Easters First Skeptic

As much as I personally love Easter, I know first-hand what it's like to a skeptic who is torn by its claims. I have one or two of these "infidels" in my life. One is my poorly aging brother. A part of him wishes to believe but another part simply can't imagine believing what He hasn't witnessed firsthand.

When we hearken back to the time of Christ we realize that Jesus' death had paralyzed and polarized even those closest to Him. The last week of his life starts with an amazing victory and shockingly ends in His gruesome demise before the end of the day on Friday. My guess it was all that the disciples, however many there were left, could do to gather in one place at the end of it all.

Jesus, the King, is dead. Long live the king?

As if that wasn't awful enough the next circumstance was just weird. Mary Magdalene see's Him alive! Now, prior to this the body of Christ disappears and with all the hoopla to ensure it went nowhere that was already weird.

Next it's Peter proclaiming he had seen Jesus upright. This, in a more vernacular term, freaked Thomas out! My guess internally he felt he could cut Peter some slack. The guilt Peter felt after denying the Lord; well, who could blame Peter for hoping it was all "OK".

Ya, Ol' Pete - he just needs some time to regather himself.

But then Cleopas burst into the house they are hidden in on Sunday night. What does he do? Oh, not much just claim he had walked—walked!—with Jesus to Emmaus that afternoon. Holy Schnikey! What got to Thomas was that Cleopas and his bud hadn't recognized Jesus the entire trip and then, at dinner, after which Jesus disappears into thin air they have a Homer Simpson, "DOH!" moment. THAT was Jesus!!!

All of these things excited the group. But Thomas only felt peeved. He missed Jesus too, but he wasn't going to let grief make him believe bizarre things. Jesus was dead and that is the stories end...or, was it?

So in all of this Thomas gets some time apart to think and rethink I imagine and, after whispering a discreet excuse to Nathaniel, he managed to slip out, perhaps to recompose himself.

Now, I am sure the quiet was refreshing. What Thomas did in the midst of a kind of spiritual/emotional chaos is very familiar to me. It is what I would do. I would just separate myself. However, in this instance, with those who you had grown closest to over the course of 2 or 3 years having had these experiences, I am just guessing that this walk wasn't as helpful as he had hoped. The Jesus sightings were beyond wild and yet, especially because the witnesses were credible, presented hope. But was the hope based on faith or fiction based on emotionalism?

You and I could only imagine what this walk brought out...the thoughts...the memories...the mustard seed of Thomas' own faith. As he thought this through I am sure he came to a place where the "facts," in fact, were now ambiguous. He was disillusioned. A part of him wished to believe Jesus was alive. This frustrated the skeptic in him who took pride in being a pragmatic man. There was that whole resurrection of Lazarus thing but Jesus did that. So, who was there to do Jesus?

Can you imagine the dilemma? Can you imagine those of your loved ones and friends today who are now over two thousand years removed?

Show me the body! his skeptic side shouted (as does theirs). At least Lazarus could be seen and touched in Bethany by any doubter. So if Jesus really was alive, why this hide-and-seek game? Wouldn't he just show himself to them all? And so it goes today as well doesn't it?

Thomas would believe if...if...if what?

When Thomas returned to the house four of his friends pounced on him, "We have seen the Lord, Thomas! It's all true! He was just with us! Where were you?"

Now what is going through Thomas' mind? How about shock, unbelief, isolation, regret for having left, and self-pity over feeling left out? Does that sound right?

In his heightened state of emotional and spiritual trauma he does what I would only imagine I would have done...he barked at them... "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe."

Most of his friends were dismayed. Peter smiled wryly.

The following eight days were long and lonely for Thomas. His friends were gracious. As far as we know, no one debated him. It was, their calm confidence in Jesus' resurrection that aggravated Thomas' growing conviction that he might have overstated his position.

Note: When you are faced with a great cloud of witnesses it tests your skeptics' faith. It should!

I am sure externally Thomas attempted to maintain an air of resolute intellectual skepticism, but inside he was at war. He was losing the war. You cannot have met Jesus and have been satisfied to believe that is all there was; that one encounter. He leaves you hungry for more of Him.

More than anything he wanted Jesus too!

And then it happened.

Thomas was pondering again the possibility that his unbelief had disqualified him and he had missed Jesus. Did God's Son reject him? If so, he knew he deserved it. Then, in this place, together with others and from the group came a gasp! He looked up and his heart leaped into his throat! Jesus was standing across the room looking back at him. "Peace be with you."

Thomas could hardly breathe. Jesus spoke to him, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe."

All objections and resistance in Thomas evaporated. And in tears of repentance, relief, and worship Thomas dropped on his knees before Jesus and exclaimed, "My Lord and my God."

Thomas, became the first Trinitarian by virtue of this statement. The others may have believed it but Thomas made it a fact! He made it biblical.

This is long isn't it? What's my point? Simply this: be patient and gracious with the skeptics in your life. We shouldn't assume their outward confidence accurately reflects their inward condition. Keep praying for them and share what seems helpful. Keep confidently and humbly following Jesus. Trust Jesus' timing. He knows best how and when to reveal himself to them.
After all, He caught you and I didn't He?

I remain...
InHISgrip,
~J~