Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)
SEEING IS BELIEVING. If I heard that once, I heard it scores of times as a youngster. Obviously, if you can see it before your very eyes, it’s hard to deny it’s true, whatever “it” is.
But how about this for a change: “Believing is seeing”? That’s different. That’s turning the old saying on its head. It’s just the opposite. This is saying if you can believe it is true, then eventually you will see it.
Walt Disney World opened in Orlando, Florida, in 1971. Walt Disney had envisioned the theme park but died in 1966, nearly five years before the park was inaugurated. On opening day, someone commented to Mike Vance, creative director of Walt Disney Studios, “Isn’t it too bad Walt Disney didn’t live to see this?”
“He did see it,” Vance replied. “That’s why it’s here.”
Those who saw the scars in Jesus’ hands and His side could believe in the resurrection. They saw Him die, yet here He stood in front of them, evidence of the resurrection. You and I have not had that privilege. Heaven, for instance, is a promise we have not yet seen. Yet because we believe in Him who loves us, we are confident we will see it.
I am also confident that the reality will be even more glorious than the most vivid pictures our imaginations can paint.
Make a fresh commitment today to the God who is unseen, but whom we fully love.
Ron McClung works at his denomination’s world headquarters and lives in Fishers, Indiana, with his wife, Carol. They have two sons and nine grandchildren.
