Thomas wanted to see as the fellow disciples of Jesus had seen. I don't think we can blame Thomas for his wish and in so wishing/acting he demonstrated the true bodiliness of the crucified, now risen Jesus. (An important theme for the Spirit speaking through St John.) However, Thomas missed out on something less tangible but most important for all who would come later.Thomas missed out on being the one of the disciples who would believe without having seen and hence become -even if for the short time - one of the fathers (St John being the other) of all those that have not seen and yet have believed.
This not-seeing state of faith is the one we live within for this time as expressed by J. R. Peacey (1896-1971) in these words:
O Lord, we long to see your face,
to know you risen from the grave;
But we have missed the joy and grace
of seeing you, as others have.
Yet in your company we'll wait,
And we shall see you, soon or late.
But we have missed the joy and grace
of seeing you, as others have.
Yet in your company we'll wait,
And we shall see you, soon or late.
This waiting without seeing is also captured in 1 Peter 1: 8
Whom having not seen, you love;
in whom, though now you see him not,
yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
in whom, though now you see him not,
yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
In any case, seeing can only be true seeing when attended by believing. Seeing is not always believing! Jews watched Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead and immediately thereafter plotted how they might kill Jesus!! Their seeing did not mean believing. Unless our seeing is mixed with believing invariably our seeing is corrupted.
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