Weekly Devotional 10-31-22 An Interview with Thomas
This week’s devotional is a fictional interview between a Jewish news reporter and Thomas, one of Jesus’ apostles. I pray that you will find it interesting and thought provoking.
10 Iyyar (May-June) AD 30 News from Jerusalem
Yesterday I interviewed Thomas; a man truly transformed by the death burial and supposed resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. I say supposed because even though many have claimed to have seen him alive, including Thomas, I am still skeptical about such reports. But as just stated, Thomas seems to be a truly transformed man. This interview was rather lengthy, but I want to present what was said by Thomas accurately, and as much as I can, without bias.
Reporter Thomas before we discuss the present would you be so kind as to tell me about yourself. Who you are, what is your occupation, and how did you become a follower of this man, Jesus.
Thomas Like most of the Lord’s apostles I was born in Galilee. I have a twin and that is why I am also called Didymus, but my twin has no relevancy to what you want to know. I am a tradesman and have worked for many of the local businesses in and around Galilee for several years. As a young boy, many years ago, I was in Jerusalem and I overheard a man named Simeon, a just and devout man, proclaim, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” You see, Jesus had been brought into the temple at Jerusalem to satisfy the Law of Moses. He had been circumcised just a few days earlier and on this day his parents brought Him to the temple to present Him before the Lord. Upon seeing Jesus Simeon took Him into his arms and spoke those words. On that same day Anna, one of our Jewish prophetesses, you know of her, also began giving thanks unto the Lord in the same manner and began speaking to many of the people who were hungering for redemption. I took notice but being a young boy I did not really understand what they were saying. Several years later this boy, Jesus, had grown into manhood and like John the Baptist was going about preaching that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. Well, like many others, I began following Jesus because of many of the things He was doing that had no rational explanation. On one occasion, at a family wedding, He changed water into wine. An even more phenomenal He healed a friend’s mother by rebuking the fever that had taken her over. It wasn’t only her though; He went about the region healing person after person by laying His hands on them. I also witnessed His casting demons out of many people who were possessed.
His message was so gripping that I soon found myself farming out most of my business obligations to other’s skilled in the trades and began following Him. On a certain day, several months after I began following Him, He took several of us up into a mountain and after He had spent several hours in solitude and prayer called twelve of us to himself and named us as his apostles. There was Simon whom He renamed Peter, Andrew-Peter’s brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon-also called Zelotes, Judas the brother of James, Judas Iscariot and me, Thomas.
As we came down out of the mountain, He was quickly surrounded by people who were vexed with one disease or another and He healed them all. By this time we apostles knew that we were in the presence of somebody different than anyone we had ever met before.
Somewhere along the line He began referring to himself as “the Son of God,” not just a son of God but the Son of God. Certainly, this caused great consternation in all of us, was He delusional, something that early on crossed our minds? Yet many of the blind had received back their sight, many had been healed of serious diseases and a few people had been raised from the dead. On one occasion, out on the Sea of Galilee a violent storm had come up and we all feared that because of the raging of the storm we would be tossed into the water and be drowned. But Jesus, after we woke Him from sleep, stood in the middle of the boat and commanded the sea to be calm. Who could do these things, but God? Still many of us doubted, me especially. A man, the son of God, how could that be?
But then this, He was executed, was buried and after three days He rose from the dead. I, myself, have seen him, have touched his wounds, have talked, and ate with him and watched him ascend into the heavens. No, my friend, this was no ordinary man but was and is who he said He was, the Son of God.
Reporter I tell you, my readers, after that interview and having checked out Thomas’ claims I am no longer skeptical. I now, like Thomas, believe that Jesus was/is God. Having accepted this truth my world view has changed, and I am now a follower of Jesus. That is my prayer for you.
Reporter at Large – News from Jerusalem
Stevelampman.com / Transforming Power; the Work of God on Behalf of Man