John 11:16
Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us
also go, so that we may die with Him."
The Lord is planning to go to Bethany. He is asking the Apostles to come with
him.
Thomas understood the reality of the situation. If Jesus is caught by the Jewish
authorities, they will probably kill him and anyone close to him. Thomas has
weighed in the options. He perhaps contemplated deserting Christ too, just for a
moment. If he did that, he would have stared face to face with a life without
Christ. (something that Judas Iscariot experienced after his betrayal of Christ,
something that Peter experienced after his denial of Christ)
That one moment may have been enough to convince Thomas - no, I do not want a
life without Him.
He is my everything, He is my all.
He is my reason for living.
I do not want a life without him.
If He dies, I want to die with Him.
This was the choice made by Thomas at that time. Even before He spoke this
verse, He had made up his mind. His decision was taken. He recognized the cross
of His suffering, and was willing to carry it for His Lord.
Here we see the mind of a fiercely loyal follower, even unto death. Thomas's
desire, his motivation to follow Christ was not to occupy important seats in His
Kingdom - it was to "die with Him". The circumstances that the Canaanite woman
was put in, bore out her great faith - which inspires generations even today to
hold on to their faith. The cicumstances that Thomas was put in that day, showed
him ready to be a martyr. A martyr was being prepared here. And that die-hard
follower of His Master inspires us even today to be steadfast in faith. Praise
be to the Lord!
The mind to "die with Him" was prepared on that day, in the setting of this
verse from the Scriptures, and it achieved fulfillment after a long time,and a
long distance away - in Mylapore in Madras, in Thomas's martyrdom. In between
was the time of great power when the Lord worked wonders through this
brilliantly focussed mind. In between was the time when the Church of the East
was carved out of history. Amazing things can happen when a willing mind submits
before the Will of the Creator.
May we also be inspired by this great warrior in setting direction for our own
lives.
Christ is Risen!
Mathew Samuel,
Albany, NY
Part 9:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IndianOrthodox/message/23515
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IndianOrthodox/message/23527
Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us
also go, so that we may die with Him."
The Lord is planning to go to Bethany. He is asking the Apostles to come with
him.
Thomas understood the reality of the situation. If Jesus is caught by the Jewish
authorities, they will probably kill him and anyone close to him. Thomas has
weighed in the options. He perhaps contemplated deserting Christ too, just for a
moment. If he did that, he would have stared face to face with a life without
Christ. (something that Judas Iscariot experienced after his betrayal of Christ,
something that Peter experienced after his denial of Christ)
That one moment may have been enough to convince Thomas - no, I do not want a
life without Him.
He is my everything, He is my all.
He is my reason for living.
I do not want a life without him.
If He dies, I want to die with Him.
This was the choice made by Thomas at that time. Even before He spoke this
verse, He had made up his mind. His decision was taken. He recognized the cross
of His suffering, and was willing to carry it for His Lord.
Here we see the mind of a fiercely loyal follower, even unto death. Thomas's
desire, his motivation to follow Christ was not to occupy important seats in His
Kingdom - it was to "die with Him". The circumstances that the Canaanite woman
was put in, bore out her great faith - which inspires generations even today to
hold on to their faith. The cicumstances that Thomas was put in that day, showed
him ready to be a martyr. A martyr was being prepared here. And that die-hard
follower of His Master inspires us even today to be steadfast in faith. Praise
be to the Lord!
The mind to "die with Him" was prepared on that day, in the setting of this
verse from the Scriptures, and it achieved fulfillment after a long time,and a
long distance away - in Mylapore in Madras, in Thomas's martyrdom. In between
was the time of great power when the Lord worked wonders through this
brilliantly focussed mind. In between was the time when the Church of the East
was carved out of history. Amazing things can happen when a willing mind submits
before the Will of the Creator.
May we also be inspired by this great warrior in setting direction for our own
lives.
Christ is Risen!
Mathew Samuel,
Albany, NY
Part 9:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IndianOrthodox/message/23515
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IndianOrthodox/message/23527
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