The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by the Italian Baroque master Caravaggio, c. 1601–1602

It was a hodge-podge kind of day, Father. Thank You for enabling me to make progress on things for Sunday and for getting other things done as well.

John 20:24-29 (<<click here to read the passage)

I know it’s silly, but I’ve always been a bit offended when speakers have railed against Thomas and his doubts. A good part of it, I’m sure, is due to the fact that his name is my name as well. Just the idea that he’s always referred to as Doubting Thomas, I find irritating!

I mean, truth be told, is there one of us who has not doubted at one time or another? I would think that we all have doubts and frequently at that!

Now I realize at this moment in Scripture, Thomas is doubting Jesus’ resurrection – and that’s a biggie! When they told him, “We have seen the Lord!” His response was, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.” v25 NLT

Until just a few days ago, things had been going along great for Thomas, as well as the other disciples who followed Jesus. It was a whirlwind of excitement. Each day held new wonders to experience and behold as they experienced every day with Jesus. And then something totally mind-numbing happened…Jesus was arrested, tried, convicted, and crucified – all in a matter of hours!

Everything Thomas had cherished crashed down around him. And they had convinced themselves that it was just a matter of time before they would face trouble before the powers-that-be. He had invested himself entirely, he had given himself over to Jesus…and now look where he was. He was shattered…

These were some of my thoughts reading through those verses, and then I read my Life Application Study Notes, and, wow(!), they really spoke to me!

Jesus wasn’t hard on Thomas for his doubts. Despite his skepticism, Thomas was still loyal to the believers and to Jesus himself. Some people need to doubt before they believe. If doubt leads to questions, and questions lead to answers, and if the answers are accepted, then doubt has done good work. It is when doubt becomes stubbornness and stubbornness becomes a prideful lifestyle that doubt harms faith. When you doubt, don’t stop there. Let your doubt deepen your faith as you continue to search for the answer.

Lord Jesus, yes, Thomas doubted but his doubts lead to questions which lead to answers and as he had with everything You had said or done or commanded, he embraced the answer he was given! And just as he had said at Lazarus’ death, he had to have proclaimed, “Let’s go, too—and die with Jesus.” John 11:16 NLT

Nov 16th, 2021, Tues, 6:43 pm