Resurrecting Thomas, Resurrecting Doubt

Sunday after Easter 2004

John 20:19-31

 

 

After 36 years of darkness, a blind man can see again.  Jerry had to see it to believe it.  Or, more accurately, he had to be able to see WITH it to believe it.

 

Dr. William Dobelle created the innovative device after 30 years of research in vision and correction for the blind.  The invention includes a mini-camera connected to a pair of sunglasses and a dictionary-size computer that a patient carries on a belt pack.  But getting the device to work was no easy task.  First Jerry had to undergo brain surgery.  Surgeons implanted a small piece of platinum foil between Jerry’s brain and the dura, a membrane that surrounds the brain.  The foil is covered with electrodes—tiny metal pieces that conduct electric pulses which connect directly to brain cells that control sight.  The electrodes are attached to a wire that protrudes from Jerry’s skull through a small hole and hooks up to his computer.  No one ever said that restoring vision was going to be a pretty sight.

 

For Jerry to see an image, the camera on his sunglasses first snaps a picture.  This image shoots through a wire to his portable computer, which translates the data into a series of electrical pulses.  The pulses then race through the wire connected to Jerry’s brain.  Finally, the electrodes stimulate his brain cells into thinking they’re seeing.  Each electrode produces dots of light in the patient’s visual field, like stars in the sky.  It makes the world look like a photo negative.

 

The view that Jerry now enjoys may not be perfect, but it’s made him a believer.  Emerging from a world of darkness, he is suddenly seeing dots of light in his visual field and a photo negative view of reality which is infinitely more than his eyes experienced before. 

Like the disciple Thomas, a man who has been blinded by grief and doubt, what Jerry is able to see makes all the difference in the world.

 

The story of Thomas for today is a famous one.  Probably because for decades this has been the assigned text for the Sunday after Easter.  Why is this story the one read every year on this Sunday?  I mean, there are lots of stories of Jesus appearing to the disciples after the resurrection.  Why this story on this Sunday?  Well, the text answers the question.  Look at verse 26 of John chapter 20:  “A week later his disciples were again in the house.”

 

You see, Jesus appeared to the disciples in the locked room the first time on Easter evening. They were all there but Thomas.  Thomas doesn’t believe their report.  And so a week later the disciples were again in the house—this time with Thomas—and Jesus appears to them.

 

And here we are a week later, a week after the resurrection, disciples gathered in the house (I hope the doors aren’t locked) wondering what to make of all this.  Wondering what to do with Thomas and wondering what to do with our doubt.

 

You know, I think Thomas gets a bad rap from this story.  He is known throughout history as “Doubting Thomas.”  It’s a negative image of Thomas and of doubt.  Well, I want to ‘resurrect’ the image as a positive one.  I want to ask the question, “What can Thomas teach us about himself and about doubt?”

 

Why should this one event in Thomas’ life define him more than any other?  Come to think of it, what do we know about the other events of Thomas’ life from scripture?  What else do we know about Thomas?  Where else do we find him? What else does he say?  He does appear in other parts of John’s gospel, but this story of doubt overshadows other stories about Thomas.

 

The first story about Thomas we encounter is in chapter 11 of John.  It is the story of Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the dead.  Do you remember?  Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that their brother Lazarus was ill in Bethany.  When Jesus got ready to go there the disciples threw a fit.  They said, “Whoa Jesus.  Don’t you remember the last time you were there you almost got stoned to death.  And now you want us to go back  there again.  Jesus, don’t go there!”

 

Jesus told them flatly that Lazarus was no longer ill, but dead.  Well if they were sort of thinking about risking their lives to go with Jesus to save a sick Lazarus, they sure weren’t going to risk their lives for a dead Lazarus.

 

In the midst of all this resistance, it is Thomas who speaks up and says to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”  To make such a statement required great faith in Jesus--and courage.  Thomas was willing to lay down his life for Jesus.  Why not call him Courageous Thomas instead of Doubting Thomas?  Because of his courage, he and the disciples got to witness the miracle of Lazarus’ resurrection.  Sort of makes you wonder why Thomas would have trouble with Jesus’ resurrection if he had witnessed the raising of Lazarus….

