Explore the Bible: February 1

Confronting Doubts • Matthew 11:1-6,16-24

By Carl M. White

Chapter 11 of the Gospel according to Matthew begins with the doubts of John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus. Yet, the chapter ends with one of Jesus’ most comforting statements.

John the Baptist starts out on team Jesus, but while in prison he begins to have doubts. He sent one of his disciples to ask if Jesus was indeed the Messiah, or if they should look for another.

Jesus responds with the evidence of His ministry. “Go and report to John what you hear and see: those who are blind receive sight and those who limp walk, those with leprosy are cleansed and those who are deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the gospel preached to them” (Matt 11:4-5 NASB).

Understand that doubt is not unbelief. It is asking questions. Anyone seeking the truth has the right to ask questions. Jesus did not condemn John for asking. He previously said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matt 7:7).  

For some, doubt is an expression of uncertainty leading to honest inquiry about the truth. For others, doubt is an excuse not even to bother seeking or asking. Doubting coupled with refusing to seek or ask opens the door to unbelief, and unbelief has its own insidious power.

Jesus expresses this in verses 16-19. Children will taunt other children who will not “play along.”  A child has a flute and is playing it, but other children won’t dance. Or, children, doing as children do, start imitating adults at a funeral march, but some others won’t play along. So, they chide them saying, “you did not dance,” and “you did not mourn.” 

Of John, who would not eat or drink, they said, “He has a demon.” And of Jesus, who would eat and drink, they said he was a glutton, a heavy drinker who eats with sinners! The evidence of who Jesus was and of John the Baptist’s role in preparing the way for Him was before them, but they could not, would not see it. They were blinded. By what? By their unbelief.

This is the power of unbelief — it blinds you to the truth. 

Doubt is not unbelief. Doubt is having questions. The refusal to seek and ask opens the door to unbelief, and the outcome of unbelief is blindness to the truth.

This dynamic is what is behind the cursing of the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida. Matthew states that the majority of the miracles done by Jesus up to that point had been done in these two cities, yet they rejected Him.

The curses begin with the word “woe.” This is an Old Testament term which means “how greatly will you suffer.” It is an expression of doom mixed with pity. It didn’t have to be this way. Like the children at play, these cities refused to join in the dance or to play funeral. They would not join in!

That is unbelief! This is not just a lack of faith because of the lack of evidence. It is the presence of something else altogether in a persons’ heart, a spirit of resistance, a refusal to seek and find. Jesus told John to look at the evidence. John did, and he was satisfied. He asked, and he found. What about you? Are you asking? Are you seeking?

White is a member of Pineview Church, Clinton.