Thomas: The Disciple From Missouri
Adult study
The Master's Cabinet
Lives Of Faith And Service
In the Broadway play, My Fair Lady, Eliza Doolittle sings "Don't talk of stars burning above, if you're in love, show me!"
She wanted proof that the love was real. She wasn't going to believe simply because of some romantic words. She wanted to be shown.
This is the way it was with Thomas. He was a good man and one of the most loyal and devoted men who joined Jesus' group of disciples. Just like the other disciples, he left his home, he left his family, he left his job, and he left everything behind to become one of the disciples who served in the Master's Cabinet.
Traveling with Jesus had an impact on Thomas. He sat at the feet of the Master and listened to his words of wisdom. When Jesus heard that Lazarus was ill and he was going to return to Jerusalem, the other disciples tried to talk him out of it because he might be killed. Yet, it was Thomas who said, "Let us go and die with him ..." (John 11:16). He was the only disciple willing to risk his life with Jesus.
We know Thomas was sometimes confused about the teachings of Jesus. When Jesus sought to assure his disciples by saying, "Let not your hearts be troubled ... In my Father's house are many rooms ... I go to prepare a place for you ... And you know the way where I am going ..." (John 14:1-4 RSV). It was Thomas who expressed the confusion that the other disciples felt. He said: "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" (Matthew 14:5 RSV).
However, the one incident that everyone remembers about Thomas took place after the Easter miracle. Thomas was not present with the other disciples. He had watched his Master die. He saw the nails driven through the flesh. He saw the spear pierce his side. He saw Jesus taken down from the cross and buried in the borrowed tomb of Joseph of Arimathea.
Thomas went off to grieve by himself and he was not present when the risen Lord appeared to the other disciples. When Thomas finally returned and the others were talking about the resurrection, Thomas thought they had gone crazy. Perhaps, they were having hallucinations. A resurrection? Impossible! Thomas set his jaw and spoke his mind. He said: "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe" (John 20:25 RSV).
It was one moment of doubt that thrust Thomas into the role of being the disciple from Missouri. He was not going to believe just because others said so. He was saying, "Show me ..." the same thing you and I probably would have said.
The world has a way of forgetting the good things in a person's life and only remembering the mistakes. Shakespeare, in his play, Julius Caesar, said: "The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones."
This is what happened to Thomas. There were many instances of his deep faith and commitment to Jesus Christ. But, that one moment of doubt has stuck with him down through the centuries. He has been saddled with the infamous label of Doubting Thomas or The Disciple From Missouri.
Today, as we look at this disciple from Missouri, I believe that we will discover that he had certain characteristics with which we can identify.
1.
The Disciple From Missouri Was A Man Who Had Doubts.
A contractor said that he went out to check on a house he had built. The house was under the flight path for the airport and the woman told him that every time a plane flew over the house, the house would shake and their new home was literally falling to pieces.
Well, he checked all over the house for some kind of structural problem, but he could find nothing wrong. He told the woman, "There doesn't appear to be anything wrong. It seems to be structurally sound."
The woman protested by saying, "Well, the house vibrates horribly every time a plane flies over. I'll guarantee that it will knock you out of the bed."
So, he stretched out on the bed and about that time, the woman's husband came in and asked, "What in the world are you doing in that bed?"
The contractor looked up at the angry husband and said, "I realize you may have some doubts, but would you believe that I am waiting on a plane?"
Doubt is a reality in every area of life -- including faith. Just like Thomas, all of us, to some degree or another, have doubts in matters of faith. But, there is nothing wrong with having doubts. As you read throughout the Bible, you will read of men and women who wrestled with their doubts. The Psalmist cried out, "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?" (Psalm 13:1 NRSV). Job complained, "I cry to you and you do not answer me ..." (Job 30:20 NRSV). Thomas, the Disciple from Missouri, confronted with the news of the resurrection, said emphatically, "I will not believe unless I see for myself...."
A college student came by to see me one day. He was taking a required course in the Bible. He knew the stories of the Bible and had always taken them literally. But, as he studied biblical interpretation and form criticism and historical perspective, he was forced to admit that you cannot read the Bible strictly from a literal point of view. The Bible is a library of books, made up of many styles of writing. There are historical literature, biographical sections, poetic books, and allegorical books. All of the 66 books of the Bible are written to tell the truth and greatness of God's love, but you don't read poetry the same way you read history. And you don't read the wisdom literature the same way you read the parables of Jesus.
"I am so confused," this young college student said. "I've always believed everything in the Bible, but now I'm having doubts about what I believe. Isn't that awful?"
