Thomas the Pessimist
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Those of you have heard me share before how much dislike I have for pessimism. I want to look at the positive. When you focus on the negative it does not encourage, exhort, or uplift does it? I am not saying live with your head in the clouds. I am saying try to find the good rather than the bad. Don’t always jump on the negativity bandwagon.
To get your mind in that way of thinking I have to share a couple of humorous stories I came accross:
I read about a schoolboy who brought home his report card. It was heavy with poor grades. "What have you to say about this?" asked his father. "One thing for sure," the boy replied, "Dad, you can be proud. You know I haven't been cheating!"
Two boys who were twins, one an incurable optimist, one a pessimist. The parents were worried about the extremes of behavior and attitude and finally took the boys in to see a psychologist. The psychologist observed them a while and then said that they could be easily helped.
He said that they had a room filled with all the toys a boy could want. They would put the pessimist in that room and allow him to enjoy life. They also had another room that they filled with horse manure. They put the optimist in that room. They observed both boys through one way mirrors. The pessimist continued to be a pessimist, stating that he had no one to play with. They went to look in on the optimist, and were astounded to find him digging through the manure. The psychologist ran into the room and asked what on earth the boy was doing. He replied that with all that manure, he was sure there had to be a pony in the room somewhere.
Two shoe salesmen arrived on an island. The first one looked around and saw that the natives wore no shoes. He thought, "Why'd they send me here? There's no market for shoes here!" The second one looked around and saw that the natives wore no shoes, and thought, "Wow! Everybody needs shoes - and the whole market is mine."
These illustrations show the power of perspective.
Tonight we will look at Thomas. He was a pessimist. He is probably more well known by his nickname “Doubting Thomas”.
It is fair to say that Thomas was somewhat negative, he was a worrywart, a brooder, tended to be anxious and angst-ridden. He was like Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh, anticipating the worst at all times. Pessimism seems to be his besetting sin.
Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”
He was also known as Didymus which means “the twin”. He did have a twin brother or twin sister which was never identified in scripture.
Like Nathanael Thomas is mentioned only once in each of the three synoptic gospels and is only named due to listing the apostles. No details about him are given by Matthew, Mark or Luke. We learn everything we know about him from John’s gospel.
Thomas had a tendency to look into the darkest corners of life, anticipating the worst of everything. He did have some redeeming elements of character according to John’s account of Him.
In verse 16 we see his first account, this is John describing the prelude to the raising of Lazarus. Jesus left Jerusalem because his life was in jeopardy there and he went away beyong the Jordan to the plae where John was baptizing at first and then stayed there.
He went beyond the Jordan River near the place where John was first baptizing and stayed there awhile.
And many followed him. “John didn’t perform miraculous signs,” they remarked to one another, “but everything he said about this man has come true.”
And many who were there believed in Jesus.
John 10:40-
Jesus left Jerusalem because his life was in jeopardy there and he went away beyong the Jordan to the plae where John was baptizing at first and then stayed there.
Great crowd came to hear him speak and many believed in him there. This may have been the most fruitful time of His ministry that the disciples witnessed in their time following Jesus. People were responding and souls were being converted. Jesus was able to minister freely without opposition of religious rulers of Jerusalem.
But something happened that interupted their time in the wilderness.
We will talk in reference to .
A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha.
This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick.
Heroic Pessimism
Heroic Pessimism
Bethany was on the outskirts of Jerusalem and Jesus had a close loving relationship with a little family who lived there. He loved them with a special kind of affection. He stayed with them and they provided for His needs. Now His dear friend Lazarus was sick. Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus, they knew if He came He could heal him.
This presented a problem if Jesus went that close to Jerusalem He would be very close to the worst kind of trouble. The Jewish leaders were seeking to seize Him and determined to kill Him. Jesus knew the timing of this was wrong. Jesus love Lazarus and his family, so he stayed put while Lazarus was dying. He did this deliberately to give him time to die. This was an act of love, because the blessing they received when Lazarus was raised from the dead was a greater blessing than the gift of being healed from his sickness.
It glorified Jesus in a greater way. When Jesus arrived he had been dead four days. Jesus knew this due to His supernatural knowledge and that is why he waited. The disciples thought Jesus was crazy to go there because of the danger that awaited nearby Bethany. They did not want to go back to Jerusalem. Things were going well in the wilderness and ministry was amazing. They were on a spiritual high and did not want to leave it especially for the danger that they would be walking into.
Jesus answerd them and told them there was no need for Him to hide like a common criminal. He was determined to do His work in the light of day because that is what you do in order not to stumble. He said this to calm the disciples and reassure them. They had nothing to fear. Jesus knew the time of His death was in God’s timing not in the timing of His enemies.
These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”
Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.”
However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.
A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock.
The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.
