Matthew 11: 2–6
‘Doubt’ is integral to being human. The impulse to question what is given and having reservations, to waver between opinions.. this is part of the process of understanding and making sense of our experiences.
The word ‘Doubt’ comes from the Latin word, “dubitare” (meaning two)..
from which is derived ‘double-minded’. In the New Testament, a commonly used word for ‘doubt’ is “Diakrino”, meaning uncertainty in knowing what to believe or who to trust. It’s a ‘doubt’ which all of us would have, at one time or another experienced.
In Matt 21:18-22, Jesus and his disciples were passing by and came across a fig tree that was no longer bearing fruits.. And Jesus pointed to the fig tree saying, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again” And immediately the fig tree withered away. (vs.19) The disciples marveled saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?” (vs. 20) So Jesus answered, “Surely I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea’, it will be done... (vs. 21)
Now, the disciples had no problem in believing what they had just seen. They didn’t doubt that Jesus would accomplish what he said. But when it concerns them? They were doubtful or uncertain as to whether they should take Jesus seriously at his word. What if Jesus were to address you with the same words.. “Surely I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt… you will do what I’ve done, even say to the mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea.. It will be done.” Well, a typical response might be, “You got to be kidding.. My faith does not even measure up to the size of a mustard seed”; “Impossible, I can’t do it.. and because I can’t , I won’t do it”; “Let me figure this out.. Like tell the mountain to physically move itself? Now how does that gel with my theology?”;
Vs 21, is a metaphorical way of saying you must be prepared to act on what you believe, despite your uncertainty or lack of understanding. You must be willing to make a commitment on the basis of your personal conviction of what the truth is. Often, there’s a gap between “mere beliefs” and “firm convictions”. Faith is not simply an intellectual assent to some truth propositions. What is expected is a conscious will to act out or express that belief. It’s a commitment to what you personally hold to be true. Faith has to reflect your personal convictions and not mere opinions.
In the passage read earlier (Matt 11: 2-6) , we see how John the Baptizer had to overcome this gap between ‘mere beliefs’ and ‘firm convictions’.
Now John, a cousin of Jesus and the forerunner of the Messiah, was languishing in prison. John had heard reports of Jesus’ miraculous works, but had not witnessed any, having been in prison ever since Jesus began his ministry. In the dark, damp prison conditions, John was plagued by doubts…. What if Jesus is not the true Messiah? Could I have made a mistake? It was not that long ago, while John was preaching to the multitude in the wilderness, he had witnessed Jesus coming towards him. John had the intuitive knowledge and conviction that Jesus was the One whom he had been proclaiming, the long awaited Messiah..(‘Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world’, John 1:29) Now John was instrumental in baptizing Jesus at the river Jordan. Yet now faced with the prospects of rotting in prison, feeling abandoned, lonely and depressed.. John could not suppress his doubts.
Matt 11:2-3, “Now when John had heard in prison of the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for someone else?’”
Vs. 4-5, Jesus replied, “’Go and tell John the things which you hear and see. The blind receive sight and the lame walk. The lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear. The dead are raised up, the poor have the good news preached to them’
Jesus’ response to John’s doubts was positive and encouraging. He sent John’s disciples back with first hand report of the miracles performed, ie. what they had seen and heard for themselves, and thereby forming their own conclusions. Neither did Jesus pick on John’s doubts by remarking, “Oh, ye of little faith..” Instead, in the presence of the crowds gathered, Jesus paid tribute to John by affirming his credentials and deeming him the greatest among those born of women..
Matt 11:10-11, “This is he whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send my messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.’ Indeed I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John..
But we come across this enigmatic saying in Matt 11: 6,
(NKJV) “Blessed is he who is not offended because of me”
(NASB) “Blessed is he who does not take offense at me”
(Today’s NIV) “Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me”
What does it mean? Is it okay to struggle with doubts, but not to the point of unbelief?
Christ will not be the cause of your stumbling, nor will you take offense in Christ, if you learn to relate with your doubts from a larger context of an ongoing faith-relationship.
Then your doubts will be seen from a proper perspective, without the problem or situation or the issue you’re facing becoming magnified out of proportion.
