Can skepticism and doubt be brought alive to faith? Can a wealthy man who cheated his neighbors be revived and become a man of faith? Let's look at Thomas and Matthew.
1) Thomas’s Revival
Can skepticism turn into faith? Let’s look at the Apostle Thomas and how his pessimism and doubt turned to faith.
Did Thomas begin with pessimism, “Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him’ ” (John 11:16 NIV)? Thomas is like many of us. Struggle as we may, we too sometimes lose a battle against negativity and skepticism. With Thomas his idle threat to die with Jesus is betrayed by his actions around Jesus’ death, leaving Him to die alone (Matthew 26:56). Pessimism tinged perhaps with fatalistic sarcasm is what many commentators see in Thomas’ comment.
Thomas was like many of our children who ask, “Are we there yet?” Did Thomas ask a similar question? Not knowing where we are going is part of the Christian journey of faith. Know one thing! The Lord answered as Thomas asked, “ ‘We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’ ” (John 14:5-6 NLT) Way can also mean road or path, teaching us that we don’t always need to know where we are going, we only need to trust our Lord.
Thomas was a doubter as we read, “A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ ” (John 20:26-27 NIV) Can a doubter also confess Jesus as God? Also can the doubter be called Thomas the confessor with this remarkable statement, “And Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ ” (John 20:28 NKJV) Be a confessor, not a doubter. Called to confess Jesus, we who have not seen yet believe are especially blessed, “Jesus said, ‘Thomas, do you have faith because you have seen me? The people who have faith in me without seeing me are the ones who are really blessed!’ ” (John 20:29 CEV) The words indicate that Thomas saw and confessed Christ without touching as he was invited to do. Confessor to Him (Jesus) as God is the intent of the language.
Thomas is said to have evangelized parts of Persia, China and India. The St Thomas Christians in the southwest Indian state of Kerala claim him as their founder. Apostle to India, Thomas died in Mylapore as a martyr.
Rejoice, lovers of God, that revival can take place anywhere, even changing a pessimistic skeptic into a fruitful man of faith.
2) Matthew’s Revival
Can a wealthy man, who had made money his god and probably cheated many throughout his life, give it all up to become a follower of Jesus?
Matthew, also called Levi, was a tax collector and was probably also considered to be a cheat and traitor to the Jewish people, because he collected taxes for the Romans and probably overcharged the people in order to become wealthy. Was he able to give up his ill gotten gains to follow Jesus? Called, he quickly left everything to follow Jesus, “Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him. Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them. (Luke 5:27-29 NLT)
Matthew set the same example as other disciples; he immediately followed Jesus, “As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me,’ he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.” (Matthew 9:9 NIV) Invited to a banquet at Matthew’s house, Jesus dined with sinners, “As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him. Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him.” (Mark 2:14-15 NKJV) Jesus was often in the company of people rejected by society. And sinners were attracted to Jesus’ message. Sinners was a euphemism, which Jesus clearly labeled, when He countered His critics, “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do.” (Matthew 21:31 NLT)
Early church writers attribute Matthew’s gospel to him, and they carry the authority of being closest to the events, unlike modern deconstructionists, who seek to cast doubt rather than build faith. Church fathers Irenaeus and Clement of Alexandria record Matthew as preaching to the Jews before going elsewhere, possibly establishing the earliest churches in Ethiopia. Fathers give conflicting accounts of his death and so we don’t really know whether he was stoned, burned, beheaded or died of old age.
Rejoice, lovers of God, that a corrupt official can have his spirit revived, become a faithful follower of Jesus and go on to bring revival to many others.
A skeptical doubter can come alive in faith. A wealthy man who cheated his neighbors can be revived and become a man of faith. Revival can come to all who are willing.
