Fearless Thomas

Poor Saint Thomas. The Apostle Thomas is called “The Twin” in Scripture, but has another nickname. Many call him ‘Doubting Thomas’ because he doubted the truth of Christ’s resurrection unless he could see proof for himself. There’s a part of the story missing.

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” 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 print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in His side, I will not believe.” Eight days later, His disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand, and place it in My side; do not be faithless, but believing.” Thomas answered Him, “My Lord and My God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, you may have life in His name.

John 20.19-31

Here’s the thing. This passage read at Agape Vespers and the Sunday of Thomas clearly opens by letting us know the disciples were hiding inside the room “for fear of the Jews.” We rarely spend time thinking of the one who was missing, the one who maybe wasn’t afraid?

Saint Thomas missed the appearance of the resurrected Jesus because he was out and about. We aren’t told in the Scripture where he might have been, so I don’t want to make too many assumptions. Like Mary Magdalene and Martha, he wasn’t afraid to be out and about.

Sometimes faith is displayed in confessing to others. Other times faith is expressed in our willingness to be among others who may not be ‘so friendly’ to us when they know our beliefs. Surely the crowd would have known who Saint Thomas was, since he was a disciple.

There’s another reason I consider Saint Thomas fearless. The other Apostles preached throughout the middle east, a place surely ‘more inclined’ to believe the Gospel. Thomas went as far as India and established the Church there.

It requires faith to go beyond the comfort of the Roman Empire. The other Apostles preached first among those who already knew the story of Jesus. Thomas, on the other hand, went to distant lands to share the Good News of Christ. There is a clue in today’s Gospel lesson.

Christ said, “Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” The first Jewish believers were eyewitnesses of the Resurrection. Jews in India doubtfully had any eyewitness accounts of Christ. Thomas alone was their witness.

This sounds to me like a man of deep faith. If doubt was a criterion for failure, all the disciples were failures. Christ doesn’t hold doubt against us. Some of us need more ‘proof’ than others. The story of Saint Thomas reminds us that Christ will always give us what we need to believe.

Here we are some two thousand years (or so) later and now we have the chance to be the witness of Christ to others. Now is our chance to be fearless and share what we believe about God. You never know who we might encounter today. You never know who needs Christ today.

Don’t be afraid to go beyond your comfort zone. You don’t need to preach on every street corner. In fact, as I have said before, we are not all called to be teachers. Rather than teach, have enough courage to live your faith among others. Christ will provide what is needed.