Read: Luke 24:36-49
Jesus himself stood among them . . . . [and] they were startled and frightened. (vv. 36-37 NIV)
Yesterday we looked at how doubt can be the result of having a divided mind but can also be due to fear or uncertainty. So what kind of doubt do the disciples have after seeing the resurrected Jesus? The species of doubt makes a difference.
Factual doubt exists because people lack the information to give their faith a firm foundation. Our reading shows us this kind of doubt. When Jesus appeared to his disciples behind locked doors, they were startled and frightened. To dispel their doubt, Jesus gave them more information. “Look at my hands and my feet. . . . Touch me” (v. 39). They doubted at first because they lacked the facts.
A more difficult kind of doubt is emotional doubt. It has to do with the way people feel about the Christian faith. It can grow out of anxiety, or depression, or some sort of trauma. In Luke 24:41, right after Jesus gave his disciples more facts, we encounter emotional doubt; they still did not believe “because of joy and amazement.” Their lives had been shattered by Jesus’s death. So now, even with the Living Fact standing right in front of them, they couldn’t get beyond their emotional response.
Many of us understand this very well. We know the facts, but our hopes and dreams have been shattered by suffering. So doubt lingers. As today’s Bible reading shows us, this kind of doubt requires the persistent ministry of Jesus.
As you pray, ask Jesus to encourage and comfort you when you have a divided mind.
About the Author
Stan Mast
Rev. Stan Mast is a retired pastor, who served four churches in the West and Midwest regions of the United States. He finished his career with three years of teaching at Calvin Seminary. He is happily married to Sharon, and they have two sons and four grandchildren.
