The twelve disciples were ordinary people. The more we learn about them. The better we understand how Jesus used people just like us to plant His church. Thomas was one of them, but wasn't one of the more well known disciples. He was popular enough to earn the nickname "Doubting Thomas." He was given this label because he simply did not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. Jesus appeared to some of the disciples, but Thomas was not with them the first time. John 20:25 says, "They told him, “We saw the Lord.” Thomas said, “That’s hard to believe. I will have to see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side. Only then will I believe it."
Jesus appears before His disciples again: "A week later the followers were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here. Look at my hands. Put your hand here in my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to Jesus, “My Lord and my God.” Jesus said to him, “You believe because you see me. Great blessings belong to the people who believe without seeing me.” (John 20:26-29)
Even though Thomas earned the negative label of Doubting Thomas, he was not lacking in a few good qualities. He displayed great courage and loyalty. When the other disciples tried to keep Jesus from going to Bethany to raise Lazarus from the dead because of the danger from those in the area who had just earlier tried to stone Him (John 11:8), Then Thomas, who was called Didymus [meaning ‘twin’], said unto his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” (John 11:16, KJ21) Thomas also asked Him one of the most famous questions. John 14:5-6 says, Thomas said, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me.”
Thomas represents a double-minded person who both believes in God yet still doubts Him. “People like that are thinking two different things at the same time. They can never decide what to do. So they should not think they will receive anything from the Lord.” (James 1:8) Although Thomas believed in Jesus, saw Him perform so many miracles, and listened to His many sermons, he doubted in his heart all along whether Jesus was actually God. Below are a few lessons we can learn from Doubting Thomas:
Doubting is a
symbol of a desire to grow-One is never caught up in doubt.
True doubting relentlessly seeks answers. Perpetual doubt is a sign of inaction
and laziness. True doubting asks the right questions. The right answer is just
the right question away. We're the sum of the information we have of the world. We are
what we know.
How much we know is the true mark of growth. To grow, you need to know. To
know, you need to ask questions.
Humans are emotionally complex-It’s easy to think
of bravery as a trait which we either have (or we don’t). The truth is that
sometimes we’re braver than others. Thomas’ moment of bravery didn’t entirely
define him, and neither should his moment of doubt. We all have moments we’re
proud of and other moments we wish we could forget. What we learn from Thomas
is that being in Jesus’ presence brought out the best in him by increasing his
faith. Conversely, being away from Jesus seemed to trigger doubt.
Jesus cares about our sincere questions-The
way that Jesus spoke to the disciples was often vague. It wasn’t until much
later that they understood what He was trying to tell them. But that doesn’t
mean that He didn’t care about their questions. At one point, Jesus tells His
disciples: “Don’t be troubled. Trust in God, and
trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s house. I
would not tell you this if it were not true. I am going there to prepare a
place for you. After I go and prepare a place for you, I will come
back. Then I will take you with me, so that you can be where I am. You
know the way to the place where I am going.”
(John 14:1-4)
Naturally, the disciples don’t necessarily
understand what He’s talking about. And it’s Thomas that asks Him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can
we know the way?” (John
14:5) Even though it’s
obvious that Thomas is missing the greater point that Jesus is making, Jesus
doesn’t get frustrated about it. In fact, because of Thomas’ question, Jesus
says one of the most insightful things written in John’s gospel: Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the
life. The only way to the Father is through me. If you really knew me, you would know
my Father too. But now you know the Father. You have seen Him.” (John
14:6–7) The lesson here
is that you shouldn’t be ashamed of your questions. Asking for clarification
can lead to new insights and breakthroughs.
Community matters a great deal-When Jesus appears
to the disciples, Thomas is absent (John 20:24). After seeing the Lord, they go
to tell Thomas, but he doesn’t believe them. There’s little question that
Thomas’ doubts would have been alleviated sooner if he had simply been with the
rest of the apostles as they gathered.
It isn’t Jesus’ intention that we follow Him in isolation
from one another. It’s incredibly important for us to be connected to and
regularly gathering with other Christians. This connection allows us to be
encouraged by each other’s shared experiences.
Doubting is a sign of alertness-The
trouble with the act of doubting is that we have become conditioned to use this
faculty only when we find ourselves in unknown, uncertain situations. We will,
more often than not, doubt a stranger even if he speaks the
truth, or believe a lie
if it's spoken by someone whom we know.
It's rather strange that most of us still don't doubt the
real (true) nature of the many established beliefs that have proved themselves
to be absolutely inefficient in creating and sustaining peace and harmony (both
internally and externally). If you're someone who finds it necessary to cross
check every statement that comes your way, this means your mind is alert.
“The story of Doubting Thomas
is told, not so that we shall admire Thomas, but so that we can admire the
other apostles in comparison. Thomas demanded evidence…The other apostles,
whose faith was so strong that they did not need evidence are held to us as
worthy of imitation.”
(Richard Dawkins) [i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“5 Lessons from the Apostle Thomas” by Jesus Film
Project
·
“5 reasons why it's okay to be a Doubting
Thomas” By Disha Kathuria
·
“Are You Thomas or Peter? – Bible Study” by
Xiaojie, Henan Province
·
“Doubting Thomas” by All about Jesus Christ
Church tradition tells us that Thomas was a missionary who
might have ended up in India, but it’s hard to say with any certainty how far
east he traveled.All verses (unless otherwise noted) are taken from the Easy-to-Read Version of the Bible.
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