By sending John’s disciples back with the reassuring words, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see..” Here, Jesus would have been reminding John of an inviolable and immutable relationship, one which involves faith and trust. It’s as if to say… ‘Yes.. I am the One whom you proclaim to be..the Messiah. Even if it’s not apparent to you under your miserable prison conditions.. even if you’re not going to be miraculously rescued, even at your moment of death… I am the Messiah’
“Blessed is he who does not stumble on account of me”. (vs 6)
The trouble comes when ‘doubt’ grows out of proportion so that it becomes bigger than your God, bigger than your faith-relationship.. that it erodes your trust and confidence. One of the ways in which Christ may become ‘a stumbling block’ is when you have certain expectations of God which are not met. Eg. when prayers remain unanswered; or when God seems distant, silent and indifferent to your needs; then ‘doubts’ trickle in which leads you to conclude that God is not real and will never be there for you. Here, Christ has become an offense, a stumbling block due to false expectations.
The recent incident involving a group of young South Korean Christians (majority from the same church, Saemmul Community Church, Seoul), who were on a 10-day visit to Afghanistan ended in tragedy when 2 of its members were killed by the Talibans. The group were traveling on a charter-bus from Kandahar to the capital Kabul when they were kidnapped by the Talibans. Whether the South Koreans were there as volunteers with good intentions providing humanitarian aid (free medical services) or had missionary intentions.. is not the issue. The Talibans were notorious for kidnapping foreigners, holding them to ransom in exchange for Taliban prisoners. They were not targeting Christians.
Surely, are there not safer ways of living out the social dimensions of the Gospel? Should a group of sincere, idealistic believers venture into a territory where even angels fear to tread? It is dangerous to assume that God will always be there to bail us out of trouble (when we may have created the problem for ourselves). Does God expect us to take unnecessary risks in fulfilling the Great Commission? Despite all the prayers throughout Christen-dom, one would have hoped that the God of the Talibans was capable of mercy, and would have agreed to a truce with the God of the Christians. With the first hostage killings the faith of some Christian sectors would have been severely tested. (July 25th, teamleader and pastor, Bae Hyung Kyu; followed 5 days later on July 30th, Shim Sung-min) Many would have fasted and prayed fervently in the hope of a change of heart in the Talibans. With negotiations ending in deadlock, frequent extension of deadlines, ‘doubts’ become more prominent…
Why does God appear to be silent and indifferent to the plight of his people? Why are the prayers of the righteous not answered? And miracles not forthcoming?
Some doubts are the result of false expectations, of misguided zeal, of lopsided theology. Such doubts have the potential of becoming a stumbling block to the faith of the young and idealistic believers, unable to reconcile their understanding of the Christian faith with what their reason and experience of the world tells them. On a positive note, two women hostages were released on the 13th August after more than 3 weeks of detention, by the Talibans out of a goodwill gesture. To date, it’s been 5 weeks since the South Korean Christians were kidnapped, with 19 still held hostage.
Do Not Put God to the Test. Daniel didn’t volunteer to walk into the lion’s den in order to demonstrate his faith in God. He was thrown into the lion’s den when he refused to abide by the decree laid down by King Darius (which forbad any person to pray before his God). Christians may at times under certain circumstances be expected to be ‘fools for Christ’, but never foolhardy. We should be discerning at all times.
An honest faith that will not hesitate to examine the basis of its beliefs, and which has a positive regard for ‘Doubt’.. is the best form of insurance to keep us from extreme, fundamentalist teachings.
Whereas an unhealthy faith is unwilling to engage in or confront doubts out of a sense of insecurity, fear and vulnerability. Rather than living with uncertainty, it has a preference for the certitudes of faith expressed in dogmas, creeds and doctrinal teachings.
But the reality is, the ambiguity, paradox, incomprehensibility and mystery surrounding the word ‘God’ cannot be accurately captured in precise formulations and given the status of obvious and necessary truths (as in dogmas, creeds.) To do so, is to have a faith that no longer mirrors human experience.
“Those who believe they believe in God, but without passion in the heart, without anguish of mind, without uncertainty, without doubt, and even at times without despair, believe only in the idea of God, and not in God Himself”
- Madeleine L’ Engle
It is only in the process of questioning, struggling and clarifying one’s doubts.. that one is able to gauge the strength and the depth of one’s convictions. Our faith is strongest, when we believe with our heads as well as with our hearts.
An honest faith is prepared to take the risk and to make a commitment to trust without reservation. This comes from confidence that the source (or author) of our faith is dependable, reliable and trustworthy.
It is no blind leap into the dark. But rather, the strength of our inner conviction and assurance stems from an inviolable trust-relationship.
