Main theme: Jesus Comes to Each of Us Personally and Individually
Twins: Even in our world today, where quintuplets and sextuplets are almost a normal occurrence, twins still raise a few eyebrows. I have a little bit of personal experience with twins; I have two nephews who are twins (though they aren't identical) and I have a cousin who has two sets of identical twins, the sets coming two years apart. Yes, she had four kids in diapers at the same time. But back to my sister's twins; even though they aren't identical, the questions that twins bring up still rear their ugly head, deep philosophical questions like: on their birthday, do you give them one present for them to share? And if you buy two presents, do you buy the same thing in different colors so they don't fight over who got the most expensive present? You see, even with nonidentical twins, you still have to worry about treating them exactly alike so that they don't feel slighted.
Treating twins identically used to be the standard in the United States, to the point of dressing them in identical clothing. The twins I remember most from my childhood are Sharon and Karen Goodwin (to this day I still can't tell which is which) and they were always dressed the same. The same thing with the twins I knew in college: Meda and Veda Reeves. That's another thing with twins; sharing names. My sister's boys are Robbie and Ryan. It gets to the point for me that the two names end up being one big name, like Sharonandkaren. Or pity the poor twin who's name is last of the pair; because when I call for Ryan, I'll always call him Robbie first just out of force of habit. Twins often share the same room, the same class, the same friends. Maybe that's one reason we tend to think of them as one unit - there's so much of their identity that's shared.
But sharing an identity is something that happens to everyone. I mean, haven't you had the experience of someone saying to you, "I saw you at the mall yesterday and you didn't even recognize me" and you weren't anywhere near the mall that day? Once or twice is OK, but if it happens too often, it gets a little unnerving for me. Then think about the people who look exactly like someone famous. I wonder what it's like to always hear "Hey, aren't you...?" and then not be the person they were looking for?
What do you suppose it's like, this business of being a twin? How hard would it be to feel like everything you had was something shared, even the things you wanted to be most personal? It seems like all siblings compete for their parents' affection; would it be that much harder competing with someone who is so much like you that they want the same things you want at the same time? Would you ever feel that there was anything that was truly yours? What kind of a personality would that give you, and could you be sure that it was your personality, and not just a rehash of your twin's? Would that press you on to develop your own unique way, or would you be one to hang with the crowd and deal only in shared experiences?
That brings us to our friend Thomas. We've all grown up thinking of Thomas as "the doubter", mostly from the Bible passage we read. But I want to look throughout the book of John and get a different picture, maybe for the first time seeing Thomas the Twin, the one who goes from never having anything to call his own to one that has something just for him. Let's look at the first passage in John with Thomas in it, found in Chapter 11. Jesus has found out that Lazarus is dead, yet he waits for two days to set out (keep that part in mind, it's important later). The disciples don't want to go, because there's a death warrant out on them, but Jesus goes anyway.
At this point, Thomas chimes in "Come along. We might as well die with Him." I see two things in that comment. First, I see Thomas with a group mentality: if one goes, they all go, even if they go to their death. But there's something, or should I say someone, else on Thomas' mind: the group's leader, Jesus. His leadership, his will is more important than the group to Thomas, or Thomas would have tried to keep the group intact and left Jesus to His own fate.
Now let's move on to the next account, this time in John Chapter 14. It's a short passage, let me read it for you. (Read passage.) Now Thomas is beset by a new problem: the one he has followed and wants to follow is going somewhere, and this time he doesn't know how to follow. Is the thought going through his mind "We're not special enough for Jesus; we'll have to share Him with even more"?
Those passages set the stage for John 20. Thomas has heard the stories about Jesus rising from the dead; the whole group had. Was there still hope that all of them could be together again? Then that terrible day when Thomas was gone, and Jesus had appeared to all of them...except him!! Now it wasn't Jesus the Messiah of Israel, it was Jesus the Messiah for everyone but Thomas, the one who never gets his own. Can you see how he might respond out of his bitterness and anger in being left out "I won't believe it, not until I see Him, not until I face Him?"
Now, remember I told you to keep in mind that Jesus waited two days after Lazarus died to go see him? Jesus gave the reason in that Chapter 11 passage: to give new grounds for the disciples to believe. For Jesus, timing is teaching, and as far as I'm concerned, there's no such thing as a coincidence in the Bible. I think Jesus appeared to everyone but Thomas not as an oversight or as a punishment, but as a Gift. Jesus was making so that Thomas could get his own personal appearance. Let me read the best line in this whole passage again: "Then He (Jesus) focused his attention on Thomas" just like when a father helps his child with a homework problem, or as one spouse listening to another after a long day at work. The whole conversation with Jesus and Thomas takes on a whole new meaning. In inviting Thomas to see His hands and side, Jesus says "Look, Thomas. I made a special trip to show you this. See, I went to get your room ready, and now I'm back in the flesh. You can trust me, because I love you. Oh, Thomas, don't be unbelieving; believe. I came just for you."
Is it any wonder that Thomas responds not by calling Jesus Messiah of Israel or Teacher, but "MY Lord and MY God"?
Well, that was a fairly deep look at Thomas' life, but what does this have to do with our lives? First, I have a confession: there are those occasional Sunday mornings where I don't get a major revelation from the service. Let's be honest: I've heard some sermons that all I could think about was going home to bed. That thought may be going through your head right now. In a way, that's OK. I mean, I wouldn't make a habit of it. But we have a God that loves us so much, if we just aren't able to respond to Him on Sunday, He'll show up on Monday. We have a God who meets us when, where and how we need Him to. Think of Mary at the tomb: she was looking for her teacher, but she needed the Messiah, so Jesus tells her not to touch Him because He's headed to His Father. Or those disciples who were expecting a ghost but needed to see Jesus power over death: Jesus shares fish with them so they can see Him eat.
You need to have it all explained? He'll come to you the way He came to those on the Road to Emmaus. You need more than your own eyes? He'll appear to 500 other people at the same time. You need to be held accountable for your actions? He'll do that too. I heard something interesting earlier this week. Let's take a quick look at John 21. (PARAPHASE JOHN 21 FIRE STORY.) That fire is described as a fire of coals in the King James Version; the only other time a fire like that is mentioned in the Gospels is the one in the courtyard that Peter stood by when he denied Jesus three times. Talk about holding your feet to the fire! My point is that God shows us in the Bible that He comes to us again and again to provide for us, because He loves us so very greatly.
Do you know that Jesus focuses His attention on you? You kids that come to church because your
parents bring you, or you husbands who come here because it's your wife's church: do you know that
it doesn't have to be their church, it can be your church, but more importantly, Jesus doesn't have to
be their Savior, He can be your savior? Jesus stands at the door of your heart, waiting to bring you
all of the blessings He's chosen for you personally. Open up to Him, listen for His voice: He'll make
a special trip just for you.
(Comments to h2oward@aol.com)