Friday, November 3
All of that in a week!
Scripture: John 11
John 11:16 So Thomas (called Didymus) said to his fellow disciples, “Let us go too, so that we may die with him.”
Observation
Two things.
First, notice the progression of Thomas’ devotion to Jesus. Here is he ready to die with Jesus. Thomas encourages the others to follow Jesus into danger and death—exemplary courage. Within a week, he along with the other disciples will desert Jesus, running for their lives, and hiding in fear. The promise to die with Jesus wilted quickly in the face of actual danger. After the resurrection, Thomas refused to believe. Perhaps he, like Peter, was still smarting from his promise and failure, and couldn’t believe (or didn’t want to believe) that Jesus was alive. Yet when he saw the resurrected Jesus, Thomas finally came full circle and fell on his knees and cried, “My Lord and my God.” Courage—fear—doubt—belief and worship. All of that in a week!
Second, notice that Thomas has unwittingly described the cost of following Jesus. “Let us go that we may die with Him.” The invitation to follow Jesus is precisely that. “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34). Bonhoeffer wrote, “When Jesus calls a man to follow him he bids him come and die.” Eventually, Thomas and the rest of the 12 would give their lives in service to Jesus and die as martyrs for their faith.
Application
Here’s a great reminder to not judge yourself or others based on a snapshot in time. At any given moment, I can be a hero of courage and faith, or a failure of fear and doubt. It’s the whole of our story that determines who we are—how we finish as well as how we are at any given moment. Thomas could have been judged as courageous then cowardly then doubting then believing. He was all of those things within the space of a week!
And so am I.
I can be judgmental one moment, gracious the next. Selfless one moment, selfish the next. I don’t want to be defined by my worst moments—I am more than those. And I’m less than my best moments. But like Thomas, I am a work in progress and want the whole story of my life to bring glory to God by living in service to Jesus and dying to self.
Prayer: Thank you Lord…the story of Thomas gives me hope for me and others, and reminds me to be careful with my judgment. I want room to grow; help me give it to others. I want grace for my worst moments; help me give it to others.
More: Ezra 5-6, Psalm 127, Luke 3