Faith and the role of doubt

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, we hear that John the Baptist, now in prison, has sent his disciples to question whether Jesus is the one about whom John preached. The account suggests that John himself was aware of the discrepancy between what he had preached about “the one to come” and about what he has now heard concerning Jesus. In the wilderness, John had emphasized that the one coming would preach repentance and be concerned with judgment. Instead, John evidently heard that this Jesus was more concerned with healing, forgiving, consoling and restoring life. 

Yet, that is exactly the character that this Sunday’s first reading, from the prophet Isaiah, suggests that the Messiah will have. The prophet writes, “Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense; he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing” (Is 35:4-6). Did John get it wrong? Was he confused about who the Messiah would be? Or was he like us, often unable to grasp fully that the one who is to come, the one whose birth we remember this Christmas, always exceeds our expectations? 

Moreover, John was acutely aware of the ills of his society. He could only imagine the one coming would be similarly concerned with addressing these evils. Indeed, the Greco-Roman world into which Jesus was born was similar to parts of our own world. War, political strife and persecution of marginalized groups or of people who could not defend themselves was a daily affair. Government officials were not always virtuous or even concerned about the well-being of all people. Rome’s economic systems gave way to social stratifications that segregated people and created a classist society of the rich and the poor. Individual as well as collective morality was on the decline. Greed, the false notion of self-sufficiency and the drive to exert control ravaged the very fabric of culture. It would be understandable that John would expect a Messiah who, at least in the beginning, preached a staunch and unequivocal call to repentance and exercised judgment in the face of such moral depravity. But, somewhat surprisingly, Jesus responds to John’s inquiry by inviting John’s disciples to see for themselves who Jesus is and what he has done. “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them” (Mt 11:4-5). 

Yet Jesus’ message to John is not a public correction or an affront to his misunderstanding. Instead, Jesus extends the same kind of compassion and care to John that he is already showing in his ministry. Jesus makes clear that John’s question does not cast doubts on John’s greatness. With a series of rhetorical questions, Jesus invites the crowd to witness John’s integrity. Jesus contrasts and elevates John above the powerful political leaders, who instead are like reeds shaken by the wind and wear fine clothes living in royal palaces. John is greater than all of them.  He is the one foretold by Isaiah, who would come ahead of the Messiah and announce his coming. Of all those born of women, Jesus declares, there is no one greater than John.  

So, John had questions about Jesus and, perhaps, even doubts whether he was the Messiah that John himself had described. Jesus answers John’s disciples truthfully so they can report to him. Jesus does not chastise John for his questions. Nor does Jesus diminish John or take offense that he had raised such doubts publicly. Instead, Jesus praises John as the greatest of prophets. 

Advent is a time for renewing our faith as we celebrate the birth of Christ, the one whom John had dedicated his life to preaching about but then, near the end, had begun to doubt. Faith is a decision to believe, and doubt often plays a role in the growth and development of our faith. Our quest for kinship with Jesus deepens over time but like any relationship, what we thought we understood often raises questions later. Faith, even as passionate conviction, is not at odds with doubt or questions. Wrestling those concerns ultimately deepens faith. 

We know how Jesus responded to John’s inquiry. Jesus revealed to him a deeper understanding of who he is and lovingly praised John for who he was. That should give us confidence in our quest to believe, while honestly facing questions about our beliefs.