A Reasonable Doubt

A Reasonable Doubt

Our scripture this morning focuses on the disciple Thomas. The Gospel of John is the only Gospel account that tells us anything about Thomas. Thomas was called Didymus (That title sounds like a hip hop artist’s name along With Jesus the Rabboni in verse 20.16); actually Didymus meant that he was a twin.

He was one of the twelve disciples (listed midway in the lists of the twelve disciples). Previously, in John’s Gospel, Thomas’s loyalty and courage were mentioned. In chapter eleven of John, Jesus was on his way to Bethany against his disciples’ warning (11.8). Thomas pessimistically, but also bravely, said to the others, “Let us also go that we may die with him.” At least from that, we can conclude that Thomas was a brave and loyal disciple.

And then we have Thomas in today’s passage say, “Unless, I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand in his side, I will not believe it.”

It is easy criticize Thomas’s doubt or is it, after all what he had last known as reality was that Jesus was nailed to and lifted up on a Roman cross and then later pierced with a spear.

The last thing Thomas knew for sure was that Jesus, whom he had followed and placed his hope in, was dead. Thomas, knowing what he knew and being where he was, had legit reasonable doubts about what he now was hearing from his friends and fellow disciples, that the dead Jesus was now alive.

Thomas reminds me of the guy or gal that you cringed for and were often embarrassed for in School; he was the one that always asked the stupid and obvious questions.

Sometimes, however, you were also glad that someone was brave enough to ask the seemingly “stupid” and the “obvious” questions, because there were times when you too had doubts and didn’t know what the facts and answers were.

I’ve been thinking about and I want to speak today about the difference between reasonable doubts and unreasonable doubts, between reasonable questions and absurd questions, between sincere open-minded skeptics/seekers and closed-minded ridiculers.

I like what Frederick Buechner said about 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 either kidding yourself or asleep. Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving.” (Beyond Words, 85)

Now Thomas certainly believed in God and he was a follower of Jesus, but his belief and following after Jesus was not without flaw or doubt.

Thomas had sincere questions and reasonable doubts.

One main thing that I want to say today is that sincere and hard questions of faith and concerning God or not necessarily bad.

God can handle sincere questions and God can even handle the hard questions.

Sincere, honest, hard questions lead to solid growth and faith. All of my questions and doubts aren’t always completely answered or solved, but my faith always grows because I have questions and I take them to God.

Honest heartfelt questions are like ramps that launch one to higher and new elevations in knowing God.

The Psalmists, Job, and the Prophets all asked God hard and honest questions. They all expressed their doubts and it pleased God to let us know and be aware of such doubts and questions recorded all through out Scripture

Thomas had asked a sincere question once before. In chapter 14, Jesus had been talking about what would take place and where he was going and how the disciples knew where he was going and Thomas stopped Jesus and said in essence, “Hold on, wait a moment!” He actually said, “Lord, we don’t know where you going, so how can we know the way?”

Because Thomas was naive enough; because he was bold and brave enough; because he was honest about his confusion and ignorance-he asked a sincere big question.

The beauty of sincere big questions is that they lead to beautiful big answers. Jesus answered him and said, “I am the way and the truth and the life . . .”

God is bringing us beyond a reasonable doubt to a strong thriving faith. Remember we talked about the light at the end of the tunnel last week. The more we trust in Christ and grow in our knowledge of him the clearer we will see him and the more light we will come into.

A child was out playing hide-and-seek with some other children. She went away and hid herself; the other children played a cruel trick on the little girl and ran off as the little girl hid all alone.

When the little girl realized the cruel joke that had been played on her and that she was abandoned and all alone, she ran home in tears and threw herself onto her daddy’s arms and cried, “Daddy, I was hiding and no one tried to find me!” The father gently held on to her and replied, “God understands. He understands more than you realize.” (Campolo, Let Me Tell You a Story, 1)

The Psalmist laments, “God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.” (Psalm 53.2)

Jesus says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you,” (Matthew 7.7)

If you are at the beginning stages of faith, doubting and searching out the truth of life and the truth of Jesus, then take courage in knowing that sincere and open-minded questioning is where all honest believing begins.

Or if you’ve been beyond the realm of reasonable doubt for sometime- that is you’ve been a steady believer for sometime, then ongoing sincere questioning and seeking out the character of God is where all honest believing continues.

There was a time in my life where I cried out in doubt of God’s existence and if he was a good and loving God,

Then there was a time amidst my tears and grief that I knew beyond my reasonable doubts by a diligent searching faith that He is and He is loving.

I would have never known that he is (exists) and that he is love if I had never diligently cried out for him.

I would have never found faith and peace in God, if I had never questioned where true life giving meaning and significance originate.

Honest heartfelt doubts and sincere questions can be the very seeds of devout loyal faith.

Thomas the doubter asked big questions and received big answers. I for one, also being slow of having great faith, am very glad that Thomas asked questions and am even gladder that God answered his doubts and questions.

Socrates wisely admonished that an unexamined life is not worth living. It also could be said that an unexamined faith is less than honest and not a growing faith.

Lastly, Thomas doubt in 20.25 led to yet another big revelation in 20.28. Thomas exclaims his profession of faith in Jesus saying, “My Lord and My God.”

Thomas’s questions and doubts led him to a clearer faith. Jesus did not exclude him for his doubts, but revealed himself to Thomas. Honest questions lead to answers and reasonable doubts make faith what it truly is- an ever seeking after a mysterious and life giving God.