Os Guinness, author and theologian observed,
“What is most damaging (to the Christian faith) is not that Christians doubt, but that there seems to be so little honesty about doubt…..If ours is an examined faith, we should be unafraid to doubt. If doubt is eventually justified, then we were believing what clearly was not worth believing. But if doubt is answered, our faith grows stronger.”
A healthy (or an examined) faith should not be averse to doubting. Why? Because it knows that ‘doubt’ has the potential of being a catalyst to our spiritual growth.. enabling us to deepen and strengthen our roots.
However, it is a different case, when Doubt borders on unbelief and skepticism… (namely, it questions our ability to know anything for certain.. and rejects all faith assertions as false and unfounded.) It is a cynical doubt that raises questions without the intent of seeking answers or establishing the truth. Eg. the Pharisees and Sadducees were constantly taunting Jesus for proofs, (‘show us a sign from heaven’), evidence to demonstrate his authority. But no amount of proof will convince them, as they were blinded by their prejudices and biased towards their own agenda.
But there are exceptions.. I’d like to share a bit about the story of a skeptic who through the process of questioning and doubting rediscovered his spiritual roots. It is an honest, examined faith forged in the furnace of doubts.
In 1996, following the death of his lover, Fenton Johnson returned to his family home in rural Kentucky. While there, a monk from the nearby Trappist monastery of Gethsemani invited him to attend a symposium to be held at the Abbey of Gethsemane. It was to be a weeklong encounter between Buddhist and Trappist monks. During the symposium, Fenton was forced to address an underlying, recurring issue of anger within himself. It was to a great extent directed towards the Catholic faith in which he was raised. At the time of the symposium, (the Gethsemane encounter), Fenton was in his 40’s and had witnessed the loss of many of his friends including his lover, from AIDS.
Fenton recounted in his book, “Keeping Faith”..
“After the death of my lover, in a desperation of grief, I considered returning to the church of my childhood – what was religion but to offer solace at such dark moments? But crashing a party to which I had been so explicitly disinvited seemed a fool’s invitation to more pain. I kept my distance”
- Fenton Johnson, ‘Keeping Faith’
Having been made to feel like an outcast, Fenton’s experience with institutional religion (the church) became a stumbling block to his connecting with his spiritual roots or engaging with the real faith.
In his book, “Keeping Faith” Fenton described his journey from Skepticism to Faith, of how he resolved to engage his doubts surrounding his childhood faith, and to examine what it means for a skeptic “to have faith and to keep it”. It was a journey of intense searching, questioning, doubting and eventually arriving at his own answers as to what constitutes a real faith.
What helped Fenton was the distinction he made between ‘Faith’ and ‘Belief’. In his book, Fenton borrowed a quote from Alan Watts, a Zen philosopher…
“Belief is the insistence that the Truth is what one would wish it to be. Faith is an unreserved opening of the mind to the truth, whatever it may turn out to be. Belief clings, but Faith lets go..”
For Fenton, Faith is an attitude of openness to Truth, without having fixed notions or expectations. Faith is not about ‘clinging’, but it about ‘letting go’. An invitation to trust, an expression of one’s willingness to have confidence in the Unknown. For Fenton, the opposite of Faith is ‘Fear’. It is ‘fear’ which compels one to cling rigidly to dogmatic beliefs out of the need for certainty and security. Blind adherence to beliefs can be a real impediment to faith, when it leads to unquestioning obedience to church authorities, uncritical acceptance of truth formulations.
Fenton felt that the way to reconnect with his spiritual roots was to redefine faith in the context of his gay identity. He needed a faith which will “enable me to maintain perspective on my place in the larger scheme of life.” For Fenton, the journey from skepticism to faith is a journey through doubt.
In an interview, Fenton remarked on the integral relation between faith and doubt….
“Skepticism is great doubt… And great doubt is a prerequisite for great faith… Faith is a discipline, an exercise in engaging doubt and turning its considerable energy into a positive force.. (Doubt) as a force can undercut and overwhelm, Or support and nourish… If channeled and directed, it can be turned to constructive end…”
- Interview given to ‘White Crane’, 2004
So skepticism is not necessarily bad, if it is balanced by honest openness and sincere seeking after Truth. Without a willingness to investigate, one can never arrive at truth. In contrast, a closed mind only breed prejudice and intolerance.
