Have you ever felt that someone or something was given short shrift in the Bible? 

One of my favorite examples in the Bible is St. Thomas. The Apostle Thomas is also known as Didymus (the twin) and perhaps more infamously known as Doubting Thomas. In my mind he represents more about common humanity than most of the other more well- known apostles.

It seems that many treat St. Thomas as of a lesser apostolic authority than others purely upon his questioning about why he hadn’t been able to see the risen Christ and His wounds from His crucifixion when the other apostles had seen and believed.

After all, when the Pharisees had demanded to see a sign from Jesus, He refused to give them a sign.

To give a short historic perspective of Thomas and his relationship with Jesus, we might examine a few examples.

First of all, when Jesus stated to His apostles that He was going to return to Judea, His followers didn’t wish for Him to go, or themselves for that matter, because of the extreme danger and possibility of death. St. Thomas, to his credit, stated to the others that they all should go with Him so that they might share in His death!

What courage in the face of most certain death.

Secondly, we might examine another example of St. Thomas in the Gospel according to John. Jesus had explained to His followers that He was going to go and prepare a place for them and Thomas wondered where Jesus was going and how they (the followers) could possibly know the way?

One can almost sense the anguish in his voice over the thought of separation from Jesus without knowing how to reconnect with Him. 

Jesus the Anointed One reassures St. Thomas with the words of Love: “I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” What Love, what reassurance, how exciting to know that He is waiting for us.

This laid down the foundation for St. Thomas to continue to proclaim the Gospel and travel through the world proclaiming Jesus Chris as his personal Lord and Savior.

My final example of St. Thomas’ history and perspective on life is that after Jesus showed him His wounds and St. Thomas beheld Him in His risen glory, St. Thomas proclaimed, “My Lord and my God”.

One is somewhat used to this in the story of Jesus Christ and St. Thomas, but have you seriously examined what that statement would mean in those times? If St. Thomas said that in public, he could easily have been stoned and/or turned into the Roman authorities to be crucified. 

The fact is that St. Thomas had reached his turning point, and no longer would he have any doubts about the risen Lord, and, because of this statement and the courage that it took to say it as the first apostle to acknowledge Jesus Christ as God was beyond belief.

One might ask at this point, well, what happened to him afterwards? Tradition states that St. Thomas traveled through the region as attested by Eusebius and other early Church historians.

He is described as having a cult that spread from India to Asia Minor and onwards to Europe.

Tradition also states that St. Thomas was martyred in India being killed with a spear. Icons of St. Thomas depict him with a builder’s square, sometimes a spear and often with a girdle, but that is another story/tradition dealing with his life.

What can we learn from St. Thomas? Despite hardships, difficulties and perhaps even a degree of skepticism we must persevere in our faith, knowing that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life and He has prepared a place for us with Him for all time.

Come to the church of your choice to worship the Lord, bring your entire family with you and invite others to come with you. May God bless you, watch over you and make His face to shine upon you this and every day in your ministry to others.

Bain White is the priest/pastor at St. Mark’s Church of Grace, Craig. He may be reached at office@stmarksepiscopal-lcog.org