The Value of Doubt

The Value of Doubt

John 20:19-20, 24-29

What place does doubt have in the Christian life? What role does doubt play in our faith development?

The prime example of doubt in Scripture is Thomas. He is the patron saint of all who have come to faith through doubt. Here is his story.

Thomas was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples. Jesus' death on the cross was no surprise to Thomas. He had expected it. When Jesus proposed going to Bethany upon receiving the news of the illness of Lazarus, Thomas responded by saying, "Let us also go, that we may die with him" (Jn 11:16). Thomas did not lack for courage, but he had a pessimistic, skeptical streak in his personality.

There can be no doubt about Thomas' love for Jesus. He loved Jesus to the degree that he would go to Jerusalem to die with him when the other disciples expressed fear and hesitation.

What Thomas had expected had happened. When Jesus died upon the cross, Thomas was brokenhearted. He was so brokenhearted that he could not allow his eyes to meet the eyes of the other disciples. What Thomas wanted was to be alone with his grief. He chose to face his suffering and sorrow in solitude.

However, wonder of all wonders occurred. The resurrection of Jesus did take place. It was the evening of resurrection day, the first Easter Sunday, when reports that Jesus was alive created much excitement among the disciples. The women's stories about the empty tomb and the angelic messages were being told and retold. Peter and John, the beloved disciple, had seen him. Two disciples from Emmaus reported walking and talking with him. Consequently, the disciples, who had scattered following the terrible tragedy of the cross, had gathered behind locked doors, still fearing the spirit of hostility toward Jesus and his followers within the city.

Suddenly, Jesus appeared in their midst. He said to them, "Peace be with you." Then he showed them the signs of his crucifixion, his hands and his side.

Since Thomas had gone off to grieve by himself, he was not there. When the disciples found him, they shared with Thomas the news that Jesus had risen from the dead and had come back to see them. Thomas received their reports with arched eyebrows. He refused to believe them. He was belligerent in his skepticism. Thomas said that he would never believe that Jesus had risen from the dead until he had seen with his own eyes and felt with his own fingers the print of the nails in Jesus' hands and thrust his own hand into the wound the spear had made in Jesus' side. In making this demand to examine Jesus' body with finger and hand, he was asking for more than Jesus offered the other disciples. When Jesus showed them his hands and side, they rejoiced. However, doubting, skeptical Thomas wanted to both see and feel.

The following Sunday the disciples were again behind locked doors. This time Thomas was present. Jesus, unrestrained by solid doors and walls, again appeared in their midst and greeted them as before, "Peace be with you." Jesus, knowing Thomas' heart, offered to meet the test upon which Thomas had insisted. Jesus added an appeal and a warning, "Do not doubt but believe."

When Thomas saw Jesus and heard his words, he immediately recognized the risen Christ. Indeed, with his heart overflowing with love and devotion Thomas made this remarkable confession of newfound faith, "My Lord and my God." In this breathtaking confession Thomas moved from the lowest level of faith to its highest pinnacle. It is Thomas who makes clear that believers may address Jesus in the same language that Israel addressed Yahweh, God. His incredible confession is the crown and climax of John's Gospel. Indeed, nothing more profound could be said about Jesus. In his resurrection encounter with Jesus “Doubting Thomas” took one small verbal step and with it a giant leap of faith when he said, “My Lord and My God!”

Jesus said to him, "Thomas, you needed the eyes of sight to make you believe, but the day is coming when people will see with the eyes of faith, and will believe. They will be blessed for their faith, even as you have been."

That's the story of Thomas. What can we learn from his experience about the value of doubt in the life of faith? Here are four themes that relate to doubt and a developing faith, doubt and a searching faith, doubt and a profound faith, doubt and the faith community.

First, we can learn that doubt is significant in a developing faith. Thomas believed in Jesus and loved Jesus, but his belief and love had been crushed by Jesus' death. With the death of Jesus Thomas found himself on the losing side of history. The Roman Empire, with its armies, with its law, with its culture, its worldly sophistication, with its vicious governor Pontius Pilate, had executed another Jewish holy man. They had not killed him by lethal injection, mind you, not by anything as civilized as Florida’s electric chair, but by nails, thorns, and hours of unbearable, slow asphyxiation on a cross. His executors hoped his followers would give up, go away, and withdraw into despair. Thomas should have learned his lesson and vanished, for his hope had been taken away.

When Thomas heard the other disciples telling stories about Jesus’ resurrection, he naturally responded with skepticism. However, as the biblical story indicates his doubt and skepticism about the resurrection led to a renewed, deeper faith.

Our doubt can be an important pathway in our faith walk with Jesus Christ. Doubt and faith are compatible. The opposite of doubt is certainty. Faith is about trust, trust about that which we cannot see but can affirm.

