“And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.”
Matthew 28:17

They climbed the mountain He told them to climb. The morning air was cool and quiet. Some moved quickly, hearts light with hope and hallelujahs. Others walked slowly, each step heavy with questions they carried like stones in their pockets. And there, before them, stood Jesus – risen, real, radiant.

Matthew tells us they worshipped Him. But then comes a quiet confession:

“…but some doubted.”

Those words sit in Scripture unpolished and honest. Even as the greatest miracle the world had ever known stood before them, some hearts pulled back. Was this really Him? Could love truly conquer death? Could hope dare to be that bold?

We might picture Jesus turning away in disappointment. We might hear a sigh, sense a quiet rebuke. But He does none of that. Instead, He simply says:

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…”
Matthew 28:19

See the mercy here. He didn’t dismiss their doubts or send them away to strengthen their faith. He took them as they were – their wonder tangled with worry, their worship laced with fear. And then, without hesitation, He entrusted them with the greatest task the world would ever know.

Where Doubt Meets Faith on the Water

That word “doubted” comes from the Greek distazo. It appears only one other time in the New Testament.

It was the night Peter stepped onto the water. His eyes were fixed on Jesus, and for a moment, faith held him. But then the wind rose, the waves grew taller, and fear broke through.

Scripture says:

“But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”
Matthew 14:30-31

Distazo. Doubt. Hesitation. Wavering.

Peter believed enough to step out of the boat. But he doubted enough to start sinking. Still, Jesus reached for him. Lifted him back up. Saved him from the waves.

Even a little faith reaches God’s heart. Even faith mixed with doubt can walk on water, as long as it walks toward Him.

The Shape of Doubt Today

That was two thousand years ago, on a Galilean hill in the thin light of dawn. But if you listen, you can still hear those words today. Doubt is with us still – quiet, stubborn, unyielding.

Today, doubt looks like the young man in the back pew, arms crossed not in rebellion but in honest question. He sings the hymns with everyone else, but inside he wonders if anyone is listening. His prayers feel like messages sent into silence. Still, he comes. He doubts, but he shows up.

It looks like the mother folding laundry late at night, staring at the ceiling as she prays for a miracle that never seems to come. She believes God is good, but that belief wears thin as bills pile up and her body grows tired. She doubts, not because her faith is gone, but because her faith is worn.

It looks like the student scrolling through newsfeeds of war and corruption, asking how a just God can stay silent while children sleep on concrete floors. His doubt comes from a tender place. He cannot reconcile what he reads with what he believes.

Today, doubt sounds like quiet conversations over coffee. It sounds like whispered confessions:

“I’m not sure I believe everything I used to.”
“I don’t feel Him anymore.”
“I don’t know if He still loves me.”

And yet they come. They gather on their own Galilean hills – sanctuaries, living rooms, dawn walks alone with their thoughts. Because beneath all the doubt is a hope that refuses to die. A hope that maybe this Jesus truly is who He said He is. That perhaps grace is wide enough for those who worship and for those who wonder.

Faith With Questions in Hand

Here is the comfort. Jesus never turned away from those who doubted Him. He came closer. He didn’t dismiss their hesitations or send them away to sort themselves out. He entrusted them with His work. Because faith was never about having every answer lined up like soldiers on parade. It was, and still is, about following Him with questions in hand, believing His love will hold when your understanding cannot.

Today, doubt looks like prayers spoken into silence. It looks like worship offered with trembling lips. It sounds like cracked voices singing “Great is Thy faithfulness,” while quietly wondering if His faithfulness will arrive in time.

And still, He remains patient. The same One who pulled Peter from the sea, who stood on the mountain with worshippers and doubters alike, stands with us now and says:

“Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”
Matthew 28:20

So bring Him what you have – your worship, your doubt, your questions. He is still there, calling your name, choosing you all the same.

Because it was never about how strong your confidence is.
It has always been about how strong His love is.