The Doubting Thomas?

Not so says author and researcher John MacAuthur. In his book the 12 Ordinary Men, he breaks down each disciple based on the information at hand and in doing so has made a truly inciteful work. If you have interest in getting a feel for who the disciples were as individuals and as they were transformed please go and read this book. It was given to me as a gift some time ago, but in my laziness I had only managed halfway. With this new found push for reading and developing worthy and enjoyable habits to replace the old I have come back to finish reading it. I should be done tonight, but before I do that I wanted to share what the author says about the disciple Thomas. A man who has become identified as doubtful because of his reaction to Jesus's resurrection. A title unfounded and undeserved as we will see.

Thomas was in actuality a pessimist of sorts, I am a bit of one myself, and as with many of the disciples he is only mentioned to any real extent in John. He was most likely a twin whose sibling was not mentioned. (Taken from John 11:16 "Didymus") This book does not spend time explaining his career choices or his family life as with most of the others. Instead it focuses on his character. While most of us feel the ability to relate to the disciples most of us do not really know who they were beyond their names and what is written plainly in the Bible. Looking at their character, their natures, is a harder thing to do.

Thomas has been attributed a nature of doubt, but a doubting man does not offer his life, unto death, for a stranger and a crazy one at that. (In truth Jesus was hardly either, but the world saw Him as such.) The book uses the account of Lazarus to paint the picture of Thomas's true nature.

From John 10:40 all the way through to John 11:15 it unfolds the scene. Jesus and the disciples are well outside Jerusalem, out where John the Baptist did his thing. They were baptizing people by the fistfull and news came of Lazarus, Jesus friend and loved one. He was told that Lazarus was sick and dieing and that Jesus should come and help. Jesus said He would, but then hung out for a few days. Giving Lazarus time to die. (To the greater glory of God as healing the sick makes a lesser statement than resurrecting the dead.) The disciples are not eager to get back to that area because as far as they know they will be found and stoned to death. Such is part of why they left to begin with. Though they had no real choice in the matter Thomas spoke up in John 11:16, "Let us go, that we may die with Him."

Say what? The downer said this? The doubter said this? Sorry but no. I see no doubt in his words. I'm not saying he didn't believe he was going to die, but that he was willing to, in fact desired, to die with Christ. That is far from doubt.

To further the point the book then jumps to the much thought of moment that Thomas saw Jesus after the resurrection. We see Thomas saying, no way man I have to test this I can't just believe it, and we say boo bad Thomas. Why though? When the Mary's brought word of the resurrection to them they said we do not believe. When Jesus appeared in a barricaded room after having been beaten, hung up, stabbed, and buried what did they say? With Him standing in from of them He showed them His wounds as proof. Then they believed. Not prior does it say they trusted or had faith, but only after proof. Yet we have attributed to a good man a doubtful persona. He requests to see the same proof they had been given and believes.

It also mentions in the book of Thomas's panic when Jesus claimed that He was going on in John 14:5. A man who was ready beyond the others to follow Jesus into the hands of death was terrified that he would not be able to find Jesus after He left. Another aspect it mentions is Thomas's nature to pull away from the group when his heart was broken by the death of Christ. How when all the others gathered to comfort each other as a family, Thomas wandered and sulked on his own unable to handle the others with his grief. While we might jump to the conclusion that he was a negative-nelly or melany-melancholy because of his reaction we forget that a broken heart is a painful thing. Thomas loved Jesus so fully that for him it was too much to bear at once. He had to flee it all, the disciples, the tomb, and work through it all.

Throughout these few pages a portrait of a man not often thought of is painted. A man who has hope and bravery, but has a nature that holds him to deep emotional stress and a pessimistic outlook in some regards. Is he who you thought he was? He wasn't who I thought...

God Bless,-Dan