Is it always wrong to doubt? We all have our doubts about many things: the survival of our nation, even of our planet; we doubt our politicians and our leaders; we doubt each other and ourselves. God help us, some non-Orthodox, so-called “Christian theologians” even doubt the physical Resurrection of Christ!
And yet we might wonder, isn’t it only human to have doubts in a world where death seems to have the final word?
This coming Sunday we remember St. Thomas— “Doubting Thomas”, as he is sometimes called. For he doubted Christ’s Resurrection, saying that he wouldn’t believe until he touched His wounds! Of course, Thomas comes to believe when the Resurrected Christ reveals Himself to him—not as a ghost, mind you, but physically. He commands Thomas to touch His wounds so that he might believe! Nevertheless, Thomas’s doubt was never a lack of fidelity. For he continued to love our Lord after the Crucifixion, just as they did. He did not break ranks with his brothers who continued to believe —and how could they not believe, having seen and talked with the Resurrected Christ?
But what does the Church say about St. Thomas’s doubt? One of our holy hymns says that it revealed “a most glorious wonder”, for:
It brought the hearts of the faithful to knowledge.
And with fear he cried: “My Lord and my God, glory to You!”
O most glorious wonder! Doubt bore certain faith!
(Vespers, 2nd Sunday of Pascha)
“Doubt bore certain faith!” What a strong affirmation of St. Thomas’s doubt! And why is this? I think it is because he loved our Lord. Of course, the remaining eleven loved our Lord—and, lest we forget, they all had their doubts until the Resurrected Christ revealed Himself to them. But still, Thomas always seemed to stand apart—and his not being there with the other Apostles was no accident. For this allowed Christ to affirm this good kind of doubt. Of course, Christ knew that Thomas loved Him deeply. For we recall that near the end of His ministry, Jesus announced that He would go to Judea to “awaken” Lazarus. While the other disciples express alarm that Jesus would even think of returning to that place where the Jews recently tried to stone Him, St. Thomas stands up and says, “Let us go also, that we might die with Him” (John 11:16).
Greater love hath no man than this (John 15:13).
Here is my point: If we have doubts and yet remain faithful to Christ for no other reason but that we love Him, like St. Thomas, our doubts will bear certain faith by the power of the Holy Spirit. Then our hearts will be brought to knowledge. If our love of Christ is strong, firm, active, and deep, we’ll know that
He is Risen Indeed!
This is a truth beyond doubt. For divine love is stronger than death: God’s love has the final word. But this is a truth that tests our hearts—our willingness to abide in the Holy Spirit.
Think about it.
Fr. Paul Martin
Annunciation & St. Paraskevi Greek Orthodox Church
New Buffalo, MI