The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-07
HOW JESUS DEALS
WITH THE DOUBTER
DIR. McVay breaches On
Behold His Hands,
"DOUBTING THOMAS"
Christ Deals Very Tenderly With the
Honest Doubter, Says DIR. Nc
Voy-All See Light Sooner
or Later
"DOUBTING THOMAS"


and believed that Christ did also. was "a
statement made yesterday morning by tie
Rev. e. c. McVoy at the Five Points
Methodist church. 1t was a significant
fact, he said. that sooner or later all
honest doubters were brought to see the
light.
Dr. McVoy preached on Behold His
Hands," taking his text from John, 20:27-
Behold My Hands," He pointed out how
gently the Lord had dealt with Doubt
ing Thomas and voiced the belief that
He would ever be as gentle with all hon
est doubters
DIR. McVoy spoke in part as follows:
Behold My Hands These words ut
tered by Jesus were spoken to Thomas.
You know, among the 12 disciples, Thomas
was the doubter
"The world always has had its doubters,
and the world has its doubters today. Dr.
Henry Van Dyke has called thissen Age
of Doubt
Perhaps there is not so much out
spoken infdelity and doubt today as there
has been, vet ] am convinced that down
deep in the hearts of many people about
us there are pnspoken DOUBTS.
Now, as l recall the story of Thomas
] am thinking that there are several kinds
of doubters Frs. there is the Indifferent
doubter Flle man who looks upon re-
iglon as of very little Importance, and
PUSHES it aside as hardly worthy of ris
consideration. / have known a few men
of that kind.
Then there is the conceited doubter
The man VINO THINKS IT is smart to doubt;
the evidence of superior intellect. l
versities of or country are employing
infidels to teach Que youths, and the re-
suit is our SONS and daughters often come
back to us from these schools with the
idea that it is smart to doubt.
Alabama To Be Congratulated
Alabama is to be congratulated thatshe
las a man at the head of her university
who believes in God.
'+Then there is the doubter who only
talks. The man who down deep in mis-
heart feels and knows the truth of reli-
gion, but he is glib of. tongue; he likes 10
hear himself talk; mis- own voice is to him
J
many doub-ers OF that kind.
Last of all there is the honest douhter
The man who wants to- believe, but can't.
The man who tries to weigh Christian ev-
licences carefully, and ther honestly
pushes aside religion as unworthy of his
belief. | have known people who were
honest doubters, ana | have profound re-
spect for such people.
All Converted Eventually 4
But listeni | have never knownT an
honest doubter who did not see the light,
who did not III hesitatingly accept Chris
tianity sooner or later.
Nov, | think Thomas was an honest
doubter. He was one of these slow, plod-
ding, very conscientious men. He was
rot going 70 put the stamp of his ap-
proval upon anything he did not know
was true.
And | think Thomas was exactly
right All he asked for was convincing ev-
idence.
And ] want You to notice this All the
other disciples had seen the risen Christ
with their own eyes. Thomas alone had
not seen Him, and he was only asking the
same privilege the others had enjoyed-to
see Him, to touch Him.
All Were Doubters
II dare say, IL the other disciples had
not seen the risen Christ many of thcrn
would have doubted, too. The fact is they
did doubt. They ere all in the same
boat with Thomas, and l can prove ".
You remember when the women went te
the sepulchre of Jesus and found il empty
they were told by the angel that Christ
had risen. Now, il is said here in tie
last chapter of st. Luke, that these worn-
en- returned from the sepulchre and told
the eleven disciples that Christ had risen,
and l read here: Their words seemed .
them as idle tales, ard they believed them
not. They were all doubters, and
not until they saw the risen
Christ with their own eyes. did they
believe. ~ 5al4s
Il say, Thomas only demanded the
same evidence the others had enjoyed.
said he; Except I shall see in His
hands the print of the nails and put my
finger into the print of the nails and
thrust my hand into His side, l will not
believe
No Reproaches
Now, notice how tenderly Jesus deals
with Thomas. Eight days after this
the disciples were assembled in the up
per room and Thomas was with them
Suddenly the risen Christ appeared in
their midst. Addressing Thomas, He
said: You have doubted Me. You have
demanded proof of My Resurrection. ]
do not censure you for this. 1t was per
fectly natural that YOU should doubt.
And now you shall have the evidence
you require. Thomas. reach hither thy
finger and behold my hands; and reach
hither thy hand. and thrust it into my
side and be not tafthless, but believ-
ing
sHow lovingly and tenderIy did Jesus
speak to this doubter Not a harsh
wordl Not a single reproachl Do you
depth of his heart, MY Lord and my
God
Always the Same
Now, I am thinking that Jesus deals
in the same tender, loving way with
the doubter today He says to the
doubling world Investigate Me. Put
Me to the test. Demand your evidence.
l am ready to give it. All ask is that
you come and get acquainted with Me.
That you meet Me in the upper room,
where | can make Myself known to
you. That will cure all your doubts
And, friends, listen, The only rea-
son anyone doubts Christ is that they
do not know Him. And listen. 1t is
possible for everybody to know Him
TO come into personal contact with Him.
Jesus Christ is saying to you and to
me today; Reach hither thy finger,
and behold my hands; and thrust thy
hand into my side, and be not faith
less. but believing. Behold His hands
His pierced hands. this morning.
Behold His Hands"
There was once a little girl whose
1af fl.Af l. -