Valid Excuse?

John 20:24-25 Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 
 We often give Thomas the label of "doubting" because he did not believe the testimony of the other apostles.  But they themselves had been disbelieving, even after they saw them.  The clincher for them was seeing Him eat.  John is casting no dark shadow over Thomas here; he is simply stating a fact: Thomas was not there, did not see, and therefore did not believe.  He may indeed have been more skeptical, but this is not viewed as a fault.  More on that tomorrow...