I am a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). While I don’t read the comic books from which the movies come, I have seen all of the movies at least twice and just recently binged them all in chronological order. (Yes, I am a fan of chronology for more than just the Bible’s one big story.)

One of the MCU fans’ favorite villains is named Erik Killmonger, the nemesis of the Black Panther in that film. While other villains are much more powerful, like the mighty Thanos, or much more witty, like Thor’s brother Loki, Killmonger is a favorite because he is a sympathetic villain. His motivation, unlike that of so many other villains, was not greed or personal glory. He has been wronged as a child and was well-aware of the wrongs in the world. He believed that his country of origin—Wakanda—had the power to help people, but they refused, preferring to live in isolation to protect themselves. What drove Killmonger was a desire to force Wakanda to help others—a noble motivation indeed. Yes, his methods were wrong, which made him a villain, but of all the villains in the MCU, part of you wants to side with Killmonger. He is a complex character—neither purely noble or purely evil.

Which takes us to Thomas.

Thomas, like all of the disciples, is more complex than we might recognize. We have to remember that the Bible is real—Thomas was a real person, not a one-dimensional fictional character. Sometimes, I fear, we make the mistake of flattening people in the Bible. What do we know Thomas as? That’s right, “the doubter.” We then carry that flat identifier over to wherever we see Thomas. Likewise, we see Peter as the one always with his foot in his mouth. And it works the other way too. David is the regal king.

It is neither fair nor wise to read Scripture this way. David was a good king—a man after God’s own heart—but he was also an adulterer (at least) and a murderer. Peter did put his foot in his mouth quite a bit, but he also was quick to profess Jesus as the Son of God. And Thomas was the one who encouraged the other disciples to go with Jesus to Lazarus, even if it might cost them their lives. And even in the passage that marks Thomas with the “doubter” tag, we find grounds to be more charitable to him.

Thomas’ Need of Proof (John 20:25)

24 But Thomas (called “Twin” ), one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples were telling him, “We’ve seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “If I don’t see the mark of the nails in his hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe.” (John 20:24-25 CSB)

It almost seems as if John, writing this Gospel, wants to help Thomas, his friend, out. If we want to give Thomas a nickname, it should be “Twin” not “Doubter.” And John reminds us that Thomas had been gone when Jesus appeared to the others before.

But when the disciples told Thomas that Jesus had risen, he demands proof. Outrageous? Unreasonable? A sign of lacking faith? Perhaps not. Scan up a few verses before this when Jesus appeared to the disciples except for Thomas and notice this:

20 Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. (John 20:20 CSB)

Jesus showed the disciples proof of His resurrection. In fact, all of the post-resurrection appearances were acts of God’s kindness to provide proof of the resurrection to help our unbelief. The tomb could have been empty and Jesus could have never been seen again until His return. But that is not what God did—He gave us 40 days of the resurrected Jesus walking with people, talking with people, eating with people, and more to prove He is alive forevermore.

We have to remember that our faith is not a blind faith. The Bible exists so that our faith might be a thoughtful faith. The miracles Jesus performed were to prompt reasonable faith for trusting in Him. So was it wrong for Thomas to want some form of evidence? Perhaps not. But at the same time his contention that he would never believe unless he touched Jesus’ wounds did go too far. And that is what Jesus would call him on later.

Jesus’ Offer of Proof (John 20:27)

A week later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples, this time with Thomas present:

27 Then he said to Thomas,“Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Don’t be faithless, but believe.” (John 20:27 (CSB)

Let’s consider Jesus’ invitation to Thomas here. First, we cannot miss that this statement affirms Christ’s omniscience. Jesus had not been present when Thomas made his statement before this, yet He knows about it. How? Because He is all-knowing God.

Second, was this statement one of rebuke or kindness? We cannot know for sure—I wish the words on the page conveyed tone and inflection—and I suspect how we view Thomas will color our understanding here. If we see Thomas as the unreasonable, faithless, stubborn doubter, we will read Jesus’ words here as a rebuke. But, if we are fairer to Thomas, as I believe we should be, we can see kindness and love in Jesus’ offer. This could very well be an act of divine condescension—God coming down to meet us where we are to take us where we need to go. Might this offer been one saturated more in Christ’s love than anything else? Could not Jesus’ love for Thomas led Him to provide what Thomas thought he needed so that he would believe and join in the celebration of faith? Perhaps I am pollyannish, but I prefer to see the account this way. Time after time in Scripture, and in our lives, we have seen God act kindly to those who were struggling in their faith. Yes, God rebukes the haughty, but I don’t see Thomas in that light. I see a man who wanted to believe but was struggling to do so. And I see a God who is quick to help that unbelief.

Thomas’ Confession of Faith (John 20:28)

28 Thomas responded to him, “My Lord and my God! ” (John 20:28 CSB)

Sometimes what is not in Scripture is just as important as what is. Notice what is not recorded, and I believe therefore safe for us to assume it did not happen: Thomas did not touch Jesus’ wounds. It turns out what he thought he needed, he really didn’t need. He was able to find faith (or rather, God helped grow faith within him), such that he ended up believing short of the amount of evidence he thought he had needed.

And this is what prompts an important teaching moment by Jesus:

29 Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” (John 20:29-42 (CSB)

Again, notice there is no direct rebuke of Thomas here. And if this were a rebuke, it would be of all the disciples too—for they all believed only upon seeing Christ. No, this is not a rebuke of them; it is a reminder that as hard as it was for them to have faith, it would be even harder for future generations. Jesus would be visible only for a couple of more weeks. And then faith would have to come without sight. And this would be the disciples’ mission—to help others have that kind of faith. What Thomas thought he needed before—touching Jesus—was a barrier for his faith and would be a barrier for all who would come after. The disciples needed God’s help for their faith to grow beyond that so they could call on that level of faith from others. May God grow our faith likewise.

But here we see the peace of God is not the absence of negative thoughts, it is the presence of God himself … It is a sense that no matter what happens, everything will ultimately be all right, even though it may not be all right at the moment.” – Timothy Keller

Timothy Keller, Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering (New York: Riverhead Books, 2013), 297.

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