hi aa,
that's a curious little episode, isn't it.
and rather at odds with the gospel of thomas which is a gnostic text.
the world of the spirit is what was important to the followers of thomas.
so it is a bit peculiar to find him in the gospels being concerned with the flesh.
it would be a bit like telling a tale about doma and having him be concerned by matter, when we know he sees reality as a sort of artificial construct sitting atop a software template.
now if a cactus-like character appeared in the gospels, you'd expect that person to poke at the wounds.
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