The Best Side

Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” John 20:27

You stand on a bridge just between the two sides of one of the large highways on the north side of London, that great city in England, with your back to the city itself. The morning rush hour begins and the inbound traffic roars toward you. Which side did you just envision all that traffic driving on?

I struggled with this as I tried to see in my mind's eye the traffic on the proper side of the highway. I would remind myself that they drive on the left over there, and then see the traffic coming in on the left. No, no, no! The inbound traffic to London, with my back to the city, would come toward me on the right side of the divided highway. Just the opposite of what would be familiar to me here in America. Which side is the best side?

Of course the best side to drive on either side of the pond is the side that doesn't cause head-on collisions. We want to be on the best side of Jesus too, but Thomas was commanded to reach out his hand and place it in the wounded side of our Lord. This is some invitation! If you have ever suffered a serious wound, touching is not the first thing that comes to mind. When that doctor showed up with his probe to explore the wound, you may have entertained thoughts of a vengeful sort, but you most certainly did not invite him to touch and root around in there. The best side of our Lord is the one that will cause us to believe, no matter what it may cost Him. Faith is what we need in this age, and I get the impression from our verse today that my Lord Jesus will do whatever it takes to give us that faith, up to and including letting that unwashed Thomas stick a grubby hand into His wounded side.

Thomas saw and believed; praise God for the faith to not see and still believe.

Bucky