Thomas missed the disciples first meeting with the risen
Christ (John 20:19); I wonder what held him up? Broken sandal? Tilted sundial? Camel
trouble?? Maybe tucked in Thomas’s story is a side-bar about being on time for
parties?! Regardless, God has some treasures in the story of Thomas missing
that first meeting. Somewhere along the road of church history, he was bestowed
the unfortunate nickname “doubting Thomas” and it stuck; now he’s the poster
boy for doubting.
I have a feeling that “doubting Thomas” has made us subconsciously
think that only one in twelve Christians suffer from doubt (and therefore if we
doubt, we are in the minority). As if Thomas was the only one who had any
doubts! If you rewind one week to the morning of the resurrection, all eleven
were swimming in their doubts: Mary reported Jesus’ resurrection from the tomb,
but the disciples did not believe until they met with Him later (check out Luke
24:9-11).
A glance back through the Bible will reveal more doubters to
join Thomas: Eve, Lot’s wife, the spies of the Promised Land, Gideon, David and
other Psalmists to name just a few!
Gideon struggled with belief somewhat famously - I’m sure I’m
not the only one who remembers a wet-fleece themed Sunday school craft. Defeating
the Midianites was huge undertaking, and Gideon needed extra reassurance that he
was hearing God, and that God was who He said He was! (See Judges 6-8 for his
story.) David, the famous King of Israel called in the New Testament a “man
after God’s own heart,” reveals his wrestling with doubt in many of the Psalms:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent.” (Psalm 22:1-2)
He takes his concern
and doubt straight to God – he’s praying with those very words! But listen to how his heart shifts as the prayer continues
in verse 19 and 23-24:
“But you, O LORD, be not far off: O my Strength, come quickly to help me…You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.”
God turns David’s doubt to
hope even as he prays. As Pastor Corey said on Sunday, “Allow your doubt to
drive you to seek Him.” Gideon did. David did. (Other Psalmists, Asaph and the
Sons of Korah, did as well; see Psalms 10, 42, 43, 73, and 77 for their examples.)
The Bible also shares the stories of those who tried to lean
on their own understanding to remedy their doubt. Eve doubted God’s goodness in
His command not to eat from one tree, and that doubt led her to sin. Lot’s wife
doubted God’s command not to turn back to see the destruction of Sodom and
Gomorrah, and she was turned into a pillar of salt. Ten out of the original twelve
spies of the Promised Land doubted that God could conquer the land from the “giants”
living there; they died in the desert with the rest of their unbelieving
generation (Numbers 13-14, specifically Numbers 14:10-12, 20-23).
Gideon, David and even Thomas doubted just like us –
especially in times of trial and struggle. But they turned to God with the
doubt, and God is faithful! Eve, Lot’s wife and the spies doubted that God was
who He says He is, and that He could do what He says He can do. Their doubt
drove them to believe that He was far off, He would not help and that He was
not good.
In Thomas’s story of doubt, we get to see Jesus’ immediate response.
Jesus didn’t rebuke him, shame him, or call him out for not listening to the
other disciples. We also should not feel shame or guilt about wrestling with
doubt. Jesus provided what Thomas needed to strengthen his faith; He said touch,
see, and have what you need to be sure of Me.
Thomas was the last
disciple to have his doubt turned to faith, not the only one. We all struggle with doubt, especially in times of trial
and temptation. When we doubt on our own we ask, “Is He good? Is He here? Will
He help?” but we are left with only our current measure of faith to try to answer.
So, let’s have our doubt drive us to Him.
Instead, bring those questions to God and ask Him “Are You
good, are You here, will You help?”* Pray for help with the unbelief. Let Him
speak into the doubt, and increase your belief!
*These specific questions (and some of the background for
these thoughts on doubt) come from a sermon by Matt Chandler called
Trials/Temptations based on James 1:2-18 preached at the Village Church in
Dallas on February 15, 2015. You can access that sermon on this page.
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