Jesus Met Thomas’ Messy Doubt and Disbelief

There are a lot of famous nicknames throughout history like, George “Babe” Ruth, Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower, &, of course, our focal point for today, “Doubting” Thomas.

(Uh-oh. Thomas is Darren’s all-time favorite Disciple. I predict the [CAPSLOCK] key is in our future – Editor.)

Now, I don’t have a beef with a nickname for Thomas. I understand that it helps distinguish Thomas from the other Disciples, many of whom who are fairly anonymous/interchangeable to modern readers. (Likewise, for anyone who has worked on a group project in college or in the workplace, we all might have created mental nicknames for colleagues like: “C-Section – They like to avoid any labor,” or “Snapchat – Shows up for 5 seconds & then disappears,” or “KIT-KAT – Always taking a break.”)

My issue is with choosing “doubting” as the descriptor for Thomas. (This description does not appear anywhere in the Scriptures & is believed to have only gained prominence among theologians in the 16^th century.) Consider a few of my contentions:

• Thomas wasn’t the only Disciple who struggled with disbelief (Luke 24:11)
• Thomas did not have the benefit of seeing Jesus first-hand like the other Disciples. (File this under “The Worst-Timed Errand Ever.”)
• Thomas tended to be rather pessimistic (John 11:16). He was not faithless, but just cautious-he reasonably did not want to get his hopes up too high after hearing the greatest news ever. (Think of a die-hard Chiefs fan who celebrated pre-maturely after the Patriots’ interception was nullified by an off-side penalty in the 2019 AFC Championship Game; that fan doesn’t celebrate Mecole Hardeman’s catch in the end zone of the overtime period of Super Bowl 58, until they had been assured there were no penalty flags on the field.)

Jesus knows of Thomas’ struggles & appears again, this time specifically for Thomas. Jesus doesn’t scold him or mock him for his doubts, rather He has come to satisfy them. This goose-bump-inducing scene is yet another example of Jesus’ amazing love & grace.

Interestingly, the Scriptures never actually say that Thomas touches the wounds. (Sometimes the evidence we think we need doesn’t turn out to be the evidence that convicts us.) Instead, Thomas blurts out the greatest confession in the Gospels: “My Lord and my God!”

This raises a question for us: Do we really believe all of Thomas’ doubts were instantly erased in the Upper Room that day? I would suggest that Thomas still had questions, but those concerns had been placed in proper perspective when compared to the glory of the Resurrection. Thomas was at the tipping point where he was over the imaginary 51% threshold of belief. (Like wading in the shallow end of a frigid swimming pool on the opening day in May; after you are in over 51% in, it makes no sense to not take the plunge.)

So, what might this scene mean for us today? Thomas was honestly & earnestly seeking clarity & confirmation. Once he received that revelation, though, he didn’t hesitate to proclaim the truth boldly & courageously that day & every day of his life.

If you have ever had questions, or ever wondered if God’s love is really that pervasive to actually forgive all of your goof-ups, or if you have ever prayed, “Lord, help me with my disbelief…”, well, congratulations. You are in very good company with THOMAS THE INQUIRER! (Told you so – Editor.)

We’ll wrap up with a nickname anecdote. I was groomsman for a fraternity brother’s wedding years ago. The wedding party received a gift with all of our names printed on it. The Bride was proof-reading the gift & said, “You can’t use Darren’s nickname. It should be his real name.” The Groom was confused. “What do you mean? Lippe is his real name.” The Bride just stared. “Seriously? I just assumed Lippe was his nickname because he talks all the time.”