Faith That Moves Despite Doubt

By Dean Collins

Have you ever felt that you were called to do something yet doubted your ability to do it? And if you believed that God was calling you to do something, you struggled to take the first step because you had doubts about yourself or maybe even about God? If so, then you are both in good company and on your way to spiritual growth! 

You are probably familiar with the Great Commission we find at the end of Matthew’s gospel:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” 

If you have been a follower of Christ for a while, you have certainly heard sermons, read devotions, or possibly completed Bible studies where you learned that this commission was not only for the eleven remaining disciples of Jesus but also for all of us who follow Jesus today. What you might have skipped over are the verses just before Jesus gave the Great Commission. Here are the verses just before Jesus gave the instruction to make disciples of all nations.

“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.” 

It had been 40 days since the resurrection. Jesus had made many appearances to the disciples and to others which you can read about in the gospel records and in 1 Corinthians 15. According to Matthew, Jesus told the eleven to meet him in Galilee, which I believe would have likely jogged memories for the disciples as they walked to the mountain in Galilee where they were to meet Jesus. 

It is likely that at least seven of the disciples were first called to follow Jesus in Galilee. Peter and Andrew, James and John, probably Matthew, who worked in that same geography as a tax collector, and possibly Phillip and Nathaniel. We don’t know if the eleven all walked together, but it seems possible since they had the same assignment from Jesus. I imagine whether spoken or unspoken, thoughts about the early days of Jesus’ ministry came to mind as they went to meet Jesus. 

Of course, they may have talked about the various sightings of Jesus during the last 40 days, and certainly they had questions about what Jesus wanted to discuss when they met him. Matthew goes on to tell us that when they saw Jesus in Galilee, they worshiped him. After all, it would have seemed clear that if you have been raised from the dead, then Jesus was more than human. He was divine. When in the presence of the divine, worship is spontaneous and appropriate.

 But what about the phrase that Matthew included right after he said the eleven worshiped him? Did you catch it? “But some doubted.” How is that possible? I suppose that you have many times felt your worries and doubts fade away when you worship God. The words to certain songs, scripture passages that you read or come to mind in worship, and the Holy Spirit drawing us closer to the Lord often cause us to find comfort, strength, and inner peace. But on this occasion with the 11 disciples, they worshipped and some doubted.

When we are confronted with new and profound information, we are often disoriented in our thoughts and feelings. If you have been healthy and suddenly receive a diagnosis that suggests otherwise, it can be confusing, and your mind races with questions: How did this happen? What is the treatment procedure and likely outcome? What about the things on your calendar or your long-term plans? Will things be normal again? 

 And even when you have the answers to some of those questions and assurances from the doctors, you might still have doubts: What if they missed something? What if the treatment doesn’t work? And on and on. We can read and even see things with our own eyes and be educated by professionals and still have doubts that creep in simultaneously. I imagine that was true for the disciples.

What we know from the eleven is that whatever doubts they had even in the presence of Jesus did not keep them from obedience. They went to Jerusalem and waited as Luke tells us the rest of the story in Acts 1. They were filled with the Holy Spirit, and day by day for the rest of their lives they were spreading the good news of Jesus and making disciples. If you know Jesus as Lord, you can be thankful that those eleven did not let their doubts get in the way of their obedience!

 Father, thank you for Jesus! Thank you for knowing us, even as we at times struggle with our doubts. Increase our faith and courage to follow you wherever you lead us and to make disciples as we go. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your Time with God’s Word
Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 1:3; 1 Corinthians 15:3-11 ESV

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