Sermonette: September 11, 2023

E-Free Church

How big is your faith? This is the question I feel like Jesus has asked every last human in their heart of hearts. How big is your faith? Is it big enough to believe in Jesus? Is it big enough to move mountains? Is it big enough to believe in the Twins this year? (Just kidding.) This is “the” question of all existence that even the people of the Bible had to face. Often times, I feel like the only reason some people are even mentioned in the Bible is to show how they responded to this question.

One of these sorts of characters is the apostle Thomas. Thomas is mentioned only 12 times in the Bible. Of these 12 references, five are his name only being mentioned in a list of the disciples. The remaining seven references are all in John and part of only three different stories. The apostle Thomas is only remembered in detail by one single gospel, and is only recorded speaking up in three different situations.

Despite this extremely short script, Thomas shows a unique way of answering Jesus’ question: how big is your faith?

The first recorded words of Thomas occur in John 11. For those who don’t have John memorized, this is story of Lazarus. In the story, Jesus hears that Lazarus is dying. After two days, Jesus decides to go to Lazarus at his home in Judea. The disciples plead for Jesus to not go, because the people of that area have already made it clear they are eager and willing to kill Jesus. Jesus insists, and John makes it clear that it was Thomas who said “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” (John 11:16) Thomas is already willing to die for Jesus. His faith in Jesus is so strong, that he is willing to give up his life, just to follow his rabbi Jesus.

The next time we run into Thomas is in John 14 and is likely the least known of his 3 stories. It takes place in the upper room as Jesus is saying his final words to the disciples. Jesus tells the disciples to not worry; he is going on ahead to God to prepare places for them all. Eventually, Jesus states, the disciple will follow him. Thomas is the one who asks “Jesus, how can we follow you if we don’t know the way?” (John 14:5) Jesus seems to think this is a good question (because we know he’s not afraid to tell his disciples when they’re being foolish) and answers with his famous and often quoted verse: John 14:6. “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Thomas’ faith is such that he wants to follow Jesus into heaven. He doesn’t want to leave it to chance; he wants to know the way.

Thomas’s final story is his most famous: John 20. Jesus has died, but many of the disciples claim to have seen him alive. Thomas famously states that “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.” (John 20:25) As we all know, Jesus shows up two verses later and challenges him to do exactly that. Jesus then states that others, who believed on less, will be blessed more. The ones who believed without sticking their fingers into Jesus are the ones who have faith he’s looking for.

Thomas had faith. He had faith enough to be willing to die with Jesus. He had faith enough that he absolutely wanted to follow Jesus into heaven and be with him there. But, he didn’t have faith enough to believe that his rabbi was more powerful than even death. I think the reason John mentions Thomas at all in his gospel is to imply the question: “Thomas had faith; but he didn’t have enough. Do you?” Jesus doesn’t ask nicely for some faith. He demands it all. To be saved, one has to believe in Jesus.

one hundred percent. Having just enough faith to go to church every Sunday isn’t "enough." Only having faith to bend your every moment to Jesus’ will is "enough."

Thomas came up short, but then corrected this failure, becoming a passionate evangelist, taking the gospel all the way to his martyr’s death in India. He learned from his mistake and now John and Jesus ask us “Will you also learn from Thomas’ mistake? How big is your faith?” Is it big "enough"? Or is it complete because you actively give your every moment over to Jesus?