…”calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” Luke 7:19
Here we have John the Baptist locked away in Herod’s prison. We read of his wavering, but that shouldn’t alarm us. There has always been difficulties for those who follow without diluting their love for Jesus. It’s very likely that John had preconceptions about Jesus’ ministry. But that certainly doesn’t mean he was apostate or backslidden. He still believed, as he looked out through the bars.
We walk in a greater light and have surer promises that John did. And in that light we still have our difficult moments. We can falter and shake and doubt. And John only had a 100th of understanding that we have. Often we are amazed by another’s confusion and struggles, it is so clear to us that they are falling short. It is frustrating. Moses once went ballistic, beat his rod on a rock and had some choice words. His anger spilled all over him and made a mess. We read of his provocation, and miss our own faults, sins and weaknesses.
We need to understand the depth of our own depravity. There are those who have proceeded us, who have had their moments of despondency and doubt. We see them, as it were, from a distance and criticize and challenge what we see. Noah’s drunkenness and Lot’s vacillation. The flakiness of Samson, Peter’s denial and Mark’s timidity, and much more.
Today, let us resolve to be gentle with each other. “For we all stumble in many ways”, James 3:2.
Broken Believers 