When it came to things that he could see and touch, few men had more courage than Thomas the Twin (which is what Didymus means in the Greek). We can see his courage and the depth of his commitment in the 11th chapter of John... when Jesus told his followers that they were going to Judea because his friend Lazarus was dead. When they heard Jesus say this, the disciples were frightened because they were nearly stoned when they were last in Judea. We can't go to Lazarus because the Jewish leaders will kill us. This is what the disciples thought and it was a distinct possibility... but Thomas said, "Let's go and die with him!" Bravo, Tom. That was terrific. Also, according to Christian tradition, Thomas traveled to India after the first Pentecost, where he preached "Christ crucified and risen" and ministered in His name... until he was martyred himself in the year 72AD. He was run through with a spear because he wouldn't bow to an idol, and that was surely terrific.
Tom could (and did) give his life for things he could see, touch, and feel, and he also had the courage to ask questions when he didn't understand something. We see this courage in the 14th chapter of John, just after Jesus finished his well-known remarks about his Father's house. "When I go and prepare a place for you," Jesus said, "I will return and take you to be with me so that where I am you will be also. You know the way to the place where I am going." But based on the testimony in the gospels and on the fact that they were hiding for fear of the Jews (meaning Jewish authorities because they themselves were Jews), it is unlikely that any of them had a clue. Still, and I'm sure you have been in this situation, it's tempting to keep quiet instead of revealing that you don't know what the teacher is talking about. Tempting, but not wise- not if you want to grow as a student- so Thomas spoke for all of them. "Master," he said, "we don't know where you're going. How can we possibly know the way?" His question led to one of the best known verses in the Bible, "I am the truth and the life and the way," and that is pretty terrific!
We could know Thomas as "Courageous Tom," or "Wise Tom," but we don't. We know him as "Doubting Thomas," with an inference that he's sort of second-rate, and here's why. On the evening of Easter Sunday- the disciples were cloistered behind closed doors, and Jesus appeared to them! "Shalom, alakem," he said. "Peace to you," and he showed them his hands and his side, which filled them with joy. Then he gave them the Holy Spirit and the power to liberate others by forgiving them. They were empowered and Spirit-filled... but Thomas wasn't with them! We tempted to think that he was unfaithful or irresponsible because he wasn't with the others when Christ appeared... but actually ...the text says that, while the others huddled in fear, Thomas was out doing something else. Maybe he was more afraid that the others, although his previous behavior doesn't suggest that; maybe he was less afraid. We don't really know, but when he showed up, the others told him that they had seen the Lord... and Thomas didn't believe them. He wasn't able to take a leap of faith... based only on someone else's word. So he asked to see the very things that the others had already seen- that is, the wounds in Jesus' hands and sides... and Jesus obliged him... by showing up again, on the first Sunday after Easter. Thomas, he said, if you need to... reach out and touch my wounds. Put your hands in my side... and believe... and Thomas believed. His doubt gave way to the boldest confession of faith in the entire Bible. He cried out, "My Lord and My God!"
This passage is filled with sermon material, but today I will say only this: 1) Doubts are common to humankind and they aren't necessarily an enemy of faith. Indeed, doubts, as someone said, are often the "ants in the pants" of faith, because they lead to even greater faith. Doubt is not the opposite of belief- unbelief is- so don't give up or throw in the towel if you find yourself doubting! Everyone angry, but we're not all angry people; everyone eats too much from time to time, but we're not all gluttons; many of us have had too much to drink on occasion, but most of us are not alcoholics. There is a big difference between having a doubt...and giving ourselves over to our doubts, which is my second point; 2) Use your doubts as springboards to even greater faith. Study, read, join a Bible study, ask questions- like Thomas did- but don't allow yourself to become a doubting person! There is no profit in that; 3) Thirdly, be wary of labels. Don't rush to lay them on others, and resist putting them on yourself... because labels define, confine, and dehumanize us. They are often misleading, frequently damaging, and even when they carry a grain of truth, they are never sufficient because we are too complex- too much a mixture of good and bad- for any one label; 4) fourthly... and please remember this: Jesus appears to us IN THE MIDST OF our doubts and our fears. There is nothing that God can't do; there's no one too lost or too far gone for God; there is no barrier that's strong enough to keep God out. When you're brokenhearted, fearful, trapped, doubting, scared to death, and feel totally alone... claim your faith... because these things will never keep God out. I wouldn't recommend any of these things- fear, addiction, temptation, worry, guilt, brokenness, and doubt- as a steady diet or a way of life...but if you don't let them define you and don't give yourself over to them... God can use them to increase your faith and strengthen your relationship with Him; 5) fifthly, rather than seeing Thomas as some sort of oddball, I think that he is speaking for many of us who sit in these pews. We're not supposed to say it, but we long for proof. We nod our heads as if it's not much of a hurdle, but on the inside, we're crying for something tangible, something that we can get a hold on and measure. If we would only have seen Jesus ourselves, heard him teach, witnessed a miracle, saw his face, and touched his wounds; if we had stood at the bottom of his cross, or at least, had a Damascus Road experience like Paul did... then we would believe. Surely we would, but Jesus said that those of us who believe without seeing our the most blessed of all! Amen.
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