Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe." Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."   

According to the movie "Star Trek," James T. Kirk who would go on to become the Captain Kirk of "Star Trek" fame, began his life with a genius-level intelligence and a very selfish attitude. He knew that he was smart, but he also wanted to have fun in life no matter what. As with anyone who eventually grows out of immaturity, there were "moments" when he finally discovered that he "had to grow up." One of them was a statement that Captain Pike, his future Captain made to him recalling that Kirk's father was a Starship Captain for only twelve minutes but was able to save 800 lives. The Captain said to him: "I dare you to do better." Another was knowledge that only Kirk possessed concerning the possible fate of the USS Enterprise. It took him a while, but he finally began to understand that life was not all fun and games. He discovered that he could legitimately enjoy life, but in a mature manner.      

Thomas the apostle should have known better. He had been with his mentor Jesus for a significant amount of time, he had heard Jesus teach people and saw him cure the sick, he had even heard him predict that he would be killed and that he would be raised from the dead. He respected the other apostles, his friends, who told him that Jesus was indeed alive and had done exactly as he had said. But Thomas was selfish in his approach to life--he had to see it to believe it. He did not become a person of faith until Jesus came to him, and said, "Believe." For Thomas, it meant he finally had to "grow up."

The words of Jesus to Thomas and the words of Captain Pike to the young Kirk, "I dare you to do better" carry basically the same meaning. Believing in someone whom we respect and admire means that we will challenge ourselves to do better. Thomas the apostle was not the playboy that James Kirk was, at least at this time of his life, but they both had the same problem--their own selfishness was dominant in their thought. Both Thomas and the young Kirk had to understand that there was something other than themselves that was a guide, and further that they had to choose it before they could reach maturity.

"I dare you to do better" is a statement that every human being ought to hear, and for the Christian, it is basically the same as "Believe." To believe in Jesus means doing better. It means that we must look at the selfishness that may be part of our lives, no matter how old we are--the thoughts we think, the words we say, the things we do--face them, and say, "Yes, I can do better than I am right now." Jesus has shown us how to do it. With Thomas, we can proclaim: "My Lord and my God." And dare to be better in our living.                 

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, your Son throughout his earthly life called us to believe. In order to do it well, we have to overcome our selfish desires and choose to be better than we are. Give us the courage to carry through with our belief. Be with us, we pray. 

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©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America