Dear Thomas, what infamy you have achieved, quite
unfairly, I think. You have become a label ~ "a Doubting Thomas"~ for
those who don't believe something without concrete proof. You watched him die,
being taken down from the Cross, placed in the tomb. Who of us would not be
doubtful of the claim of the Resurrection in that moment? You are saddled with
all the blame for your disbelief until your eyes beheld the Risen Lord and
touched his wounds. And yet, you were far from alone in your skepticism. The
other Gospel accounts all tell of your companion disciples doubting. Luke 23:11
tells of them dismissing the women's account as an idle
tale, and
in Mark 16:11, when Mary, the Magdalene, tells them she had seen the risen
Jesus, they
would not believe. My
personal favorite ~ in defense of you ~ is in Matthew 28:17 that says even when they saw
him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.
Whenever any of
us are unsure or questioning of this preeminent event in the life of Christ,
despite the Gospel accounts and the significance to the whole of Christian
theology and practice, we are in good company! For me the story of Thomas and
the other disciples' initial disbelief, humanizes these men and brings them
into this current time, as did Peter's denial of Jesus, and Judas' betrayal,
remorse, and suicide. We know these people in our own lives, we are some of
them when we struggle to accept and understand all that we are told in the
Christian/New Testament and by those who have taught us from the pulpit or in
our families. Our own doubt seems unfaithful to those who say and think they
must accept it all on faith alone. Yet key elements of true faith for me are to
constantly learn more, think more, wonder more, examine more, and discuss more
with others. If we aren't questioning the tenets of our faith at various times,
it seems to me that we haven’t really discovered the specifics of what it is
that we do believe and why.
These
Gospel moments allow us to be who we are in this present time and relate to
those who were with Jesus and still wondered what his movement was all about
even as they moved forward with him. Each time I read this Sunday’s and other
accounts of Christ’s life, teachings, death, and resurrection, or any part of
any of the Gospels and Epistles, I discover something new and often profound.
Whatever I
believe about the Resurrection and its significance to our Christian faith, in
moments of human wavering or in absolute certainty, I try to remember the words
of King David from Peter's quotes in Acts 2. David isn't known for unwavering
fidelity to God's Commandments! Yet these words for me form the crux of the
message of Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah, which is to see the Lord always
before me, to live in hope, and to follow the path of life He has shown me, as
well as I can, through all of this life's trials. There is no better time
than this moment to ponder those thoughts. The Presence
of Christ is always within us, and our faith, however shaky at
times, is the vehicle that keeps us upright and guides our thoughts and actions
through trial and triumph. Un-doubt-edly in our human mistakes and wanderings,
the writer of 1 Peter 1:4 reminds us quite specifically that what we have been
given by the resurrection is: an inheritance that is imperishable,
undefiled, and unfading...
Dear
Thomas, I firmly believe that Jesus wasn’t scolding you, he was speaking to all
present then and all of us now, in love, compassion, and with the utmost
understanding of our human foibles and failings.
Whether seen or
unseen, the results of living in faith, as Christ teaches through the Greatest
Commandment [Matthew
22:36-40], will
be a gift to ourselves and to others in our mortal time and in the time to
come, by receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your
souls. [1
Peter 1:9]. I’m reminded of a title of a book by the late Dr. Wayne
Dyer, You’ll
See It When You Believe It. And even when we struggle at times in
claiming our beliefs, our place in Jesus is always saved. For
now, for always, Christ IS Risen! Alleluia!
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