 

The next time we hear from Thomas is in John 14.  Jesus is speaking cryptically to the disciples about going somewhere to prepare a place for them.  You know the passage.  “In my Parent’s house are many dwelling places.  If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you maybe also.  And you know the way to the place where I am going.”

 

While the rest of the disciples are scratching their heads trying to figure out what in the world Jesus is talking about, Thomas is the only one honest enough to speak up and tell Jesus he isn’t making any sense.  Thomas said, “Lord, we do not know where you are going.  How can we know the way?”

 

And because Thomas was willing to risk being a fool for not understanding we have one of the most beloved quotes from Jesus in all of scripture: “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth and the life.’”

 

Why don’t we call him Honest Thomas instead of Doubting Thomas?  One preacher has said, “Because of his willingness to admit ignorance, we are all the wiser.”

 

And now we have this story for today, the Sunday after Easter, to round out the personality of Thomas.  I am not denying that he doubted.  Maybe he didn’t doubt Jesus, but what the disciples thought they saw.  After all scripture tells us that Thomas is a twin.  So he is used to mistaken identity.  He knew how confusing appearances could be.  What if this person who had appeared to the disciples was not Jesus, but someone who looked like Jesus’ twin?

 

And what if he did doubt the resurrection?  Just like Thomas has gotten a bad rap in Christian circles, I think doubt has gotten a bad rap.  We assume that doubt is the antithesis of faith.  Doubt is not the opposite of faith.  Unbelief is the opposite of faith.  And this story is clear that Thomas believes.  Before he can even touch the evidence he has required, the wounds in Jesus’ hands and side, he blurts out, “My Lord and my God.”

 

Presbyterian minister, Frederick Buechner has a great definition of doubt:  “Whether your faith is that there is a God or that there is not a God, if you don’t have any doubts, you are either kidding yourself, or asleep.  Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith.  They keep it awake and moving.”

 

We often think of doubt as the sign of an immature faith, but doubt has a positive and constructive role to play in the life of faith.  It is the mark of a faith that is alive.  Doubting keeps us engaged with our faith.  It calls us to action. Certainty is what we should worry about, not doubt.  If you are certain, then you rely on yourself, not faith.  If you are certain, you become complacent.  A faith that does not doubt is a dead faith. 

 

An ancient legend of the church claims that doubt increases in power as the saints of God increase in saintliness.  Jesus himself is our example of doubt.  He struggled in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross he cried out, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?”  Jesus’ doubt led to resurrection, so did Thomas’, so does ours.

 

Thomas teaches us to be honest about our doubts and to express them in the context of Christian community.  Don’t be ashamed of your doubts.  Have the courage to share them with your sisters and brothers in the faith.  Thomas voiced his doubts, but remained with the disciples.  I wonder what that week was like?  The week between Jesus first appearing to the disciples and then to Thomas.  I imagine that Thomas still worshipped with them, prayed with them, ate with them, despite his doubts.  And I imagine they loved Thomas and were with him in his doubts, because they had had their doubts too.

 

We don’t hear much about Thomas in the scriptures after this story.  But there is a legend that claims after Jesus ascended into heaven the disciples met and divided up the world among themselves, and India, including the Middle East, fell to Thomas.  The legend goes on to report that a merchant came to Jerusalem soon after that, looking for a carpenter to take home to his king.  Christ appeared to him and told him he was Thomas’ master and sold Thomas to him for twenty pieces of silver.  When the merchant found him Thomas was dumbfounded that Jesus had sold him to this man.  But in the morning Thomas prayed, “Lord, let thy will be done.”

 

He returned to India with the merchant, eventually gained his freedom, traveled throughout India and taught about Jesus and performed miracles.  Many were converted to Christianity, and to this day, the Malankara Syrian Christians trace their heritage from Thomas.

 

Courageous Thomas, Honest Thomas, Doubting Thomas.  Today, as we gather again in the house with the risen Christ present, may we claim our heritage from Thomas.