The disciples missed the meaning of scripture here. They could not see the urgency of the situation here. Jesus was speaking about death but they thought it to be sleep. But He further explained Himself and then they understood. Jesus had to go and there would be no changing His mind.
Then we meet Thomas
Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”
How pessimistic he is hey? He could see nothing but disaster ahead. He was convinced that Jesus was headed towards certain death. But if that was what the Lord was determined to do Thomas was going with Him. He was willing to die with Jesus. You have to admire his courage.
It is not easy to be a pessimist. It is a miserable way to live. The optimist in this situation may have said “Let’s go everything will work out. The Lord knows what He is doing. He says we won’t stumble. We will be fine”.
The pessimist says “He’s going to die and we are going to die with Him.
Thomas at least had the courage to be loyal even in the face of death/pessimism.
It is hard for a pessimist to be loyal because he is convinced the worst is going to happen but this is heroic pessimism and real courage.
Thomas was devoted to Christ. He may have been equal to John in this regard. When we think of someone who loved Jesus without question we think of John. He was always near to Jesus. But from this account we see Thomas did not wat to live without Jesus.
He was prepared to die with Him.
He in essence says “Guys it is better to die and be with Christ than to be left behind”.
Thomas is an example of strength to the rest of the apostles. They followed his lead at this point and said ok let’s go and if we die we die.
Thomas had deep devotion to Christ that could not be dampened even by pessimism. He followed Jesus with courage. He would rather die than be separated from Christ.
Profound Love
Profound Love
Thomas’ profound love for Jesus shows up again in
Jesus was telling them about his close coming departure.
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
John 14:
And you know the way to where I am going.”
Again when Thomas speaks we see his pessimism.
You are leaving? We will never get to where you are going. We don’t even know how to get there. How are we supposed to know how to get there?
He was thinking it was a better plan for them to die with Jesus because there would be no separation. If they all died together they would all be together. But if He goes without them how will they find Him?
Here is a man with deep love for His Lord. He is a man whose reationship with Christ was so strong that he never wanted to be separated from Him. His heart was broken to hear that Jesus was leaving them. He was crushed. The thought of loosing Christ paralyzed him. He was so attached to Jesus he could not think of living without Him. You have to admire his devotion and his transparency here.
This was overwhelming to Thomas. And his worst fears came to pass. Jesus died and he did not.
Thomas’ comfort
Thomas’ comfort
after Jesus’ death all the disciples were in deep sorrow. But they all came together to comfort one another. Except Thomas.
Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
It was too bad he was not there. Too bad he missed this appearance. The discipled had locked themselves in a room somewhere most likely the Upper room in Jerusalem.
Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
John 20:19-
Thomas missed the whole thing. Why wasn’t he there?
It was possible that he was so negative, so pessimistic, so melancholy that he was absolutely destroyed and was off somewhere wallowing in his own misery. He saw only the worst in everything. Now he was faced with his worst fears. Separation from Jesus. He was afraid he would never see Jesus again.
Thomas may have felt betrayed, alone, rejected, or forsaken.
The one he loved so deeply was gone and it tore his heart out. He was in no mood to socialize. He was brokenhearted, shattered, devesated and crushed. He wanted to be alone. He was in no mood to be in a crowd even with friends.
Then the disciples saw him and told him of their encounter with Jesus. They were excited and eager to share the news with him. He was in no mood and not willing to be cheered up so easily. Still the hopeless pessimist. Here’s the response:
The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
John 20:
This is where he gets his nickname Doubting Thomas. This statement alone. But the other disciples did not believe in the resurrection until they saw Jesus either.
She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.
And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
Mary saw Him and told them about it but they did not believe.
So Thomas was not the only doubter. They were all slow to believe.
Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said.
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”
“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.
And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!”
John 20:26-
Jesus came and revealed Himself to Thomas and was gentle with him. Thomas had erred because he was wired to be a pessimst. But his error was the error of profound love. It was provoked by grief, broken heartedness, uncertainty and the pain of loneliness. No one could feel the way he did unless he loved Jesus the way Thomas did. So Jesus was tender with him.
He understands our need, our weaknesses.
Heb
For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
I am so glad He gets me. He knows me. He knows what I need and provides!
Jesus is patient even with our pessimism. Even with our doubts.
He sees our weaknesses and we must acknowledge that the proof of Thomas’ love was the profoundness of his despair.
Thomas made one of the greatest statements when he realized it was Jesus.
And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
John
Let those who question the diety of Jesus meet Thomas.
Thomas’ melancholy, negative tedancies were forever banished by the appearance of Jesus Christ.
A short time later at Pentecost he was filled with the spirit and empowered for ministry. He then took the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Telling those other doubters who His redeemer is!
May our fears, doubts, worries and questions be eradicated by His presence! Embrace Him in all of His fullness.
I know my redeemer lives!