“The disciples of John the Baptist told John about everything Jesus was doing. So John called for two of his disciples, and he sent them to the Lord to ask him, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” John’s two disciples found Jesus and said to him, “John the Baptist sent us to ask, ‘Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?’” At that very time, Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and he restored sight to many who were blind. Then he told John’s disciples, “Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.” After John’s disciples left, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. “What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind? Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people who wear beautiful clothes and live in luxury are found in palaces. Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say, ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way before you.’ I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of God is greater than he is!” When they heard this, all the people—even the tax collectors—agreed that God’s way was right, for they had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and experts in religious law rejected God’s plan for them, for they had refused John’s baptism. “To what can I compare the people of this generation?” Jesus asked. “How can I describe them? They are like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends, ‘We played wedding songs, and you didn’t dance, so we played funeral songs, and you didn’t weep.’ For John the Baptist didn’t spend his time eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it.””
Luke 7:18-35 NLT
It is OK to have doubts and struggles in our faith. John the Baptist had baptized Jesus and had preached to the people. Many had repented and turned to God. John was like a “funeral dirge” sung out to the people, and Jesus was like a “wedding song”—but neither message from the Maker moved the stubborn hearts of their generation. John is a great example of living on fire for God no matter what the consequences.
When John was in prison, though, he questioned if Jesus was really the Messiah. Jesus didn’t directly answer His cousin’s question. Instead, Jesus pointed to His ministry as the fulfillment of Scripture and the coming of the Kingdom of God (v.22). John struggled; John doubted. We can imagine that it was hard for John being in prison, perhaps knowing that his execution was coming.
John struggled and doubted, and so can we. We can go to Jesus with our doubts. He won’t always give us a direct answer, but He will point us to a place where our faith can grow. Doubt is not the opposite of faith; disobedience is. Doubts can grow your faith if you are willing to bring them to the Lord, get help from others, and remain faithful—even when God doesn’t make sense. Struggles can be transformed to strengths in the hands of the Savior.
What are doubts you have or have had in the past? How can your doubts, if they are handled well, grow your faith?
