Friday, September 28: Luke 24- Grasping revolutionary concepts can take a while..

I love it when I come to Resurrection day… in the yearly Easter celebration or as today in my reading!

I found myself marveling at the entire account. Women discovering the tomb was empty and then telling others. Some of the men, probably disbelieving the women, run to the tomb and find what the women said is true. More disbelief and bewilderment.

Two folk wander home and along the way meet Jesus, but it takes several hours for Jesus’ identity to be revealed and understood. They race back to the others and explain what just happened to them and how they saw and spoke with Jesus. No mention of the group’s reaction but amazement, coupled with confusion and doubt, is likely.

Grasping revolutionary concepts can take awhile.

While the Lukan account seems to indicate everything happening in one day, some amount of time passes before the last word of the chapter but we are given no reference point. (Elsewhere in the NT we learn the ascension happens 50 days after the resurrection.  The passage of time could be between the final 2 paragraphs.)

Anyway Jesus appears to the disciples gathered somewhere in Jerusalem. They really don’t get it until Jesus opens their minds. Next thing, we read Jesus leaves them, ascending into heaven.

It is fun to recount the story. It is amazing, so amazing in fact, that for those first believers it was beyond instant belief, which connects with me. A story like this takes time… time to digest and ponder, at least for most of us time to believe. Somewhere along the road to belief, Jesus enters and helps us to believe.

This is helpful for me to ponder as I meet and share Jesus with others. Instant belief isn’t the norm. Like Jesus, I need to walk with friends along the journey from unbelief toward belief, praying for Jesus (and the Holy Spirit) to encounter them and open their minds.

Before I closed my Bible this morning, I looked one last time at the result of belief…

Jesus told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

 Time won’t allow me to pen the many things I saw in these words… I leave that to you to ponder.

Father, the door for repentance and forgiveness is open through Jesus… thank You. Bless You… may I be granted the privilege of walking with many through that door. Amen.