"No," I said, "I believe we all have doubts. If you don't have any doubts, you are either kidding yourself or you are sound asleep. Doubts," I said, "are the ants in the pants of faith. Doubts help keep your faith awake and growing."
Alfred Lord Tennyson was grief-stricken with the loss of his friend, Arthur Hallam. He was filled with doubt about God. But, after painfully working his way through the darkness of doubt, he wrote that beloved poem, "In Memoriam." He tells of his struggles with doubt and how his faith grew. He wrote:
You tell me, doubt is Devil-born.
I know not. One indeed I knew
In many a subtle question versed,
Who touched a jarring lyre at first,
But ever strove to make it true;
Perplexed in faith, but pure in deeds,
At last he beats his music out.
There lives more faith in honest doubt,
Believe me, than in half the creeds.
Doubt is not an enemy of faith, but a friend of faith. It is doubt that enables our faith to grow. It is doubt that enables our faith to struggle with doctrines and easy clichés. It is doubt that enables us to make spiritual progress.
Doubt is not a sin for which we should be ashamed, but an avenue for the achievement of a stronger faith.
2.
The Disciple From Missouri Was A Man Who Was Committed To Jesus Christ.
History does not look at Thomas as one of the stained-glass disciples because of that moment of doubt. But, if Thomas had never doubted, he would never have believed. If Thomas had never doubted, he would never have been confronted by the resurrected Jesus who said to him: "Touch me ... prove it to yourself and believe ..." (John 20:27). If Thomas had never doubted, he would never have fallen to his knees and confessed: "My Lord and my God ..." (20:28).
Thomas moved from a position of doubt to a position of faith. It was the experience with the risen Christ that compelled him to move from doubt to commitment.
There are many of us who, like Thomas, are struggling in a world of doubt. We have gone off on our own and our faith has grown cold, and we are left wondering why our faith is not more vital.
There is an old cartoon about an elderly couple out for a Sunday afternoon drive. They were on a country road and a cuddling young couple in the car in front of them dramatically slowed their progress.
Finding it impossible to pass, the elderly couple began to talk. The little old lady looked across at her husband. Then she looked at the couple in front of them, who were sitting so close together. She asked her husband, "Why don't we sit like that anymore?"
Quick as a flash, her husband said, "I haven't moved."
Well, God hasn't moved either. If we don't feel that our commitment is as strong as it used to be, then we need to look within ourselves. This is the point! If we feel our faith has grown cold, if we feel alone, if we feel apart from God, then we need to look within ourselves and deal with the doubt that has moved us farther and farther away from God.
When Thomas was invited to see and touch the nail prints and the scars on Jesus, he no longer needed any proof. He quickly fell to his knees and committed his life to Jesus when he simply said, "My Lord and my God."
Tradition says that from this point on Thomas was committed to Jesus Christ. For the rest of his life, Thomas preached the gospel, and one tradition says that he was so committed to proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ that he died a martyr's death -- telling of his experience with the risen Christ.
It is only when we are willing to commit ourselves to the risen Lord that our faith takes on any vitality. Prayer is never really meaningful until we fall at the feet of Jesus and feel his power in our lives. Forgiveness is never more than a word in a dictionary until we experience God's cleansing power for ourselves. Jesus is never more than a revered figure in history until we commit our hearts and lives to him. But, when we do commit our lives to him, we find a meaning, a purpose, and a direction for our lives which keeps us moving in the right direction.
Recently I officiated at a wedding. One of the groomsmen was the brother of the groom. He is a captain in the Air Force and flies with the Strategic Air Command. He is a navigator on a B-58, and his job is to guide the B-58, loaded with nuclear weapons, toward the Fail Safe point.
Apparently, it is a boring, monotonous job. I asked him if there was ever any excitement on those long trips. He said that dark and stormy nights are always exciting. They are exciting because you cannot see any shorelines or landmarks and your instruments can't be relied upon.
"So, what do you do?" I asked.
He said, "There is only one thing to do. When you can't see any landmarks and you can't trust your instruments, you climb above the clouds and get a fix upon the stars. Only then can you be sure you are going in the right direction."
Do you ever feel lost? Are you ever overwhelmed with doubt?
Whenever we feel like our lives have no real meaning or direction, we need to climb above the clouds of doubt and get a fix on the stars. We need to commit our lives to Jesus Christ and say as Thomas did: "My Lord and my God...."
When we do this, we will have discovered the best direction for our lives. We will have discovered One who helps us overcome our doubts. We will have discovered the One to whom we should commit our lives.
Have you struggled with doubts? Are you looking for direction in your life?
Perhaps, you need to get a fix on Jesus Christ. When you do, you will discover the direction for your life.
