Easter Blindness

Luke 24:15-16 NIV

As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.

Have You Missed Something Lately?

Several times I went to Russia to teach for a few weeks at a Christian college in Moscow.  Although I did not speak any Russian, my lecture was translated to the students in Russian.  This meant for extended lag times when I waited for the translator to finish before I moved forward with my teaching.  I kind of liked the gaps; it gave me time to compose my thoughts and make sure I was staying on topic.  It made it a bit tedious for the students though as they had to wait for me to say what I had to say before they could find out what it was.  However, there was an interesting dynamic to this class that it took me a while to recognize.  I tried to entertain the students a bit by giving funny anecdotes from my life and sometimes I realized there were students laughing before the translator finished.  At first I thought maybe the translator was saying something funny or making comments about what I had said.  This happened several times and because I was insecure, I assumed that maybe the translator was adding to what I was saying to make my lectures more interesting.  Then of course it dawned on me what was happening.  Some of the students were laughing before the translator finished translating because they understood English and were laughing along with me as I told my stories.  It was like within my class there was a secret society of English speakers who I was not aware existed.  They could have remained embedded there for the full time I taught if they had not let the cat out of the bag by laughing before the translator repeated my stories.

There are many times when we don’t pick up on crucial information…like when we don’t realize how angry our wives are, or when we don’t notice that our husbands don’t like what we just cooked.  Perhaps you have talked about someone and didn’t realize that person was right behind you.  You might find out that there was a deduction you could have taken off your income tax but didn’t know about it until it was too late.  Maybe you had not realized one of your children wasn’t doing his schoolwork until you saw his report card.  Maybe you thought you were having a great conversation with someone only to discover the person didn’t like you.  Have you ever believed you were doing badly at work only to have your boss complement you for what you are doing?   You might have discovered someone close to you had cancer but were not aware of it.  Maybe you found out when you were in school that a classmate had a crush on you and were oblivious to it.  Our world has lots of secrets it keeps from us…some because we aren’t paying close attention, others because we don’t have a way of accessing the information.  Easter Sunday was one of those days when what seemed to be the case, wasn’t always as it seemed.

The first Easter was a day full of surprise.  After watching Jesus brutally beaten, his skin shredded by a Roman flogging, and then suffer his agonizing death on the cross; Jesus’ disciples and close friends were emotionally devastated.  Some were afraid for their own lives; others were in shock over what had happened to Jesus.  No one was prepared for the events of Easter Sunday and it took them all a while to realize what had happened.  This becomes clear when we take a close look at what transpired. 

Somewhere near dawn, Mary Magdalene and some other women came to the tomb of Christ hoping somehow to put anointing spices on His body.  They were of course well aware that a heavy stone had been placed in front of the tomb entrance and there guards were stationed there to keep Jesus’ body from being removed.  How they planned on pushing back the stone, we have no idea.  Perhaps they thought they could talk the guards into doing it for them.  When Mary Magdalene and another woman got to the tomb, they found the stone rolled away and the guards gone.  This shattered Mary Magdalene’s already fragile psyche and she rushed off to tell the disciples that Jesus’ body had been stolen.  Peter and John hustled back with Mary Magdalene trailing far behind them.  When she got to the tomb, Peter and John had already been inside and ran off another way carrying with them the startling news that something supernatural had taken place in Jesus’ tomb and His body was gone.  At the tomb, two angels greeted Mary Magdalene but she was so distraught she did not know it was angels talking to her.  Let’s listen to John the Apostle’s description of what happened. 

Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.  They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"  "They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him."  At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. (John 20:11-14 NIV)

There are two interesting assumptions Mary Magdalene made that are very normal and understandable and they are related.  The first is that the angels she met inside the tomb of Jesus were not angels.  Who she thought they were is anyone’s guess but she certainly did not realize they were angels.  Either she completely overlooked the tell-tale signs or there was no evidence for her to consider that would lead her to recognize them as angels.  Immediately, Mary Magdalene turned around and saw Jesus but shockingly, she didn’t know it was Jesus.  Neither His voice nor His look gave Him away.  "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?"  Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him." (John 20:15 NIV)  Why did Mary Magdalene, staring straight at Jesus, not know it was Him?  This is of course a mystery to us.  The same thing happened with two disciples who were walking away from Jerusalem toward the small village of Emmaus.

They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.  As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.  He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"  They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"  "What things?" he asked.  "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied.

(Luke 24:14-19 NIV) Here these two disciples were; talking about Jesus of Nazareth, not knowing the entire time they were talking to Jesus of Nazareth.  Like Mary Magdalene, Jesus was unrecognizable to them even though He was perfectly Himself.  Luke says these two disciples were “kept from recognizing him.”  What that means we have no idea but that is the case.  What should have been so easy to realize, that they were with Jesus, was a complete secret to Mary Magdalene and these two disciples.  They could not see God right in front of them.

