Logical Thomas

I think we should stop calling Thomas a doubter. Thomas gets a bad reputation for asking sensible questions and making statements that are perfectly sound. The rest of the disciples were all thinking it. In most cases the rest of the disciples were all acting on their passive aggressive instinct that the promises of Jesus would not come true. Thomas was just brave enough to make his prediction out loud.

1. John 11: 16 “come along, we might as well die with him”

Lazarus is dead, Mary and Martha are distraught, Jesus is doing crazy talk, and then with great clarity Jesus says, “Lazarus Died.” Everyone knows this is final. Dead is Dead. Jesus says, No! And then says “Let’s go to him, You’re about to be given new grounds for believing” This is all crazy and Thomas’ statement is sane, “we might as well go die with him.” I don’t know whether to read this statement from Thomas in the Winnie-the-Pooh-Eeyore voice, or dripping with sarcasm. It has to be one of the two.

I’ve been in the same situation with friends before. They make some bold crazy statement, “hold my flip flops, I can climb that rocky cliff.” My response, very similar to Thomas, dripping with sarcasm, “yeah we might as well all go climb with him.”

There is far more reasonable doubt that Jesus is going to raise the dead, than my friend scaling a cliff in bare feet. Thomas is the sane voice of reason. He knows, like everyone else, EXCEPT Jesus, that Lazarus is not coming back to life.

2. John 14: 5-6 “How would we know the road, we don’t even know where you are going?”

My grandfather taught me to navigate with a chart and a compass when I was 13. I remember learning to set the compass and find North; find landmarks and steer the boat on a heading toward the landmarks. We needed to plot our course on the chart, watch the charts for water depth, pay attention to the tides, especially in some of the narrows in desolation sound. Additionally, we watched the water for driftwood, other boats, and any additional hazards. We had to KNOW THE ROAD. However, we also knew where we were going. We were on a course for Prince Rupert, BC. Once again, Thomas asks an extremely lucid question, ‘uh, Rabbi, uh, where are we going?’ Jesus says Thomas, I am your chart, your compass, your landmarks. I am the calm, deep water, and clear skies you will need. I am the course. I am the Road. You can see the fisherman rolling their eyes and looking sideways at each other. ‘If it’s all the same, Jesus, I’m also going to watch the GPS.’

3. John 20 25-29. let me see the nail holes in his hands.

Jesus died on the Cross. He was crucified. The disciples have been following the Messiah and have grown to trust that this Jesus can perform miracles. They have developed faith that the Messiah has come and their Rabbi, Jesus, IS Messiah. Then to their confused and baffled hearts, he is crucified. The disciples must have felt their world was turned upside down, as they grew to follow Jesus, and then again, life turned over, when he dies. How could the Messiah, the savior of the world, die? We know that the Disciples were lost. They were going back to their old lives and questioning everything they had grown to believe: Wandering home, denying their relationship with Jesus, and getting out the old fishing nets. When Jesus surprised them and conquered death on easter, Thomas was not going to be fooled again. The other disciples said, “yes it was Jesus, back from the dead.” Thomas said, “nope! I’m going to need more than your word on this, I need to see the holes in his hands.” I don’t think this is cynical. Skepticism seems quite founded in this circumstance. “Show me the holes in his hands” probably resonated with everyone else in the room when Thomas asked. My faith in our Savior intersects between mysterious faith and rational thought. My relationship with God manifests in skeptical contemplation and longing, optimistic belief. Call me a pessimist, a doubter, but I feel Thomas speaks for me. Faith? Yes! Doubt? Yes!