Thought for the day – Monday 6th April 2020
Thomas stood in the courtyard early in the morning, he’d felt uneasy about this whole mission since they began and whilst the event of yesterday had been exciting, he was concerned today. The rabbi was doing wonderful work in Galilee, there was still plenty of people to heal there, so much more that he could teach them and when the Master had said that they were heading for Jerusalem, Thomas knew it was a bad idea. It was right that as Jews they should come here as a part of their pilgrimage for the Passover, he’d done it before and this wasn’t uncommon to him, but Jesus wasn’t finding favour with the Jewish leaders, in fact there were times when he appeared to be taking them on, healing on the Sabbath, flaunting the many laws the taught and insisted people follow and even challenging some of their understanding. Thomas looked around him as the new day began, everything yesterday appeared to planned, indeed, it was as though everything Jesus did had a purpose, he had a bad feeling about today, why hadn’t they just stayed in Galilee, this all felt to be too much of a risk, but he trusted the Master and if he had brought them here, there was a reason and Thomas would stand with him.
Thomas was very much a thinking man, things needed to be evidenced. We often talk about Thomas in a disparaging way “doubting Thomas” we call him, because he needed evidence of the resurrection, but there is another side to Thomas that we can so easily miss. He questions what Jesus is saying when he tells the disciples in John 14 that he is going back to the Father and Jesus tell them that they know the way, it is Thomas who seeks clarification, he needs to understand. Also, we can miss the great courage and commitment of Thomas, when Jesus eventually sets out to raise Lazarus from the dead, it is Thomas who commits himself to the work of Christ.
Reflection:
- How does God call you outside your comfort zone?
- Can you think of occasions in your life when you have simply had to trust God, even when you have struggled to understand why?