Today's Daily Lesson is from Matthew 28 verses 17 through 19:
"17 And when they saw him they worshipped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations . . ."
On Easter Sunday we had a full house of people in church, many of whom I did not know. What I did know, however, is that there were some there who doubted. They were there on Easter Sunday, but they did not believe this whole tale about Resurrection. That's how it always is Easter Sunday. People there for whatever reason, but doubting. I knew that. And so I decided to share this story.
After Jesus arose from the tomb that first Easter morning, Jesus came and appeared to the disciples in Galilee. The Bible says they worshiped Him, but some doubted. I read that and chuckle, it was the same mix of people who are always there at Easter.
What's interesting about the story is that Jesus does not scold those who doubt. He doesn't say, "I can't believe you see me face to face here, yet still doubt." He does not shame them for their unbelief. What He says to them instead, is, "Go and make disciples."
We think that seeing is believing. And maybe it was for some of those disciples. But seeing was not believing for all of them. And even if the risen Jesus were to appear to us in flesh and in blood today, there are some of us who would still have doubts also. We would think we saw an apparition or were dreaming or something. But what the story is trying to tell us is that while seeing is not always believing, going is.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer once reflected on faith, doubt, and obedience. He said that though we may be full of doubt, it is the act of obedience - saying yes to the summons of the Word of God on our lives - that in fact liberates us to be able to believe. In other words, we come to believe by first going.
The life of faith is not certainty. As the book of Hebrews says, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for - yet unseen." For those first doubting disciples, the proof of the resurrection was not in Jesus appearing to them in flesh and in blood. Rather, proof came when they went out and started making disciples. Yes, they doubted at first; yet they went. And in going out and teaching others to follow in the way of Jesus' life - by seeking to live out what He stood for and inviting others to do the same - those doubting disciples discovered, lo and behold, that Jesus was indeed risen and that He had authority in this world - authority to change hearts, and minds and bring down powers and lift up lowly people - and that He had given that authority to them also. Wow.
And that's the same way we doubters still discover that He is indeed risen today also. We hear the summons of God on our lives and we go. And we find that going really is believing.
That'll preach.
No comments:
Post a Comment