Doubting Thomas?

When attempting to write or say the names of the Twelve from memory, many struggle to complete the list. Peter, James, and John always seem to come to mind. Often times Mark and Luke mistakenly get mentioned because they penned two of the Gospel accounts. Very rarely, it seems, are all the correct names given.

There are still those others who are almost always remembered. We tend to remember them for negative reasons. Judas Iscariot betrayed our Lord. Nathaniel boldly asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth? (John 1:46). Then there’s Thomas. Rather than being referred to as “the twin,” as the Scriptures name him (John 11:16, 20:24, 21:2), he’s subject to a nickname given to him in a heading by some translations of the Bible. He’s dubbed “Doubting Thomas.” This is how almost all of us know him.

In both of his appearances in John’s account of the Gospel, he speaks in uncertainty after a death. Both of the deaths (first Lazarus, then Jesus) are followed by resurrections. Is it so simple that Thomas doesn’t understand that resurrection from the dead is possible? Maybe he’s really a Sadducee who doesn’t believe in the resurrection at all! Rather than speculate about him, we should let the text speak for itself.

“Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “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 20:24-25).

This is hardly doubt! A more appropriate explanation is that Thomas is evidence of what Jesus said earlier in the Gospel. When Jesus appeared in Cana for the second time, an official from Capernaum went to Jesus to ask Him to heal his son. Jesus responds to him saying, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe” (John 5:48). It is incorrectly asserted that Jesus is condemning this official. There’s no evidence for the remainder of that text (and especially the context of John) that confesses condemnation, especially since the “you” there isn’t singular. It’s plural. John’s Gospel account is known for its “signs and wonders.” Why? Because Jesus says unless “y’all” see them, you will not believe. The signs and wonders throughout the Gospel are out of grace to show the glory of God in order to drive to faith. We see the same thing with Thomas. The sign he sees in the resurrected body of Jesus and the wounds he feels in that body do exactly that. They move not from doubt to certainty but from disbelief to belief! Instead of condemning Thomas, Jesus gives him the sign and wonder of His own body in order for him to believe.

Does this sound familiar? How often do you hear the plain Word of God that Jesus is risen and that your sin is forgiven? Yet how often does the devil come along the path and steal away that seed from you? Just like with the official and just like with Thomas, Jesus does not leave you in disbelief. He gives you the sign and wonder (not symbol, let the reader understand) of His own body in the Sacrament of the Altar and says, “Do not disbelieve, but believe” (John 20:27). It’s there that we receive and confess like Thomas, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).

A blessed St. Thomas Day to all of you!

Oh, and before I forget: Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus, Simon, Judas Iscariot.