April 23, 2006           Read: John 20:19-31

I make two assumptions about anyone reading this message.  One is that you are a person of reasonable intelligence.  The other is that, however smart you may be, there are others that you would concede to be smarter than you are.  We can work our way up the scale to some of the great thinkers of all time, people like Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, and St. Augustine.  All three of them were amazing intellects, yet they didn’t have all the answers.  Even the greatest of human minds have unanswered questions. 

Another thing that strikes me about these men is that, however smart they undoubtedly were, the mind of God is still infinitely beyond their level of intelligence.  They knew many things, but “The LORD searches every mind, and understands every plan and thought.” (1 Chronicles 28:9).  Things that baffle even minds like theirs are already known by God. 

That brings us to the story of Doubting Thomas, as found in today’s reading.  Very often we look at the story and feel sorry for Thomas.  The Easter story can speak to us so deeply that we can be tempted to feel that our faith in the Resurrection is secure.  We can also be tempted to believe that, had we been in Thomas’ place, we would have accepted the words of those around us.  But that is the result of a post-resurrection faith.  We know how the story turns out.  Had we lived at the time, I think most of us would have shared Thomas’ skepticism.  He didn’t want to be disappointed a second time, and neither would we.  Like him, we would have waited for personal proof before accepting the good news of the resurrection.

We can take some comfort in knowing that doubt is normal.  Only by asking real questions can we hope to arrive at real answers.  Thomas shows us that doubt and suspicion existed in Apostolic times.  If they could overcome that doubt, then so can we.  After what happened to him, would Thomas have said later that he never doubted again?  I really don’t think so.  More likely he would have said that, in spite of his doubt, he came to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.

In reality, Thomas is a man of great faith.  He is in the company of a great many people in the Bible who entertain some doubt.  Job is perhaps the primary example.  And the Psalms express many doubts.  Yet both Job and the Psalms conclude that God is there and is still listening.  Just as Jesus is willing to listen to Thomas’ doubts.

Jesus didn’t blame Thomas for doubting, or love him any less.  Thomas had a living, growing faith that Jesus wanted to nurture.  Jesus understood that once Thomas worked through his doubts, he would be one of staunchest of all Christians. 

So it is no disgrace to admit that, like Thomas, our faith is still under construction.  As we grow out of our doubts, we grow into faith.  That’s what God expects of us – growth.  I am confident that God respects people who are not afraid to ask questions, in order to get at the truth.  That’s why the story of Thomas is preserved for us, so that we can learn from him how to turn our own doubts into faith.