Now, how can we relate with Doubt in a constructive way, so as to turn it into a positive force?? Here are some suggestions…
1. Fenton Johnson engaged his doubts by going right to the source. This requires humility in admitting that we do not have all the answers and that’s okay because faith does not rest on certainties. Be honest and open about your doubts before God and others..(even though God may be part of the problem). God respects our doubts and take us seriously…
Recall the episode of Thomas’ encounter with the risen Christ in John 20:24-29. Thomas was initially skeptical and had serious doubts over his fellow-disciple’s testimony of their encounter with the risen Christ. Thomas engaged with his doubts by getting right to the source, insisting that he had to experience the risen Christ for himself. When Christ appeared to Thomas, he took Thomas’ doubts seriously by greeting him with the reassuring words, “Peace to you”. (John 20:26) It was to Thomas’ credit that he chose not to suppress his doubts or to deny it. He would not build his faith on the opinions of others (the disciples’ testimonies), but was determined to experience firsthand the reality of the risen Christ for himself. Thomas was as honest in his faith as in his doubt. An inner conviction (as to why we believe what we believe) can only come if we are willing to examine the basis of our beliefs. So, doubt can be an integral aspect of a faith that seeks understanding.
2. Clarify the basis of your doubts… Fenton Johnson was of the opinion that the church (institutional religion) was the main stumbling block to his faith… primarily because of their moral stance towards homosexuality as sin. But why should this bother him? Why should this lead him to anger and resentment towards God, towards Christ? Was he not ascribing too much power to the church by believing that the latter was the sole arbiter of God’s Truth & the sole dispenser of God’s Grace?
3. Be honest and realistic about your expectations….
What was Fenton’s expectations of the church?
That it should offer comfort and solace to those who are in need.
That it should be non-discriminating in its love for all people, irrespective of their gender orientation and function as an all-inclusive community under the common bond of love..
But how realistic are these expectations?? What if they are not met?? Should it reflect the shortcomings of God, or our own human imperfections??
Let’s look at our situation today.. The ambiguous stand of institutional church, which aspires to be both welcoming of GLBTs as individuals and at the same time non-affirming of same-sex relationships has constituted a stumbling block to both believers within the wider Christian community as well as those who are genuine seekers aspiring to the faith. The mixed signals has led to paradoxical statements such as…”We accept your sexual orientation, but we don’t condone your lifestyle”.. Even then such a concession comes from those who are prepared to accept the validity of biological, genetic reasons; but it is by no means typical of the majority of the evangelical believers who take a firm moral stand regarding homosexual lifestyle as incompatible to the Christian faith.
I’d just like to address the issue of doubt, skepticism which may have surfaced. One should be wary in allowing the actions and prejudices of the institutional church to shape your response, your perception of who you are. As children of God, we are the unique expressions of God’s image and likeness… none of us more privileged, righteous or perfect than others. It’s unfortunate that the cultural stereotypes perpetuated by the church may have introduced doubts as to the reality of God’s all-embracing Love. Such doubts become a stumbling block to your faith, if you choose to ignore it, bury it, suppress it.
A word of caution here …There may be some who prefer to live with the tension of unresolved conflicts rather than engage their doubts openly and constructively… For various reasons some may be unwilling to ‘make a stand’, or ‘come out’.. and prefer to stick with the familiar, conventional, established churches.. It’s here that we should exercise care, be open and sensitive to the needs of others, without letting our enthusiasm and our expectations stifle another’s individuality. Otherwise we may unconsciously become a stumbling block by the way we represent Christ in our words and actions.
4. Maintain Doubt in Perspective… See doubts from the larger context of an ongoing faith-relationship even though God may not make sense, or appear distant and uncaring. The essence of Christian faith is that it thrives in uncertainty, ambiguity. We need faith to relate with a God who is Mystery, who remains hidden and obscure most of the time (if not all the time).
NOTE: There’s a thin line that separates ‘Faith’ from ‘Unbelief’..(both which are mutually exclusive). In certain situations, when one finds himself stuck in the specifics… can’t get beyond the questions.. that’s when doubts begins to grow and become larger than your God, so that God becomes swallowed up in your doubts.. Such doubts may lead to unbelief, skepticism, hopelessness and despair. Bearing this in mind, the next point is important..
