Sunday Reflections: About Doubt

The Rev. Susan Schwartz

What things in life do you doubt? Do you doubt that the Pirates will win the pennant this year? Do you doubt that the Ravens can do it again? Do you doubt that… and the list could go on. Doubt is part of life. And it is not necessarily bad to doubt. Sometimes a healthy skepticism makes us better people!

You know, I think that was true for Thomas. Remember the disciple Thomas, he has sometimes been called Doubting Thomas. And he has been given a bad rap.  Called “Doubting Thomas” almost like he was the only one who had questions and the worst disciple, well, next to Judas.  I think that is really uncalled for, and does an injustice to him, and an injustice to each of us.

We find the story in the Gospel of John. That first Easter Sunday evening the disciples were alone behind locked doors and Jesus came in (probably scaring the begeebers out of them) and  spent some quality time. They were elated, but Thomas wasn’t there. A week later Thomas was with them in the same place and Jesus came back. The same thing happened and Jesus went right to Thomas to show him the nail prints in his hands and his pierced side. The Gospel writer tells us that Thomas believed.

But you know Thomas was not the only one who had some doubts in all this. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all speak of the disciples’ doubts. Only John specifically singles out Thomas. So doubt was part of the story for all of them.  The only ones who didn’t doubt were the women. (No, I am not going to make anything of that). The point is that his resurrection was a hard thing to understand or believe. Thomas wasn’t alone in this. But notice a few other things.

Jesus didn’t scorn Thomas. Nope, actually he went to him so that he would believe. Jesus understood Thomas’ reluctance and he responded to it. And Thomas’ response was that of faith “My Lord and my God!” Jesus loved and respected Thomas and kept seeking him out. 

Thomas was honest. Earlier in the Gospel of John, Thomas is very enthusiastic about Jesus and following him. He is interested and he asks questions. That first Sunday night he was missing, yes, but he came back.  He didn’t stay away. Even in the midst of his doubt, Thomas responded to Jesus. He was honest. I think there was something about that honesty that Jesus really liked.

And do you notice that there was a lot of care and respect and honesty here.  That’s the kind of relationship they had!  That’s why the disciples and the women loved him so much. That’s why people throughout the centuries have called him Lord! Even in the midst of doubt.

But that wasn’t the end for Thomas. There are several traditions about him. One is that he became a missionary to India. Today in India there is  a Church of St. Thomas, which according to tradition, has its roots in the man who once doubted. Edessa, in what is now Turkey, is also said to be a place of Thomas’ missionary work. Do we know for sure what he did, and when, and where. No, but that’s OK. We don’t have to know everything. We can even have some doubts and ask some questions. And keep coming back.

The Rev. Susan Schwartz is pastor of St. John Lutheran (Swissvale) and Hope Lutheran (Forest Hills) churches.

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