“How very human”

By Rev. Michael Stonhouse

Meditation – Saturday, August 3, 2024

Matthew 28: 11-20 (Forward, p. 5) CEV p. 1024 (c. 8:20 a.m.)

Something that has always amazed me is the fleeting mention in verse 17, ‘but some of them doubted’. What I have wondered about is how, after being with Jesus for forty days and seeing so many demonstrations of His now risen life, how anyone could have doubted. R.V.G. Tasker, in his commentary on Matthew, offers several possible explanations. He suggests that the ‘followers’ mentioned in verse 10 could have included some—see the apostle Paul’s mention of ‘500 at once’ in 1 Corinthians 15:6—who were not part of the original Twelve and so were not privy to Jesus’ numerous resurrection appearances. Or, maybe, that they doubted initially, possibly because they weren’t up close to Jesus and weren’t able to identify Him at a distance, but then came to believe when they drew nearer.

But then, there is one other possibility: some people, as we have seen so frequently in the public discourse, refuse to believe even when the evidence is clearly set before them. And, indeed, this has always been the case when it comes to the evidence about God in general. Sadly, this is very human, part of our human condition.

Gladly, Jesus does not allow Himself, or us, to be hindered by this. Given all authority on heaven and earth by His Father, He still proceeds with His action plan. He still delegates us, His all-too-often wavering friends and disciples, to go forth into all the world with His message, teaching, making disciples and baptizing. Whether we doubt or not, this is still our task, still the job we have been commissioned to carry out. And, as weird as it may seem, when we do this, our faith is strengthened, and our doubts cleared up. And, on with the task. Thanks be to God.

Forward notes: When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted” (verse 17).

“In many ways, the disciples who first saw the resurrected Jesus can be compared to a jury, in this case, a group of 11. While the resurrection is without precedent, the evidence is pretty impressive: there’s the angel who speaks to the women at the tomb and says Jesus is raised. And the women see Jesus with their own eyes. Several times before his crucifixion, Jesus himself says he will be resurrected. Even when Jesus shows up to corroborate all these accounts that he is risen, there are still doubters among the disciples.

“If we approach the resurrection like a court of law, determined to deliver a verdict beyond a reasonable doubt, we, like the disciples, wonder: Are the women credible witnesses? Are Jesus’s statements hearsay? How can the resurrection be true when logic tells us otherwise?

“Even with such convincing evidence, some still doubt. That is also true today, a reminder that we are called to share the Good News of Christ, but we cannot make people believe. That is God’s work.”

Moving Forward: “How do you handle doubt in your relationship with God?”