5. Don’t isolate yourself from others.. (be it trusted friends, or a community of faith). In the event where the church itself has become the source of your doubts.. (then get yourself another church..) Or seek out trustworthy, reliable, understanding friends who will affirm and encourage during your struggles.. Besides providing ‘a sounding board’... they will help you to gain perspective, clarity and new understanding as you struggle through your doubts
6. Don’t suppress or deny your doubts.. by hiding it behind a cloak of false piety. The trouble is that we regard faith with too much respect and accord doubt with hardly any. Doubts left unattended, have a way of choking the spirit.. leaving us bitter, cynical, despairing. This is what Fenton Johnson meant when he said… “Doubt” as a negative force “can undercut and overwhelm”.. And if I may add.. even destroy you.
7. Be patient and persevering… Be gentle and patient with yourself and with God.. when your doubts do not seem to be resolved. Even a contemporary saint, like Mother Teresa was not exempted from doubts. The latest edition of Times magazine has an article featuring ‘Mother Teresa’s Crisis of Faith’ (by David van Biema, August 23rd ), from which I’m quoting one of Mother Teresa’s letters.. It’s a prayer addressed to Jesus, written at the suggestion of one of her confessors.
“Lord, my God, who am I that you should forsake me? The child of Your Love – and now become as unwanted, unloved. I call, I cling, I want – and there is no One to answer.. No One.. Alone. Where is my faith – even deep down right in… there is nothing but emptiness and darkness. My God, how painful is this unknown pain – I have no faith. So many unanswered questions live within me. If there be God – please forgive me. When I try to raise my thoughts to Heaven, there is such convicting emptiness that those very thoughts return like sharp knives and hurt my very soul. I am told God loves me – and yet the reality of darkness & coldness & emptiness is so great that nothing touches my soul. Did I make a mistake in surrendering to the Call of the Sacred Heart?”
- Mother Teresa
- addressed to Jesus, at the suggestion of a confessor, undated.
Mother Teresa’s ‘dark night of the soul’ experiences .. only serve to strengthen and deepen her faith. Her struggles with her doubts pertaining to her calling & her mission ... is a testament to her faith, which is as honest and pure as the totality of her love for Christ expressed in her offer of herself as a living sacrifice.
There’s an ancient Eastern saying that goes..
‘Great Doubt, Great Resolve, Great Faith’
It can be interpreted as… ‘Great Doubt’ (when accompanied by) ‘Great Resolve’ (leads to) ‘Great Faith’.
The greater the doubt, then the greater should be the resolve to persist through the doubt. And the ability to act with great resolve, presuppose great faith. It is the conscious will to trust, to believe, to be confident in the One who is greater than your doubts, who is greater than the mind that conceives these doubts.
8. Be open to new and different perspectives… New ways of redefining your faith relationship. Fenton Johnson rediscovered his faith (apart from the institutional creed and dogma). What matters is a faith which gives substance to your hopes.. and convinces you of realities not yet seen (as writer of Hebrews puts it). It is attaining to a level of certainty and conviction about the truth of yourself and how you relate with God.
Thomas Merton puts it…
“By faith, one not only attains to truth in a way that intelligence and reason alone cannot do, but one assents to God Himself. One receives God. One says ‘yes’ not merely to a statement about God but to the Invisible, Infinite God Himself”
- Seeds of Contemplation, Thomas Merton
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Prayer:
Soren Kierkegaard once said, “Without risk, there is no faith.. And the greater the risk, the greater the faith”.
God – You have taken the risk of entrusting Your Son, Jesus Christ to the world. It’s a pledge of Your commitment towards us, towards humanity. And now, through Jesus Christ, You have invited us to a faith-relationship – which calls for a commitment ‘to trust without reservation’. During our moments of struggle and doubts, help us to see our doubts in the larger perspective of an ongoing faith-relationship. It’s a relationship which you, God, have initiated, which You will maintain, which you will perfect. Help us to be honest, to be unafraid to doubt. And to know that it is only through the process of questioning, struggling and clarifying the basis of our beliefs (or for that matter, the basis of our doubts).. that we are able to establish our personal reasons to embrace the Christian faith. A faith not built on opinions or hypotheses, but instead comes from an inner conviction and assurance that You, God, the source and author of our faith – is dependable, reliable and trustworthy. Remind us through the words of the apostle Paul (in I Peter 3:15, Colossians 4:6) to always be ready to make a defense of our faith, to furnish our reasons for the Hope that is within us. But help us to do so, with gentleness, reverence and sensitivity to the needs of others.
AMEN |