Prayer
Eternal God, we pray that you would give us the courage to walk with your Son. In his name. Amen.
She wanted proof that the love was real. She wasn't going to believe simply because of some romantic words. She wanted to be shown.
This is the way it was with Thomas. He was a good man and one of the most loyal and devoted men who joined Jesus' group of disciples. Just like the other disciples, he left his home, he left his family, he left his job, and he left everything behind to become one of the disciples who served in the Master's Cabinet.
Traveling with Jesus had an impact on Thomas. He sat at the feet of the Master and listened to his words of wisdom. When Jesus heard that Lazarus was ill and he was going to return to Jerusalem, the other disciples tried to talk him out of it because he might be killed. Yet, it was Thomas who said, "Let us go and die with him ..." (John 11:16). He was the only disciple willing to risk his life with Jesus.
We know Thomas was sometimes confused about the teachings of Jesus. When Jesus sought to assure his disciples by saying, "Let not your hearts be troubled ... In my Father's house are many rooms ... I go to prepare a place for you ... And you know the way where I am going ..." (John 14:1-4 RSV). It was Thomas who expressed the confusion that the other disciples felt. He said: "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" (Matthew 14:5 RSV).
However, the one incident that everyone remembers about Thomas took place after the Easter miracle. Thomas was not present with the other disciples. He had watched his Master die. He saw the nails driven through the flesh. He saw the spear pierce his side. He saw Jesus taken down from the cross and buried in the borrowed tomb of Joseph of Arimathea.
Thomas went off to grieve by himself and he was not present when the risen Lord appeared to the other disciples. When Thomas finally returned and the others were talking about the resurrection, Thomas thought they had gone crazy. Perhaps, they were having hallucinations. A resurrection? Impossible! Thomas set his jaw and spoke his mind. He said: "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe" (John 20:25 RSV).
It was one moment of doubt that thrust Thomas into the role of being the disciple from Missouri. He was not going to believe just because others said so. He was saying, "Show me ..." the same thing you and I probably would have said.
The world has a way of forgetting the good things in a person's life and only remembering the mistakes. Shakespeare, in his play, Julius Caesar, said: "The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones."
This is what happened to Thomas. There were many instances of his deep faith and commitment to Jesus Christ. But, that one moment of doubt has stuck with him down through the centuries. He has been saddled with the infamous label of Doubting Thomas or The Disciple From Missouri.
Today, as we look at this disciple from Missouri, I believe that we will discover that he had certain characteristics with which we can identify.
1.
The Disciple From Missouri Was A Man Who Had Doubts.
A contractor said that he went out to check on a house he had built. The house was under the flight path for the airport and the woman told him that every time a plane flew over the house, the house would shake and their new home was literally falling to pieces.
Well, he checked all over the house for some kind of structural problem, but he could find nothing wrong. He told the woman, "There doesn't appear to be anything wrong. It seems to be structurally sound."
The woman protested by saying, "Well, the house vibrates horribly every time a plane flies over. I'll guarantee that it will knock you out of the bed."
So, he stretched out on the bed and about that time, the woman's husband came in and asked, "What in the world are you doing in that bed?"
The contractor looked up at the angry husband and said, "I realize you may have some doubts, but would you believe that I am waiting on a plane?"
Doubt is a reality in every area of life -- including faith. Just like Thomas, all of us, to some degree or another, have doubts in matters of faith. But, there is nothing wrong with having doubts. As you read throughout the Bible, you will read of men and women who wrestled with their doubts. The Psalmist cried out, "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?" (Psalm 13:1 NRSV). Job complained, "I cry to you and you do not answer me ..." (Job 30:20 NRSV). Thomas, the Disciple from Missouri, confronted with the news of the resurrection, said emphatically, "I will not believe unless I see for myself...."
A college student came by to see me one day. He was taking a required course in the Bible. He knew the stories of the Bible and had always taken them literally. But, as he studied biblical interpretation and form criticism and historical perspective, he was forced to admit that you cannot read the Bible strictly from a literal point of view. The Bible is a library of books, made up of many styles of writing. There are historical literature, biographical sections, poetic books, and allegorical books. All of the 66 books of the Bible are written to tell the truth and greatness of God's love, but you don't read poetry the same way you read history. And you don't read the wisdom literature the same way you read the parables of Jesus.
"I am so confused," this young college student said. "I've always believed everything in the Bible, but now I'm having doubts about what I believe. Isn't that awful?"
"No," I said, "I believe we all have doubts. If you don't have any doubts, you are either kidding yourself or you are sound asleep. Doubts," I said, "are the ants in the pants of faith. Doubts help keep your faith awake and growing."
