Jesus was impressed with the simple and ready faith of Nathanael. There are those who are ready to believe, and there are those, like Thomas, who need to see the “holes in His hands” before they can believe. We should feel sorrow for those who need such confirmation, for their skepticism is misdirected. Almost without exception, upon interview we will find that those who have no faith in what they cannot see (where spiritual things are concerned) seem to place all faith in what others claim to see (where the natural and temporal is concerned). It is as if they trust other’s vision more than their own in science and psychology, but trust only their own sight, feel, reason and understanding in religion and theology.

It seems that we place our trust first in the world’s philosophy and science. That misplaced priority is exposed when we say things like, “We’ve done all we can do. All we can do now is pray.” Faith in God’s provision and love could only do us good, but it is with doubt and with demand of proof that we reluctantly carry out His plan, place faith in His way, or trust Him with our lives. Jesus was amazed that Nathanael was so willing to do this.

The response He was expecting was more like Thomas’ reaction to the news of His resurrection.

“But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (John 20)

It makes me sad to read this story. Think of the sorrow and hurt the Lord must have felt when He held out His hands and said, “Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side.” The point to note here is that Jesus did accommodate Thomas – even in his unbelief. Though we may not arbitrarily apply this promise of meeting a person halfway to every searcher lacking in faith, it is cause for great hope, and shows the heart of Christ was with this disciple.

He then said, “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

(This story can be found in John 20.) That blessing Jesus mentioned is directed toward us – we who believe, having not seen. We hold the entire Gospel story by faith. There are great measures afoot to “prove” the Gospel is true and there are equal strides to “prove” that it is adulterated, exaggerated, or false.

These measures simply do not apply to us of unfeigned faith. What scientists, preachers, or mystics say does not move us. No matter what life itself tells us, we are men and women of faith in Christ. We do not believe because “the facts” line up and declare we should believe; we believe because He is alive in us and His Spirit is working in us, sustaining our very lives. As Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

True faith in God is rarer than you might deduce by polls taken in the United States. To say that we believe in God is much different than saying we live by faith in God. Yet, the Scriptures say, “…the just shall live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4) If you are waiting for science to prove God to you, or you are waiting for men of faith to prove that scientific theories are wrong, you are waiting in vain. You must now believe from your heart in Christ. You must hold to whatever shred of belief still remains in you and cultivate it into a life based in faith. The Scriptures give little hope to those who ignore the inner promptings of God within them, claiming that the Spirit will not always work in man.[1]

 The Faith Perspective

If you are one who doubts the existence of God, consider this. Perhaps your focus is too narrow. Maybe you secretly want God to do parlor tricks, or maybe it is that your focus is upon yourself. In the Psalms, the writer, having a keen sense of the immense nature of God, had an opposite notion. He was amazed that the God of all creation would have anything to do with him at all! He asked, “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” (Psalms 8:3-4) Yet selfishly we may ask, “Why don’t you do something for me?” It may be that life, society or those around you have taught you to be too self-centered and self-important. If that is the case you may never see God as the Psalmist did.

Testimony of the Christian faith is not to be based upon scientific consultation, or theological perfection, but it is to be one of experience. The internal witness and life within, by the presence of the Holy Spirit, is how we know that He is risen and is seated at the right hand of God.

We need not visually see Him there to proclaim it. C. S. Lewis, a former atheist said, “I know that the sun is risen, not because I see it, but because by it, I see everything else.”

Nevertheless, when your focus shifts from the mundane and temporal, when your goal becomes getting to know your God instead of proving His existence, and your life become less egocentric, new realms of faith and Spirituality await you. Not an ethereal, non-existent, ignorant faith, but one of depth and reality known by the power of God extended to us on our behalf.

Our Savior knows that this does not come easy for some. He knows it has its difficulties. Nathaniel took Him by surprise when he so readily and quickly believed. The story of Nathaniel is not told us to set him apart from us, but for us to covet his faith. To believe simply because Christ said so is a wonderful trait and full of promise.

You, as a Christian, should require no more than the word of Christ to believe. If you do, it will be said of you that “you will see greater things” but first, you must stop putting God to the test. You desire “great” faith, when what you need is “easy” faith – faith that comes quickly and easily. The greatest things will only be seen as your faith becomes easier and easier to exercise. To act on His word to your heart alone is the greatest faith.

When Christ speaks words to your heart, be quick to receive them, without doubt. Surprise the Lord when He requires faith of you. What joy you will feel when He says, “Do you believe because of what I said? You will see greater things than these.”

[1]

Genesis 6:3, “And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man,

for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.”