The Bible says remarkably little about Heaven, but the tacit assumption is that we’ll all get nice shiny new 25-year-old bodies, with no receding hairlines or sagging anything. But the Gospel appointed for today – the well-known story of ‘Doubting Thomas’ – puts a different spin on that assumption. Because the Resurrected Christ still has the holes in His hands.
It's as though there are some Wounds which become part of who we are, forever.
But there’s more. When Thomas doubts, surely the Resurrected Christ could call down thunderbolts from heaven or some other dramatic display of power. But He doesn’t. Instead, He shows Thomas His hands. In other words, His Wounds are not just part of His identity, they are also proof of his Authority.
This is all very strange. If you’ll excuse me, I need to go away and think about this.
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