WATCHWORD:
But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Luke 24:37-38
15 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Explain to us the parable that says people aren’t defiled by what they eat.” 16 “Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. 18 But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. Matthew 15:15-18
25 Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. 26 Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” Luke 24:25-26
Meditation:
The Case Against the Disciples (and us!)
Have you ever thought we are very much like the disciples? I know, we know that Jesus is the Messiah, God incarnate, so we have that in common with the disciples. While we are not fisherman, we are common, ordinary human beings, fallible, and yet, we are followers of Jesus.
In a Watchword, some two months ago, I asked “When was the last time you denied Christ?” I got one or two responses to that. You know, that is the last thing we want to admit that we have somehow denied him. Yet, we often slipped to one side when we are called upon to act like Christians in word and in deed.
Maybe we’ve never been in a boat during the storm and Jesus walked to us on the waters. What an amazing thing that would be, but we never saw that happen, never experienced that. Or did we? Some of you were in that boat, in the midst of a storm and Christ came to you. Remember? Oh, the boat may have looked a lot like an ambulance, or a CT Scan, maybe a TIA, but the storm was there and Christ responded to your prayers. In effect, He came to you. Your peace came when your doubts faded.
There have been times in our lives when we are like Thomas, and despite the miracle that unfolded before our very eyes, we struggled to explain the answer, whatever it may have been, in human terms. And yet the explanation lay in supernatural terms, because God is ever present far beyond our understanding or our ability to grasp what is there, just beyond our sight. Did the disciples misunderstand the Prophesy? There He stood, yet some doubted!
The disciples saw the healing of the 10 lepers, yet they had doubt who this man was. They watched in awe as first 5000 and then 4000 men (not to mention women and children) were fed from someone’s lunch. Yes, they had doubt, or was it a trick? They were there when sight was restored to blind Bartimus, yet they had doubt. Was he really blind? They were there when Lazarus was resurrected, and they had doubt. What more did they need, to believe? What did it take for Peter to finally say “You are the son of God, you are the Messiah”?
In one of my readings, I wish I could provide the attribution, a noted theologian observed that only a minority of persons who say they are Christian, truly understood what means. So many people (Christians?) find it so hard, in this day and political age, to love our neighbor as ourselves. Do we understand that in the eyes of God ALL lives matter?
The fact that we are on this side of the Resurrection doesn’t really change anything, since disciples got to that point and beyond, as well. However, they are the ones that witnessed His ministry, the healings, the teachings, the calming of the storms, feeding thousands, and yet—doubts. Is it any wonder that we sometimes wonder? Had we been there…? Hmmm. Would we have caught on more quickly? I’m doubtful. Remember, we are common, ordinary human beings, fallible, and yet, yes, we are followers of Jesus the Christ. Thank God, we are committed to a supernatural belief. Amen.
Bulletin Board:
Starting the week with groaning humor —
I live in a small town where most are not that bright and it shows everyday in the headlines of the local paper. Recently a woman was filling the tank on her pick up at the local Speedway, but not paying any attention she didn’t realize she hadn’t inserted the hose properly and the gas was leaking on the ground and into her shoes. Finally realizing what she had done, she jerked the nozzle and got gas all over her shirt as well. Fuming she stormed into the shop and demanded a refund for the gas she spilled. Of course the owner declined, telling her it was her own fault and she was welcome to pay for more gas at the pump. She laid out a stream of curses and stormed out the door. Shaking with rage she climbed in her car and lit a cigarette to calm her nerves, and igniting her sleeve in the process. Instead of going for the fire extinguisher she cranked up her car and decided to speed down the local high way with her arm out the window trying to blow out the flames. She sped through an intersection almost causing a crash and catching the eye of a police man, who immediately gave chase trying to pull her over before she killed someone. After a short chase, he got her to pull over and once he got to her car he yanked her from her seat and arrested her. They posted her mugshot on the front page of the next issue of the local paper and you won’t believe what they charged her with; bearing a fire arm.
Prayer for this day:
Faithful God, have mercy on us. Lord, we are captive to sin and we don’t know how to cleanse ourselves. Too often we turn away from your loving embrace and go our own separate ways and in the following of our own will we turn our back on what you would have us do. We pass judgment on one another before examining the truth or even examining ourselves. We consider our own needs before those of our neighbors and in doing that we failed to love them as you instructed. Lord God, make us humble, cast away our failures and return us to life in You, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. We know, Lord, that You hear our cries and that through the death and resurrection of Christ you have made us your own. Lord guide us to be led by the Holy Spirit to live in freedom and the newness to do God’s work in the world. God, Heavenly Father, help us to never deny You, Your Word, or Your Commandments. We offer these prayers, Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