It is getting more and more difficult for people to realize they are having God moments.  Like Mary Magdalene they are either kept from seeing God at work or they aren’t open to noticing Him.  The Bible is filled with ordinary moments becoming extraordinary experiences with God.  The prophet Jeremiah noticed an almond tree branch and God confided in Him that He was “awake” to accomplish all He promised to do.  Likewise, when Jeremiah came across a tilted boiling pot, the Lord informed Him that disaster was coming upon Jerusalem from the north.  How did David have the inspiration for writing one of the most well-known poems in literature, the 23^rd Psalm?  He did his job watching sheep for his dad and he thought about how much God cares for us.  The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.  He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. (Psalm 23:1-3 NIV)

James the brother of Jesus watched plenty of boats sailing upon the Sea of Galilee and thought about how such a small item as a rudder could force a big boat to turn.  At some point, the Lord pointed out to Him that the rudder of a boat is like a tongue.  Both are small but each has a huge impact.  Paul the Apostle spent time on farms and saw how the branch of a wild olive tree could be grafted into the trunk of a cultivated olive tree.  He then heard from God that the Lord did the same thing by bringing Gentiles into the Kingdom of God through the Jewish people.

There are perhaps a hundred different moments when God can break into your day and speak to you.  You might be blind to it like Mary Magdalene or like David you might see as clear as day God moments.  Something as simple as a trip to the mechanic or a stop light could be the moment God breaks through to you.  You could be preparing dinner when the Lord has something to say to you or working out in the gym when He shows you something.  If an almond tree can be a great revelation for Jeremiah, what might a rose bush be or a conversation with one of your children.  The resurrection of Jesus Christ proves at least this.  God does not need our help to conquer death or anything else for that matter.  He didn’t search out the disciples on the road to Emmaus because it was essential he get advice from them on how to strengthen and encourage the rest of the disciples.  He came to the disciples because He loved them and wanted them to live in Him rather than just hear of Him.  You too are on the road to Emmaus.  God may say something to you at any moment.  He might show you something when you are not prepared to see it.  Our Lord does not just want you to read about Him, He wants you to have personal experience being with Him.  Praise Him.  Think about Him.  Ask Him questions.  Thank Him for what He gives you.  Gradually you will become aware of Him and you will know how to recognize Him speaking to you.  Sometimes you will think God has spoken to you but it won’t be Him.  As you keep turning to Him again and again though, you will hear Him and it really will be Him.  He will be present with you and your heart will skip a beat because you will know Jesus Christ Himself is there right where you are.  No longer will it be a story about Him; someone’s statement about Him, it will be you with Him and He will speak to you so that you know it is Him.  It will be your Easter Sunday!

Missionary Alliance

If God said, "Go”, would you know He had?  Would you believe He had?  Would your head scramble with fears and mistrust or would you begin packing your bags?  The missionary is at a loss when the calling turns inside out and nothing is as it seemed when first she began to go.  Does He still mean "go" now when the salary is not very good, when the people I work with are unpleasant and when my family is not happy with the "going"?  Israel faced her own "go" and on many counts she stopped short.  Each Israelite had his or her own reasons for standing like a statue when the Lord said, "go".  Some were like Lot's wife and looked back rather than ahead.  Others were like David's brothers who didn’t want to have anything to do with great challenges in front of them.  Many, like John Mark, were fed up with all the troubles they faced on the way.  What must God do to make us stay the course, to get us to push forward when the challenge of going is great?  Does He need to caudle us with a hundred little "answers to prayer" to keep us in line?  Must He "give us a word" so we will be convinced again?  "Ah, but I am not a missionary", we may argue.  What does a "calling" have to do with me?  Was Ruth "called" to go with Naomi to Bethlehem?  Was David "called" to do battle with Goliath?  Was Esau "called" to give up the grudge he had with his brother?  Was Mary Magdalene called to go to the tomb of Christ Easter morning?  God works through the organic brains of normal human beings and in just the "regular stuff" of life He makes a creature of divine purpose and supernatural achievement.  A missionary is simply one who has been given a "go" by God in some operating system which our Lord uses to get the "go" across to us and in the going we find our place in the tapestry of our Lord's life with humanity.  God has purpose in your life and that purpose is heroic in how you react to the "go" He gives you.  The very first "go" we receive is the one to, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit".  (Acts 2:38 NIV)  Once you have the gift of the Holy Spirit, you will know when to go and when to stay and your life will be a light that shines in golden brilliance the majesty and grace of Christ living through you wherever you have been taken.

