“BLESSED ARE THOSE NOT SEEING…”

Abstract

In John 20:29 the evangelist addresses the readers of the Gospel with
a makarism, “Blessed are those not seeing and believing.” With this he
seems to provide authenticity and encouragement for the
contemporary “not-seeing” believers. The question that naturally
arises is: Why are the “not-seeing” people called blessed and in what
consists their blessedness? It is true that while this makarism bolstered
the faith of the readers, it has left behind a perplexing enigma
involving other related questions: What is the significance of the
makarism at the closing unit of the Gospel where this genre is not in
frequent use? What relation can it have to the beginning and closing
makarisms of Revelation 1:3 and 22:7? How does the author intend
this particular makarism to function exactly in the situation where the
physical absence of Jesus is described?