Mercy on those who doubt
Daily Scripture
Jude 1:20-22
20 But you, dear friends: build each other up on the foundation of your most holy faith, pray in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep each other in the love of God, wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will give you eternal life. 22 Have mercy on those who doubt.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
We seldom read the little one-chapter letter of Jude. Most scholars are virtually certain the writer was the “Judas” named as one of Jesus’ brothers in Mark 6:3 and Matthew 13:55. In the letter he called himself “brother of James,” Jesus’ brother who led the Jerusalem church. His letter mainly warned against false teachers, but in verse 22 he carefully distinguished the false teachers from those who had questions or doubts due to the influence of those who held erroneous beliefs.
- Sadly, some believers scorn anyone who doubts. Jude surely knew how his brother Jesus dealt with Thomas’ doubts about the resurrection (cf. John 20:24-28) and urged mercy. “The verb frequently means ‘to be doubtful,’ ‘to waver,’ ‘to hesitate’….These are the Christians who begin to have doubts….Perhaps we can say ‘those who are uncertain about what they believe.’” * How easy or hard is it for you to show mercy to others who have doubts? To yourself when you doubt?
- Jude’s and Jesus’ better-known brother James wrote about the need for belief to go beyond intellectual assent and become life-shaping faith (cf. James 2:18-20). That’s why facing doubts honestly is so vital. If we hide them, they can get us stuck in our head without ever involving our heart and hands. What helps you move from the intellectual aspect of most doubts to a level of trust that shapes your whole life while you keep wrestling with the mysteries of God?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, I take comfort from the mercy you showed the father who wasn’t sure you could help his son, and Thomas who resisted believing you’d risen. Thank you for showing me mercy when I struggle with doubt. Amen.
GPS Insights
Lindsey Arnold Seevers
Lindsey works with the Mission Ministries team and her Overland Park location colleagues to equip people to serve in Kansas City (and beyond!) through training and hands-on experiences. She also works closely with Hunger Ministry volunteers to help #FeedKC.
When she’s not juggling serve events, Lindsey enjoys creating music, puppets and sketch comedy with her husband Gary. Her favorite Bible story comes from John 21, because she will never turn down a brunch invite…especially not from Jesus.
Faith has not always been an easy path for me, as my first favorite past-time is overthinking things and my second favorite past-time is being right…about everything.
More often than I’d like to admit, I have lamented to my friends and spiritual mentors that “I wish I didn’t have to wrestle with all of this faith stuff. I wish it was just easy and straightforward and I had all the answers.”
Some people have tried to answer this despair with a quick fix, telling me to just ride it out or not to worry so much. But the people that offer me the most mercy are the ones who ever-so-patiently remind me that doubt can actually be the beginning of something beautiful.
Certainty can be so restrictive and narrow. When I think I have it all figured out, when I insist on being right, I’m quick to judge others and slow to see the miraculous happenings all around me.
Doubt, on the other hand, can actually be expansive. Doubt offers limitless space and creativity by removing all the walls of certainty we build around ourselves. Doubt gives us the room to explore the Scripture and our faith stories with a fresh set of eyes, and to let go of beliefs and practices that are harmful to ourselves and others. When doubt causes me to let go of my tight grip on what I thought I knew, my hands are free to reach for God.
Today’s passage is so simple, yet so life-giving. It is an invitation to do our best, to show one another love, and to offer mercy. An invitation not to panic when our fellow siblings in Christ express their hesitations, but to respond with curiosity and offer them encouragement and understanding instead.
Can I offer you just a little bit of that, dear reader?
Blessed are you when you doubt because you have the opportunity to be surprised again by the abundance of mercy, peace, and love found in God.
And, will you also remind me?
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Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* Daniel C. Arichea and Howard A. Hatton, A Handbook on the Letter from Jude. New York: United Bible Societies, 1993, p. 56.
