Gospel: John 20: 19-31
Thomas gets an unfortunate raw deal from the tradition because of this Gospel story. Yes, he doubts even when the other apostles have stated they have seen the risen Lord. However, if any of the other men had been in his place, the evidence suggests that they likely would be just as skeptical as Thomas had been. No doubt this fact partially explains the gentleness with which Jesus employs in his interaction with Thomas in this scene.
Lest we judge Thomas in our smugness, by now we should realize that the Gospels are not designed as apologetic texts. They are, rather, a vehicle for our own examination of our life. We have been like the disciples and Pharisees throughout the Gospels in our own lives. We have doubted, denied, betrayed, judged others, excluded others from access to Jesus, argued over who is more important, and everything else we see in disciples, Pharisees, and all others who interact with Jesus.
The challenge of the Gospels is in recognizing ourselves in these various failures, and then responding to that awareness in the appropriate way. Will we be like Peter or Thomas, weeping over our sins, or saying "My Lord and my God!" Or will we be hard of heart and insist there is nothing within us that needs change or reform, that it is others who need to change? The Pharisee reads to find proof texts to justify themselves. The authentic disciple seeks to know themselves and the Lord more clearly.