Matthew 28:16-20 (NRSV)
Read Matthew 28:16-20 on biblegateway.com
Verse 16Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. Verse 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Verse 18And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Verse 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Verse 20and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Devotion
Imagine the scene: on the mountaintop, the risen Jesus encounters his disciples. They worship him. Of course! But at the same time, they doubt. What? Is it possible to have the gift of faith, and still worry? Can we worship God but still have questions? I hear an answer in Matthew’s Gospel, and it is a resounding “Yes!”
Faith is not blind; it can include doubt. And our doubts are not strong enough to separate us from divine love. We may not receive all the answers to our questions, but—in the words of Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel—God answers us with God’s presence. We doubt, and Jesus comes to us, saying that all authority has been given to him. He has the power to lift us to our feet, to give us the faith we need to follow him.
Prayer
Risen Lord, I believe; help my unbelief! Continue to stir up faith, that we may trust you each and every hour. Amen.
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