Luke 24:5-6 5
In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:
When we read the gospel stories, we have both the benefit and the burden of knowing how the story of Jesus ends. “And on the third day he rose again.” We read verses like these where the women seem surprised by what they are being told, and we think, how could they not know? Jesus said over and over to whomever would listen that the temple will be destroyed and he will raise it in three days. We might conclude that they lacked faith. We might conclude that they forgot. We might think we wouldn’t make a mistake like that.
Like the denials of Peter, we are sure we would never behave this way. We might be quite certain. As we read the Gospel as both the story of Jesus and the scripture inspired by God, we often perceive it as an ancient text, as history, of what happened- past tense. We have heard the beginning, middle, and end of the scripture and think that we know the story. We feel we understand.
But why do we feel this way when Christ has risen and is not found on paper. Like the women at the tomb, are we looking in the wrong place? No matter how many times we have read the Bible or heard the gospel stories in sermons can we really claim to understand if we are not looking out at the world?
You can’t see the horizon if you are staring down at your feet. You can’t understand something that hasn’t happened yet no matter how many times someone tells you about it. You won’t understand something you haven’t experienced. You can’t meet a need you don’t know exists. You can’t see the beloved child of God in the eyes of the other if you don’t meet them in the streets.
You can’t answer a question before it is asked no matter how hard you try. So my question to you is are you looking down at what you already know or are you looking to the horizon to see what you can discovery?
Please pray with me: Lord, direct my eyes to your beloved children living next to me. Allow me to understand the resurrection of Jesus as my call to look for him in each person I encounter. Allow me to understand your creation and how I can share it with others. Thank you for all that you have given us, and let us show our gratitude for it by blessing all we encounter with your love, Amen.
This devotion was written by Jill Pope and read by Sally Stovall.
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