Alfred Lord Tennyson was grief-stricken with the loss of his friend, Arthur Hallam. He was filled with doubt about God. But, after painfully working his way through the darkness of doubt, he wrote that beloved poem, "In Memoriam." He tells of his struggles with doubt and how his faith grew. He wrote:
You tell me, doubt is Devil-born.
I know not. One indeed I knew
In many a subtle question versed,
Who touched a jarring lyre at first,
But ever strove to make it true;
Perplexed in faith, but pure in deeds,
At last he beats his music out.
There lives more faith in honest doubt,
Believe me, than in half the creeds.
Doubt is not an enemy of faith, but a friend of faith. It is doubt that enables our faith to grow. It is doubt that enables our faith to struggle with doctrines and easy clichés. It is doubt that enables us to make spiritual progress.
Doubt is not a sin for which we should be ashamed, but an avenue for the achievement of a stronger faith.
2.
The Disciple From Missouri Was A Man Who Was Committed To Jesus Christ.
History does not look at Thomas as one of the stained-glass disciples because of that moment of doubt. But, if Thomas had never doubted, he would never have believed. If Thomas had never doubted, he would never have been confronted by the resurrected Jesus who said to him: "Touch me ... prove it to yourself and believe ..." (John 20:27). If Thomas had never doubted, he would never have fallen to his knees and confessed: "My Lord and my God ..." (20:28).
Thomas moved from a position of doubt to a position of faith. It was the experience with the risen Christ that compelled him to move from doubt to commitment.
There are many of us who, like Thomas, are struggling in a world of doubt. We have gone off on our own and our faith has grown cold, and we are left wondering why our faith is not more vital.
There is an old cartoon about an elderly couple out for a Sunday afternoon drive. They were on a country road and a cuddling young couple in the car in front of them dramatically slowed their progress.
Finding it impossible to pass, the elderly couple began to talk. The little old lady looked across at her husband. Then she looked at the couple in front of them, who were sitting so close together. She asked her husband, "Why don't we sit like that anymore?"
Quick as a flash, her husband said, "I haven't moved."
Well, God hasn't moved either. If we don't feel that our commitment is as strong as it used to be, then we need to look within ourselves. This is the point! If we feel our faith has grown cold, if we feel alone, if we feel apart from God, then we need to look within ourselves and deal with the doubt that has moved us farther and farther away from God.
When Thomas was invited to see and touch the nail prints and the scars on Jesus, he no longer needed any proof. He quickly fell to his knees and committed his life to Jesus when he simply said, "My Lord and my God."
Tradition says that from this point on Thomas was committed to Jesus Christ. For the rest of his life, Thomas preached the gospel, and one tradition says that he was so committed to proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ that he died a martyr's death -- telling of his experience with the risen Christ.
It is only when we are willing to commit ourselves to the risen Lord that our faith takes on any vitality. Prayer is never really meaningful until we fall at the feet of Jesus and feel his power in our lives. Forgiveness is never more than a word in a dictionary until we experience God's cleansing power for ourselves. Jesus is never more than a revered figure in history until we commit our hearts and lives to him. But, when we do commit our lives to him, we find a meaning, a purpose, and a direction for our lives which keeps us moving in the right direction.
Recently I officiated at a wedding. One of the groomsmen was the brother of the groom. He is a captain in the Air Force and flies with the Strategic Air Command. He is a navigator on a B-58, and his job is to guide the B-58, loaded with nuclear weapons, toward the Fail Safe point.
Apparently, it is a boring, monotonous job. I asked him if there was ever any excitement on those long trips. He said that dark and stormy nights are always exciting. They are exciting because you cannot see any shorelines or landmarks and your instruments can't be relied upon.
"So, what do you do?" I asked.
He said, "There is only one thing to do. When you can't see any landmarks and you can't trust your instruments, you climb above the clouds and get a fix upon the stars. Only then can you be sure you are going in the right direction."
Do you ever feel lost? Are you ever overwhelmed with doubt?
Whenever we feel like our lives have no real meaning or direction, we need to climb above the clouds of doubt and get a fix on the stars. We need to commit our lives to Jesus Christ and say as Thomas did: "My Lord and my God...."
When we do this, we will have discovered the best direction for our lives. We will have discovered One who helps us overcome our doubts. We will have discovered the One to whom we should commit our lives.
Have you struggled with doubts? Are you looking for direction in your life?
Perhaps, you need to get a fix on Jesus Christ. When you do, you will discover the direction for your life.
Prayer
Eternal God, we pray that you would give us the courage to walk with your Son. In his name. Amen.
