We should note carefully the amazing kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ to a weak disciple, and the trouble He was pleased to take, if I may use such a phrase with due reverence, about one single soul. The unbelief of Thomas was most provoking and inexcusable, and if he had been cast out of the company of disciples we could not have said His excommunication was undeserved. But our Lord cares tenderly for this weak mem- ber of His mystical body, and specially appears in order to heal and restore him. What a wonderful example He gives to all His people ! How kind we ought to be to weak brethren, and how ready to take any pains and trouble if we can only do them good ! The Christian of modern times, who is ready to excom- municate every one who cannot speak his shibboleth, and see every point of doctrine and ceremonial with his eyes, — the Christian who is ready to turn away from every brother who is overtaken in a fault, as graceless, godless, and unconverted, — Buch a Christian may flatter himself that he is very zealous and faithful. But he is a Christian who lias not got the mind of Christ. What Christ did for Thomas, we ought to be ready to do for others.
T>et us not forget that Thomas continued a whole week in unbelief and doubt, while his brethren around him were re- joicing. We may well believe that it was not a very happy week with him. He that sows a short period of scepticism often reaps a long period of trouble.
Rupertus, almost alone, maintains that the second appearance of our Lord, for the special benefit of Thomas, was in Galilee, in Nazareth, at the house of Mary. But the vast majority of commentators think that it was at Jerusalem.
Musculus observes how kind and brotherly was the dealing of the ten Apostles with Thomas. They did not excommuni- cate him, and cast him out of their society for his unbelief, but allowed him to assemble with them as before.
RoUock observes,"The loving dealing of the Lord with Thomas teaches us this comfortable lesson. The Lord marks not nar- rowly the infirmities and wants that are in His own. He looks not narrowly to the weakness of their faith, to the imperfec- tions and wants of their prayers and requests, for their prayers are full of imperfections, He oversees their infirmities. He mis- knows the corruption wherein their faith and prayers and de- sires are involved, and hath a regard to their faith, albeit they have it in small measure."
2,7.— [TJien saith He to Thomas, etc.'] The verse before us is a wonderful instance of Christ's pitifulness and condescension. To come into the world at all, and take a body on Him, — to al- low that body to be scourged, crowned with thorns, nailed to the cross, and laid in the grave, — all this, beyond doubt, was astonishing condescension. But when the victory over sin and death was won, and He had taken on Him His resurrection