Doubt, faith or both?

Today I was listening to Dr J again and he reinforced the post I was thinking of doing today. He was speaking about something unrelated and brought up Thomas. I think Dr J has a liking for Thomas that I have never heard in a preacher before. I developed this liking while listening to Dr J a while ago.

Everyone associates Thomas with the "doubt" he had about Christ having risen. I hope that I can change your mind about Thomas.

John 14:1-7
1: Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.2: In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.3: And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.4: And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.5: Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?6: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.7: If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

My bible says that this passage shows that Thomas obviously had little faith. WHAT?!? Thomas was asking a question of Christ so that he would know how the disciples could follow him. Thomas was reaffirming his faith with a question. The problem with questions about faith related topics is that most just ask the questions and don't seek the answers. Thomas had a question and he got his answer. Faith affirmed.

The next passage is where Jesus first shows himself to the disciples without Thomas being there.

John 20:19-20
19: Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.20: And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.

Christ showed himself to the disciples. Notice the second to last sentence. He showed them his hands and side. He gave them visual proof. It doesn't say this but they must have doubted him because he had to show them. Earlier when Christ saw Mary at the tomb she had no idea it was him. In that same passage it talks about how the disciples, inluding Thomas, did not know the resurrection prophecy.

And now we come to the part that everyone says is why Thomas is such a bad guy.

John 20:24-28
24: But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.25: The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.26: And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.27: Then saith he to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.28: And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

Thomas, not knowing the resurrection prophecy, needed to see Christ to believe he was risen. His question was not in whether Christ could rise from the dead, but in whether the other disciples were correct.

No where does it say that Thomas actually put his fingers into the holes or his hand into Christ's side. When Jesus was in front of him he said: "My Lord and my God". There was nothing else needed. Thomas had all the faith he needed. He just needed to look into Christ's eyes to realize that he had in fact risen from the dead.

We don't have the luxury of looking into Jesus' eyes. I don't need it. I look at my beautiful wife and children and I get to see him everyday. Every time I ask God why I don't have a better job to support my family, or a better home for them to live in, I look around and remember that God loves me so much he gave me everything I have. I know that just their presence means that God has better things for me and them.