Thomas: How Does Jesus Love the Disciples
For the next number of weeks I would like to start a series on how Jesus loved the disciples. Specifically I want to start from:
John 15:12 “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
Here is my simple question: “How did Jesus love the disciples?”
Stop reading, take a moment and really try to answer that question before you read further.
The first thing I thought of was… “Well, the Sunday School answer is that Jesus loved us by going to the cross to forgive us.” That is radically true. However, we are probably not going to be dying on a cross for each other today. Of course there is the other response, “He means we should lay down our lives and love each other.” That also is certainly true. But “how” did Jesus love the disciples.
We need specific examples.
Let’s consider Thomas’ failure to believe that Jesus rose from the dead. John 20:24 reveals that Thomas was not among the other 10 disciples when Jesus came back to life after being killed. Thomas said he would not believe unless he put his fingers in the nail marks and put his hand in Jesus’ side where the spear cut him. As we know, faith, is a very important subject to Jesus. How does Jesus react to Thomas’ failure to believe?
The text says that a week later Jesus again appears to the disciples and this time Thomas is with them. One of my friends has noted that Jesus does NOT “lead” the discussion with accusation, shame or condemnation. Jesus does NOT lead with accusation saying, “Thomas you dummy! Didn’t I tell you I would come back to life?” Jesus does NOT lead with shame saying, “Wow, I had such great hopes for you Thomas!” Jesus does NOT pull the disappointment card, “Thomas, I am soooo disappointed in you! I really thought you were better than this!”
The question of how Jesus loves the disciples, in the case of struggles, failures or sins, revolves around “How does Jesus MOTIVATE the disciples when they are coming up short?”
Jesus simply motivates Thomas with instruction and challenge. Jesus instructs Thomas saying, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side.” Then Jesus challenges Thomas. Jesus calls him higher saying, “Stop doubting and believe…. Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
If shame and accusation “color” your image of Jesus and of God – you will read into the text shame and accusation that is not there. However, as you take passage after passage in the Gospels to study and pray through them, you begin to realize that Jesus never accuses, shames or rejects the disciples for mistakes, failures or sin. As far as I can see, Jesus loves them and motivates them with clean instruction, challenge, correction and sometimes discipline. However, even when the discipline is sharp, Jesus does not reject Peter or His other followers. Jesus never motivates them the way the devil would. The devil loves to shame and heap condemnation on people. Jesus loves to call people higher and build them up… even when it is intense challenge. It is how He grows people.
Therefore, when you are tempted to shame and fault find others, consider loving people as Jesus loved the disciples. Deal with failures and sins mercifully and with clean motivation. “Love one another as I have loved you.”