It’s obvious that Thomas was a glass-half-empty kind of guy.
But I think he’s gotten a bad rap, labeled a loser among the apostles. Biggest
loser: Judas Iscariot, of course. But Thomas would probably get the silver
loser medal, at least according to popular perception.
But I’ve come to believe that being a pessimist, a doubter,
is not Thomas’ whole story, not even the most important part of it. I think
that what defines Thomas, far more than his “glass half empty” personality, is
his deep love for Jesus.
For example, after the death of Lazarus, Jesus told His
disciples that He was planning to go back to Judea. The other disciples did not want to go. Christ’s enemies were more and more determined, and it was dangerous. Then Thomas spoke up: “Let us also go that we may die with him” (John 11:16).
Thomas could only see the worst--we’ll be killed! But he still wanted to
be close to Jesus, even it it meant dying with Him.
Or remember when Jesus told the disciples He was going away,
back to heaven? He told them He was preparing a place for them, and then said,
“You know the way to the place where I am going” (John 14:4, NIV). I think
Thomas was overwhelmed by this. “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so
how can we know the way?” (John 14:5,
NIV). Sure, his pessimism comes through, but far more than that, his love for
Christ. He wanted to be with Jesus, and felt lost to realize that He was
going away.
Maybe this explains why he wasn’t with the disciples when
Christ first appeared after the resurrection. Jesus’ death so devastated him
that he withdrew. When he heard the excited testimonies of Jesus' resurrection from the other disciples, he spoke the words for which he has become most famous: "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger
into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will
never believe" (John 20:25). And we think, what a loser.
But that was not Christ's attitude at all. The next time Jesus appeared, He spoke to Thomas directly, and with great kindness. The Savior did not berate him for his doubts, but only offered His hands and side, and invited Thomas to verify His identity.
Thomas’ response was to give us one of the most heartfelt and definitive confessions of the deity and authority of Jesus in all of Scripture. “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). I think Jesus saw past the doubt and pessimism, and looked at Thomas' heart--a heart that, with all its faults, loved Christ more than life itself.
But that was not Christ's attitude at all. The next time Jesus appeared, He spoke to Thomas directly, and with great kindness. The Savior did not berate him for his doubts, but only offered His hands and side, and invited Thomas to verify His identity.
Thomas’ response was to give us one of the most heartfelt and definitive confessions of the deity and authority of Jesus in all of Scripture. “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). I think Jesus saw past the doubt and pessimism, and looked at Thomas' heart--a heart that, with all its faults, loved Christ more than life itself.
And Jesus wasn't through with Thomas. Tradition says Thomas brought the gospel to India and for 20 years planted churches before he was martyred. Today more than six million people claim Christ because of Thomas.
Maybe, like me, you struggle with pessimism and doubt sometimes. We should work on that, of course. But what I learned from Thomas is, pursue Christ, and love Him more than life itself. Jesus, who sees our hearts, will handle all the rest.
(A sermon I read by John MacArthur helped me to think about Thomas this way. You could read it by clicking here. God bless and keep Dr. MacArthur, a great Bible teacher!)
