When Jesus walked the earth, He called many people to follow Him. And the crowds showed up.
He spoke Truth and Life. He reached out to those at the margins, which in His day included women and children, Samaritans [the foreigner], the diseased and more… He performed miracles… He saved lives people were wanting to kill and He even raised some people from the dead. And the crowds cheered and pushed to get closer to hear His words and touch Him to receive some of that power.
He said, “I have come to show you how it is possible to live a God-following life in its entirety in a way that loves God, loves people and takes care of the earth we live on.” The crowd nodded.
Jesus said, “Follow Me, do what I do, and you will know life to the absolute fullest.” The crowd chanted their approval, waving palm branches and singing songs of worship to the One they had chosen to follow.
Then He died…
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[and the crowd silently snuck off into the shadows]
LET HIM WHO IS WITHOUT DOUBT… NOT REALLY REQUIRE FAITH AT ALL…
Today we celebrate one of the biggest days of doubt. Jesus hanging on a cross. This wasn’t how it was meant to be. We were expecting Him to overthrow the Roman government and begin His new kingdom of life and love and peace. And yet for the most part, people looks defeated and watched as His blood and life slowly dripped away…
On the biggest day of doubt, it seemed as if the enemy had won and even Jesus Himself seemed to agree as He gasped out those words, “It. Is. Finished.”
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He had also said, “Destroy the temple and in three days I will rebuild it.”
And something about “Your body is the temple of God.”
And on the third day, Easter Sunday to come, we will witness the big miracle, the victory over death and the hope of a better life to come.
Better life for all.
But today, as we look on the cross, we can be okay with our doubt.
James 1 is a hard one for the doubters among us:
6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
Although one wonders [and hopes] if the bit about “When you ask” is relevant in that piece.
After all, why would anyone need faith, if there was no doubt?
Faith surely indicates the presence of doubt, of questioning, of wrestling, of wondering if we have believed in the right one…
Otherwise it surely would not be needed, right? Then it would simply be belief…
Because Hebrews 1:
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
Confidence and assurance. But also ‘what we hope for’ and ‘what we do not see’.
Do i believe in the Jesus story? Absolutely. With everything in me.
Do i have doubt? In the face of all the critics and the church’s chequered history and some of the messed-up-ness in the world and feeling far away from God experientially? Absolutely. A lot.
But i am comforted by Jesus’ interaction with this father who had a demon-possessed son that Jesus was about to set free.
21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
“From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
And while Friday is the day to look on the cross and see the hopes and dreams and ideas of what the world could like fading away into nothingness and despair and question and chaos and brokenness and pain…
Sunday is coming…
