Fear And Doubt

“Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? [Luke 24.38] 

As with every question God or Jesus ever asked in the Bible, the questions above were not asked to receive information; they were asked to reveal information.

Jesus was revealing to His disciples that fear and doubt are never appropriate for a follower of Jesus. In fact, Jesus had just told them, "Peace be with you." But even so, the disciples were frightened and doubtful that they were actually seeing Jesus thinking they were seeing a ghost.

It had come down to this: Jesus had spent three years living among these disciples, teaching, healing, preaching and, in all other ways, demonstrating the Kingdom of God. These disciples knew Jesus. With Jesus' questions above, He was being very clear that to know Him is to trust Him; no fear - no doubt.

Here is where we all fail Jesus. Like the disciples, when faced with "Jesus" (His life and ministry) we reason He is something other than what He is. Even though the disciples had literally walked and talked with Him in tangible relationship, they reasoned that they were seeing a ghost. In the same way today, Jesus' followers have Jesus, the literal Word of God, in their hands and hearts, but reason that His presence with them is something other than what He said. Therefore, Jesus' words to the disciples in Luke 24.38 should appropriately resonate to us today, “Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt?

There is no excuse for fear and doubt in a true believer in Jesus Christ. Again:

To know Jesus is to trust Him; no fear - no doubt.

This becomes poignantly clear as believers today consider Jesus' repeated instructions (in the verse below and elsewhere) that His followers would do the same things He did:

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. [John 14.12]

Is it possible to know Jesus and not trust Him? Perhaps. But, then again, if we know Jesus, His words in Luke 24.38 ARE TO US! “Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? The only things that stand between us and a life-changing relationship with Jesus are fear and doubt; our collective reasoning that Jesus is anything other than what He says.

It must be understood that when we reason that Jesus is anything other than what He says, we usually do so to excuse ourselves of literally mirroring Him to the world in which we live. Unfortunately, powerless, and therefore, dead religion panders to this very condition of fear and doubt deceiving people that they are "okay" (because of a skewed view of "grace") even though they neither look nor act like Jesus.

Too much? Let's take it a step further, shall we?

Satan has successfully blinded modern society (sadly, but largely including the Church) from even considering Jesus' pointed questions, “Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? Satan has done so in the widespread availability and acceptance of debt, insurance, medicine and technology. These reasonable industries are tidy man-made solutions that idolatrously substitute for the miracles that the entire Bible repeatedly says God and Jesus promise to perform in, for, and through Their own. These industries' commercialized services all, like God, promise to remedy or remediate the fears and doubts of their patrons. Debt promises to remedy or remediate the fear of doing without. Insurance promises to remedy or remediate the fear of not being protected. Medicine promises to remedy or remediate the fear of not being healthy. And, technology promises to remedy or remediate the fear of not having it easy. The price to be paid for these services is not faith, but money - and lot's of it.

All the while, Jesus' words and miraculous works stand in stark contrast: “Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt?

As much this year as I have anticipated moving away from focusing on idolatry as I continue to read the One Year Chronological Bible and respond with these writings, it has not happened. Once my eyes and ears beheld what God (God With Us) actually says regarding faith in Him ALONE, it is as if scales were removed from my blinded eyes. Almost daily, I see the damnable work of idolatry ingrained into our society enslaving its patrons to mindless but painful offerings of money for interest, premiums, prescriptions, and time-consuming gadgetry.

In contrast, Jesus' timeless call to follow Him addresses our every "But, what about...?" question, with questions of His own: “Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt?

Jesus laid an unmistakable "if/then" condition upon His would-be followers:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

Fear and doubt only acquaint us with idols. Only faith acquaints us with Jesus, the uncompromising, miracle-working Son of God. So, yes, it is true:

To know Jesus is to trust Him; no fear - no doubt.

Father, once again I recognize my hypocrisy in realizing what Your Word (Jesus) teaches and refusing to let go of idols. I know that as I increasingly learn Your Word (Jesus), the more I will face His call for my complete submission to Him in unapologetic unwavering faith. May Your will be done in me. So be it.