When Even the Bold Ask Questions
Today’s reading took me through Matthew 9 and Luke 7. What caught my attention most was a moment in Luke 7 where John the Baptist sends some of his followers to Jesus with a direct question: “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” (Luke 7:19, NLT).
John the Baptist, Unsure?
It’s a surprising question. John was the one who had baptized Jesus, who had proclaimed that he was the one to come. Yet here, while imprisoned, John seems uncertain. I find that honesty refreshing—this isn’t blind loyalty or unshakable certainty. It’s a very human moment of wondering whether expectations align with reality.
Jesus Answers Without Answering
Jesus doesn’t respond with a simple “yes” or “no.” Instead, he points to what’s happening around him: “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” (Luke 7:22, NLT). His answer is less about explanation and more about evidence, drawing attention to the lived outcomes of his work.
That approach raises a few questions for me. Why doesn’t Jesus just confirm his identity directly? Was he asking John to piece it together himself? Or maybe the idea is that identity and authority aren’t proven by titles but by action. It makes me think about how often people’s claims to authority, whether religious or not, are weighed less by their words than by the effects they have on others.
There’s also something significant about John’s doubt being recorded at all. If even John—so central in the story—experienced questions, then uncertainty clearly wasn’t taboo. In fact, Jesus doesn’t scold him. Right after the exchange, he praises John to the crowd: “I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John” (Luke 7:28, NLT). That’s a fascinating contrast—someone who questions still receives high regard. It suggests that doubt and greatness can exist side by side.
Faith and Doubt: A Mixed Bag
Placed alongside Matthew 9, this theme stands out even more. That chapter is filled with people who approach Jesus in desperation: friends lowering a paralyzed man through the roof, a woman reaching out just to touch his robe, a grieving father begging for his daughter’s life. Their faith looks bold and immediate. John’s moment of doubt is the opposite—it’s hesitant, questioning, unsure. Yet both kinds of responses appear in the same narrative world. Maybe the text is less interested in drawing a sharp line between faith and doubt, and more interested in showing the wide range of human reactions to uncertainty and hope.
As I think about this, I find myself wondering how much room we allow for doubt in our own lives. Not just in religion, but in any area where conviction and uncertainty mingle—career choices, relationships, personal values. Is questioning a sign of weakness, or is it part of the process of getting to something more meaningful? John’s story suggests the latter might be worth considering.