Articles
Fearless Thomas
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Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” (Jn. 11:16)
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History remembers Thomas as the apostle who refused to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead until he could see the nail prints in His hands (Jn. 20:25). "Doubting Thomas" has entered our lexicon as a synonym for the pessimist, one who is prone not to see the good that is in the world.
But there is another side to Thomas that does not get the attention it deserves. On Jesus' previous visit to Jerusalem, His enemies had tried to stone Him (Jn. 10:31). Now He wanted to return to Bethany to visit the family of Lazarus, a friend who was dying from an illness. Bethany was a suburb of Jerusalem, so such a trip would likely risk another brush with death. When Thomas heard Jesus' plan, he feared the worst: "Let us also go, that we may die with Him." True to form, Thomas' pessimism saw only the worst possible outcome.
But Thomas' resignation conceals a positive attribute for which he rarely gets credit. Thomas expected the worst, yes--but he did not flinch in facing it. If Jesus was determined to go to Jerusalem and almost sure death, Thomas would go with Him and share His fate. There was a fearlessness in Thomas, a determination to face evil with resolute courage.
When we are faced with dangers in our life, it is natural to fear the worst. We may have reason to expect the future to be a grim one, with no hope of success. But the key question is, what shall we do with it? Do we give up and quit? Do we throw away our faith and stop trying? Or do we press on with stubborn determination, resolute in our conviction?
Whatever his faults, Thomas was not a quitter. He remained true to his commitment and in doing so, found the answer to his doubts. When finally confronted by the resurrected Christ that Sunday evening, his doubts were shattered, and a renewed conviction took hold: "My Lord and My God!" (Jn. 20:28). Tradition says that Thomas, like his fellow apostles, stayed true to his faith, and later died as a martyr in India.
"Let us also go, that we my die with Him." Does that describe the intensity of your faith in the Lord?
--David
