Thomas--The Grown Man Disiciple

"Grown Man" is a term I've picked up from my son, Trevor. A simple saying that embodies the idea that some one is indeed, a man. For example, "Aaron Rodgers is a grown man." I'm pretty proud of the fact that my sons are indeed becoming, "Grown men." Men who aren't afraid to do man stuff in man ways. Today as I was reading in John, I couldn't help but think that the guy we've come to know as "Doubting Thomas" is also included in the "grown man club."

In a nut shell, Jesus gets news that Lazarus is sick, and Jesus hearing the news stays where he is two more days. No tyranny of the urgent for Jesus--but that's another note. After these couple of days he says to the disciples, "Let's go back to Judea." This is kind of a big deal since people in Judea have been trying to kill him--with stones, even. In fact just a few verses back it says, "they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp."

Those ever quick disciples felt the need to remind God himself that people that back in Judea had tried to kill him--like the Son of God forgets such things or can't handle them--and Jesus answers them with some cryptic riddle talk (which is also for another note) and tells them Lazarus has fallen asleep. (Bible code for dead and resting for heaven) Jesus says he needs to go wake him up.

Again, the quick witted discples respond with, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." And Jesus, probably chuckling and rolling his eyes, explains to them that Lazarus isn't really sleeping, he's already dead, and that is was for their sake that he didn't go straight away to Lazarus so that when they see what goes down, they will believe, and that they need to quit talking and get on the road.

Then Thomas, (you go Thomas!--not a grown man thing to say, but whatever!) pipes up in what my brain imagines to be a slightly sarcstic tone--sort of like the one athletes use before they go out into a game they know they are going to get annihilated in--and says, "Let's go, that we may die with him."

Verse 17 begins with these words, "On his arrival. . . " which means they went. Which means Thomas went. Which means that our doubting, negative self talkin, sarcastic," holy cow we are all gonna die!", Thomas went, too. And that's the part I love. That's the part that, in my book, makes Thomas a "grown man." Because when he was afraid, when he doubted, when he had no idea what was going to happen, he followed Jesus anyway--knowing it was dangerous, knowing it could not end well, yet knowing somehow that because he was going with the Son of God no matter what happened it would be okay. And so he put one foot in front on the other and went to Judea where he witnessed what was probably the catalyst for every mummy movie ever made.

And so, Thomas the Grown Man is my inspiration today to follow even when it's dangerous, to follow even when I'm scared, to follow even when I have no idea how it's going to turn out because I know that it is better to be walkin with the Son of God iinto death and danger than to stay back alone. (which actually leads to a different kind of danger and death, but that, too, is another note!)