a bad rap for "doubting" thomas

so here's the passage where Thomas gets his bad rap:

Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"

But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."

John 20.24-25

Now does that seem all that unreasonable to you? It seems completely reasonable to me! There's another gospel account where the women tell the disciples something, and nobody believes them. Later on we'll read about Rhoda, who told everybody that Peter was knocking at the door; nobody believes her, either.

As I wrote earlier, I think Thomas is a great guy; he'd rather die with Jesus than live without him. And now he gets some amazing news. Dare he believe it?

The next week, though, Jesus appears to him saying "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe" (John 20.27). And Thomas does!

Thomas knew what evidence he needed. When he had the evidence, he believed. I think he's a great example.