When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.
Matthew 28:17
Many Christians are familiar with Matthew 28:18-20, which is known as the Great Commission. It is Jesus’ final charge to the Disciples before He ascends into heaven. But the sentence above is the verse immediately before the famous last words. This little sentence is packed with layers, complexity, and humanity. “When [the Disciples] saw [Jesus], they worshiped Him; but some doubted.” This tells us that followers of Christ can have a thriving and worshipful relationship with Jesus but still have doubts! And the doubts the Disciples were experiencing were not whether or not Jesus truly resurrected or if Jesus were the Son of God. They probably doubted Jesus’ plan; they doubted their own future; or they might be doubting their own safety. Most of the doubts we experience are not extreme doubts like, “Is God real?” Not all doubts are created equal. But because we don’t have any outlet to express these questions and struggles, we think all doubts are detrimental. The doubts that people of faith often experience are nuanced, specific, or contextual to their personal situation. May we not shy away from doubt, but rather, lean into them. Because Truth can never be threatened by doubt; Truth can only be enhanced by it.
