Just as Jesus requires obedience of all disciples, so all disciples can only experience the fullness of Jesus’ blessing when walking in obedience to Him. However, even the most genuine disciples stumble in foolishness, they make mistakes, and they sin in their weakness.
Text: Matthew 18:17
And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.
Matthew’s observation should instil great humility in all of us, especially those of us who wish to give their lives to Jesus’ calling; “follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).
These 11 disciples had obediently left their families and travelled a long distance to encounter Jesus. They knew how to give up personal treasures for Jesus, they had proven this over the past 3 years. Now, the lessons of obedience are about to be stretched to cover worship and overcoming doubt.
The disciples had the perfect response upon meeting their risen Lord Jesus, they worshipped. Nothing should come more natural to any disciple of Jesus than to worship Him. If worship is not present, or not desirable, something is terribly wrong and out of character for one who claims to have faith in the Saviour.
However, Matthew records an inner symptom of some of these 11 hearts, some doubted. How could they doubt? With 3 years of living with Jesus and all the powerful evidence, including Jesus’ resurrection, how could any of these men ever doubt Jesus? But they did doubt, even while they worshipped. What a contradiction?
Yet, this is how fleshly human hearts operate sometimes. Even sincere believers sometimes doubt. Jude, Jesus’ half-brother, exhorts us to have mercy on those who doubt (Jude 1:22).
As we grow to become more intentional in discipling others, we are to be compassionate with Jesus’ loving patience as we work with people who struggle with disobedience and doubts. These people may believe, and they may worship the Lord, but they are weak and sometimes question the Lord.
Disobedience and doubts make us aware of our desperate need for Christ to work within us by His Holy Spirit through God’s Word to sanctify us. This begins in us through daily taking in God’s Word to change our thoughts and beliefs.
“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Assignment:
Examine your heart for doubts and pray over them for strength from the Holy Spirit and God’s Word.
