I have to say, I feel sorry for Thomas. “Doubting Thomas.” What did he ever do to deserve to be forever known as Doubting Thomas? That’s the way everyone knows him. He’s not just “Thomas”. He’s “Doubting Thomas”. And everyone knows why he’s called that. “Unless I see the nail marks, I won’t believe.”
Okay, so that answers my question. But it really doesn’t. Yeah, I know he doubted. But was he any different? I don’t think so. Every single disciple of the Eleven doubted. They heard the news of Jesus’ resurrection just like Thomas had. Some of them even saw the empty tomb. But nope, they didn’t believe it. Thomas just happened not to be there on that first day when Jesus showed up in the presence of the disciples. So he’s the one that gets to be known forever as “Doubting Thomas”. I feel sorry for him, except that, I’m also actually glad that the Holy Spirit immortalized the event of “Doubting Thomas”. Because I know I’m in good company.
But the other thing is that I really don’t need to feel sorry for him. Because he’s really not forever known as Doubting Thomas. He is forever known by His Heavenly Father as His own child. He is also forever known as our brother in the faith, a sinner like the rest of us who is now forever free from all doubt, standing before the very risen Christ, with those same scars in His hands and His side. We need not doubt either, because the same Lord is our Lord, to Whom we may say with Thomas: “My Lord and my God!”
No comments:
Post a Comment