Dashed hopes and dreams have a way of creating legitimate doubt as it did with Thomas. Faith is often challenged, even crushed by the painful realities of life. The unexpected death of a child or of a spouse can create turmoil in our life and faith. The loss of a job or the breakup of a marriage or a vital friendship can rock the foundations of our faith. Even Jesus on the cross raised doubts about his relationship with God, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Healthy doubt is a part of a developing faith. If we will allow it, our doubts can help us in developing a mature, robust faith.

Second, we can learn that there is genuine place for a searching faith. Many of us have grown up trusting the belief systems of our faith communities. The faith we have learned from our parents and our church, we have relied upon to live our life of faith. However, somewhere in life that faith has to be tested and made our own.

Thomas was unwilling to trust the words of the others who had seen Jesus. He had lost his teacher and friend. Since he did not want to experience further disillusionment, he needed visible proof that Jesus was risen. He had to be absolutely sure of the reality of the resurrection. As someone has said, “Thomas refused to run on someone else’s gasoline.” We cannot vicariously share someone else’s faith. That kind of faith–believing because our parent, grandparent or friend believes–is needed as we develop as children and youth. But when we reach late adolescence and enter into our young adult years, we need to discover our own faith. It is during these years that doubt emerges. We need to have our own faith experiences and discover our own answers to life’s questions. Doubt paves the way.

There are times in our faith development when we need a reasoned faith. We need something that reasonable, rational people can affirm. Faith begins with trust; however, it needs intellectual support in our scientific, technological world. For our faith to be genuine and vital we must search for "our reasons and motives" for being a person committed to Jesus Christ. Indeed, the faith we have received from others must become ours both experientially and intellectually if it is to serve us in the trial’s of life.

Third, our doubts can lead us to profound faith and commitment. It was doubting, skeptical Thomas, who upon facing the risen Christ, offers the most profound confession of faith found in the pages of the New Testament. Upon seeing Jesus’ wounds he responded by saying, "My Lord and my God." We need not be afraid of our doubts and our questions. If we will pursue them, they can lead us to a deeper faith and commitment to our Lord.

• Our doubts about Jesus can lead us from believing the Nazarene is dead to Jesus is the risen Christ.

• Our doubts about Jesus can lead us from believing Jesus is a unique human being to Jesus is the Son of God.

• Our doubts about Jesus can lead us from believing Jesus was a great teacher to believing the risen Christ is Lord of the cosmos.

• Our doubts about Jesus can lead us from believing Jesus was a good man to believing he is the Savior of the world.

• Our doubts about Jesus can lead us from believing he was present to his disciples two thousand years ago to believing God is present through him now to redeem us and grant us eternal life.

By working through our doubts, we can come to deeper faith and commitment. Faith in Jesus Christ is the key to life. Unbelief leads to death and ruin. There is no need to fear our doubts unless we fail to work them through and end up in the land of unbelief. Our doubts, no matter how persistent and stubborn, need ultimately to lead us to faith and commitment.

Fourth, we can learn the place and role of the faith community when we struggle with doubt and unbelief. The disciples who experienced Jesus in a post-resurrection appearance told Thomas about it. He was very skeptical and unbelieving. A week later the disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Jesus appears to them. What is interesting about this is Thomas is still with them a week later. Despite his doubt and skepticism, he did not leave and apparently was not asked to leave. It very well may have been a tense time between the disciples and Thomas. But regardless, they found a way to make room for Thomas, doubts and all.

Already this band of disciples was modeling the new faith community. Already they were becoming the accepting community their Lord had hoped they would become. Here they were in conflict over whether Christ had appeared or not. They made room for each other to be.

At times giving each other room to be who we are with our doubts, our questions, our certainties, our experiences can be the most loving, faithful act we can do. According to the Psalmist even God makes room for us when we are troubled. He writes, “You (God) gave me room when I was in distress . . . ” (4:1) We worship a God who offers hospitality for us to be ourselves when our spirits are disturbed, who gives us space to wrestle with our questions.

Christian community is more than a place for experiencing the risen Christ but also a place to be when we struggle with believing. The church is an “I believe, help my unbelief” kind of community, a place where we nurture each other in searching for answers and in developing a viable faith. It is my hope and prayer that each church can be the kind of faith community that will give each of us room when we go through our times of doubt, that will give us room when life gets hard and challenges the foundations of our faith. May every congregation be a safe, trustworthy place for us when we are filled with doubt and skepticism. May our churches be a place of acceptance for us in such times rather than a place of rejection.

One last thought, Thomas came to profound faith through the eyes of sight. We will not have that opportunity. Our doubts will ultimately need to be satisfied with the eyes of faith. Jesus said, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." Jesus intended those words, not so much for Thomas, but for you and me. Fellowship with Jesus Christ is just as available to us as it was to those who saw him after the resurrection. When we place our trust in Jesus, we will experience the joy of his companionship. Trust in him is the key to a fulfilling life. Like Thomas, allow your doubts to bring you to a life-giving faith.