see the nail marks in His hands, and put my finger where the nails were, and place my hand in His side."
After eight days, the disciples were inside again and Thomas was with them. Even though the door was closed, Jesus entered, stood inside and greeted them, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, “Lift your finger here and see my hands, and lift up your hand and put it in my side. And stop being an unbeliever and be a believer.”
Thomas confessed to Him in response: "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, “Do you believe because you have seen me? Happy are those who have not seen but believed.”
Jesus performed many other signs in front of his disciples that are not recorded in this book. But these were written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.
Mercy is love that loves again! Tomasz despaired. His doubt came close to giving up waiting for love to reveal itself once again. Doubt lies on the other side of mercy, just as the shadow is always opposite the light. No sin can devastate the human soul as much as doubt. Beyond him there is only despair.
Jesus returned after eight days while the disciples were together inside the house. It was noted that they gathered inside because they were people who lived internally, deeply, spiritually. Jesus returned to the community that was still gathering and waiting. He came back like merciful love that wants to love again through forgiveness.
It is possible that after empowering the disciples with the power to forgive sins, Jesus himself demonstrated in Thomas how forgiveness is to be accomplished: by entering into the heart, even through wounds; to give a chance again; believe in doubters; to stretch out their hands to those who wounded them with nails; pass through closed doors; even risk having your heart broken, pinned down, impaled, just to win over all the doubting Thomases.
Mercy is most available to those who do not deny it to their wrongdoers. However, judgment is inexorable for those who do not show mercy to others. The Latin translation of the Bible (Vulgate) called Jesus' wounds Signa Clavoirum - signs of nails.
In military language, signa means a banner or even a military command ordering to go to battle. Perhaps this is not a coincidence, because the real war is taking place within man, between doubt and faith in God's mercy.
Jesus preferred to be wronged rather than judge the wrongdoers and those who abandoned Him and doubted Him. God cares about all of us and is faithful to his love. Thomas' unbelief penetrated no less deeply into the heart of Jesus than the spear. However, he was ready to expose his side once again and feel touched to the core, as long as Tomasz did not remain a disbeliever.
By appearing to the disciples with wounds, Jesus identified himself with everyone stigmatized by society. Slaves were branded on their foreheads or wore a collar around their necks. Bells for lepers, a yellow patch or star on clothes for Jews, identification numbers for concentration camp prisoners, wolf tickets for the "unthinking" during communism, yellow hair for prostitutes. People are stigmatized to this day, and to this day the stigmata of Jesus are their only chance to regain dignity.
In no religion, however, has any god or prophet appeared to his followers as marked or branded, except Jesus Christ.
All the rejected, freckled, red-haired, clumsy, ugly, divorced, left out, orphans, alcoholics, drug addicts who stick needles like nails into their hands and feet, homeless, stinking, raped, insulted by beatings, criminals, unsuccessfully looking for someone to help them trusted and gave some work, hopeless losers, enslaved, physically and morally mutilated can see their image in Christ marked with wounds.
51-55, F