John 20-21 and Luke 24
November 23, 2014


From time to time, as a Pastor I am frustrated by my inability to communicate effectively.  I try and cast a vision for what I think would work well, only to watch the people that I shepherd continue to do the same thing they have always done.   Even after we have changed our actions and seen great success I still witness people going back to the old habits, and old ways of doing things.   Maybe it's "muscle memory" or maybe it's unwillingness to change.   It could be that I haven't done a good enough job of getting my point across...who knows.

Whatever the reason, I have to smile as I read about Jesus walking along the Emmaus road trying to explain to his disciples what has just taken place.   Having just read it over the last several days, it is certainly more fresh in my mind than it would have been in theirs...but even still, Jesus was very direct when He told them He would be in the tomb for three days.    Even the chief priests knew that He intended to rise again.  That's why they had the tomb sealed and guarded.  This will sound crazy, but I'll bet that the unrepentant chief priests were more readily convinced that Jesus had risen from the dead than the disciples were!   Of course, Jesus appears to His disciples in person, and not the priests.  

I also see that the first people to see Jesus were the women.  I'm not sure what to make of that, except that the women were "second class citizens" in His day.  Appearing to them first is in line with Jesus coming to the "least of these".   The disciples run to the tomb and see no one.  Mary Magdalene sees two angels, and then Jesus appears to her personally.    Jesus would have left the two men on the Emmaus road, had they not begged him to stay with them.   Their hospitality and concern for a stranger really paid off that day!

I used to be frustrated when I read about how the disciples had gone back to fishing after they had seen Jesus alive.  But as I read that account again, I notice that Jesus doesn't have any harsh words for them.   He isn't frustrated because they are fishing.   I guess He recognizes that they need the Holy Spirit in order to continue the mission, now that He is ascending to the Father.   In fact, He tells them to "sit tight" until the Holy Spirit shows up.    In one reading Jesus breathes on them and says "Receive the Holy Spirit" but there is no record of anything extraordinary happening to them when He does it.   I wonder if the presence of the Holy Spirit HAS to be exhibited by something fantastic.    Do you think it's possible to be filled with the Spirit and still be quiet?   Does everyone who is filled with the Spirit teach?   I wonder if the disciples received the Spirit earlier than we know, only to have the Spirit bring them a gift in the form of tongues of fire on each head.

I wouldn't want to create any doctrine based on this random thought, but it is fun to think about.

Today I take comfort in knowing that people don't always do what you want them to, or what you expect them to., or even what they are capable of doing.   Jesus knew it, and loved anyway.  He continued to teach until it was time for Him to go, and He left knowing that there was some work that only the Holy Spirit would be able to accomplish.

I guess that should be good enough for us as well...


PR