Encouragement from Matthew 28:17

Mat 28:17(KJV) "And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted."

"Some doubted," the text explicately states. If you go to any translation, and I checked over a dozen, almost every English version has 'doubted' (or a form of the word). The Greek word, διστάζω, is the word translated 'doubted' and is an interesting word, especially since it's used only twice in the New Testament. The other passage, also translated as 'doubt' (in almost every English translations) is Matthew 14:31, (ESV) "Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" The context is Peter's foray of walking on the water, which he did, if but for a moment, till his eyes left Jesus. Young's translation, a very strict literal translation (making it much harder to read in a narrative form), translates the same word as 'waver' and I think that is a key distinction, and the hope and encouragement to us.

There is a reason Matthew choose this particular word to convey a different aspect of doubt. Young's let us see that it is not so much an unbelief doubt but a wavering in belief. Matthew 28:17 took place after the resurrection of Jesus. Those standing there (some believe only the 11, some think maybe the 500 referenced to in 1 Corinthians 15) were eye-witnesses to a risen Savior. The long awaited Messiah, crucified and buried, had rose bodily three days after His demise. No room for doubt, right? Wrong! In the midst of a worship service, doubts crept in. Again, I don't think it was 'unbelief' but a 'wavering' in their faith. And of course this is the point I'm getting to.

On that hillside stood the once-dead Jesus, now NOT, fully alive and declaring the beautiful truths of the Kingdom, "some doubted." How could that be? How could eye-witnesses to a dead-man walking ever 'doubt' (even if it is only a wavering in their faith)? I'm

not sure I can answer that, and the point of this article is not the psychology of the Apostles (or an examination of their faith). No, on the contrary it is a hope that you can have as encouragement in the middle of your own 'doubts'.

If they did, why would we be surprised when we do. 40 days and 40 nights the Lord walked, talked, prayed, preached, and who knows what else with the rag-tag bunch of followers. The evidence of their wavering can be seen in Peter's fishing trip (John 21) when 7 of the remaining 11 went back to their old ways. Have you had those moments when you've thrown your hands up and declared, "I QUIT!" I think that was Peter's intent, in going back to tending nets. An imagined conversation could have included Peter agonizing over his denial of Christ, believing his failure could never allow God to use him. Jesus confrontation later in the story proved otherwise as He implored the 'Great Fisherman' to be a 'lamb' and 'sheep' feeder. His doubts would not disqualify him, and we should not think ours do as well.

If your faith wavers, notice you're not alone. Better still, realize the 'Giants' of the early church, the pillars to which we look to as examples, were examples in wavering, too. It is not an unusual response, on the contrary, it may be quite natural. I'm not saying everyone will 'doubt' (though, I've yet to meet the one who hasn't). I am saying it is not a strange or horrible thing. We can take encouragement from Peter and the others. Our 'doubts' maybe many and frequent, this doesn't change the truth. I encourage you to hold fast to your faith, 1Th 5:21 (KJV) "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."

#faith #doubt #encouragement