 But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"  And God said, "I will be with you…"     Exodus 3:11-12 NIV

Blinders

One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched.   (Luke 14:1 NIV)

There are only two reasons to carefully watch Jesus.  Either you do so to know where to turn away from Him or you do so to know where to turn into Him.  Jesus put the Pharisees and religious leaders on the spot when He asked them if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath.  If they said, “yes”, then they would begin to turn into Him but if they said, “no”, they would move away.  Jesus is the way; every turn from Him is toward hell and the bitterness of perdition.  Turn into Him and your soul begins to light up with the golden blaze of heaven and the comfort of His glory.  The move into Christ is subtle and quiet, away is loud and boisterous.  The cheers of the world give you a great boost as you jump out from His shelter.  It is exhilarating; freeing to turn outward and gain something fresh and pretty.  Yet the maggots begin to eat at the corpse and it soon becomes clear that the move out is one of the grave and the façade gives way to a very real end point. 

Turn inward though to Christ and the stillness of the move shocks you for you had hoped it would be more glorious, livelier than that.  You had planned on a great pleasure to overtake you, a mighty rush of joy to prove your rightness but it is more still than the breeze of the butterfly or the whisper of the creeping lizard.  The aloneness of the move inward frightens you for it is at once quite final and at the same time uninspiring.  Yet you are alive and living will take you captive, just as the antibiotic takes you captive with its dripping health.  The death of self is not a dying death; it is a living death that becomes more vivacious as you escape into Christ.  Your tears will come alive along with your wounds and terrifying doubts for the deadness of them before will wiggle free with the life of Jesus.  All wounds will be cause for glory, all heartache a well of sweet freedom and hope, all doubts a cup of faith.  Turn into Christ with each moment of the day, every trial you face and temptation stumbling your plodding steps and you will gain a bit more life, a bit more dynamic gumption.  Your mind will grow free of the former bondage that fooled it into thinking it was already free.  You will see and love and bless and be a well of living water springing up at the moment within the hub and bub of your normal contentious day.  Someone will feel your touch and it will be the touch of the Spirit slipping to them with all the power of the resurrection of Christ Easter morning.

The Prayer Of The Anointed Concluded

What was the undergirding force making the fearful bold and the broken strong? It was, we must acknowledge, faith in God. The story ended happily. The Ammonites and Moabites in a bizarre twist of circumstance unraveled and started butchering the Edomites and when that wasn’t enough to quench their collective fury, they destroyed each other. Without lifting a hand against her enemies Israel was saved. How would things have turned if the people had doubted the prophet’s call to trust? If Israel never came out in battle formation and hid behind its town walls instead, what might have happened? Would the Edomites and Moabites and Ammonites still have ruthlessly attacked one another had the armies of Judah stayed home or would they have remained a united force and destroyed God’s people? We don’t really know, do we? Therein is the befuddlement of faith. How far do you go with faith’s stretch? Does faith just make you feel better or is it the most dramatic change agent available to God’s people? Is it the crossover into the supernatural or just a psychological quick fix to stress?

Imagine needing to travel three thousand miles in three days or lose the dream career opportunity of a lifetime back in 1850 and stumbling upon a BMW roadster with the keys left in the ignition and a gas tank big enough to carry you across the United States. What would you have done? Certainly you would have hoped in the car, turned the key and made your way as fast as you could across the prairie. But what if you didn’t think the car could move, didn’t believe it could take you anywhere at all and walked away from it and given up on your dream career? Would you have been a fool in 1850? Perhaps not… Yet you certainly would be thought one now! Faith operates always with the future in mind; it never really stands in the present. Faith is the ultimate enigma, the unsearchable premise. Place the BMW in Middle Ages Germany and it is faith, put it on the Autobahn and it is science.

But, you may argue, the BMW in Middle Ages Germany is just as much science as it is if it is sitting in one of our showrooms today but that is because we misunderstand the nature of faith. Faith is not confidence in a non-entity that we dream about; faith is confidence in the very real God who keeps your heart pounding and your mind working. Turn the key even back in the Middle Ages and the BMW starts. Turn the key of faith today and you become Jehoshaphat. Your life starts. It is impossible to guess at what we miss when we don’t trust God moment by moment and pray in faith. Certainly the people of Nazareth didn’t know what their lack of faith in Jesus meant to them…but now we do. The same holds true today. A lack of faith seems so very inconsequential right now…or at least we are not sure what harm it may cause us. The truth is that because faith always lives within the future and we cannot see into the future, we make our most fatal mistakes within the realm of faith. At the time it doesn’t seem to matter if we have faith or not. But for the people of Nazareth and even earlier for the citizens of Judah, it did…and it does for us too!

There are three signs that our faith is growing too low to change our circumstances and causes us to miss the same things the people of Nazareth missed, God’s miraculous interventions. The first is fear. If we have become fearful, we are low in faith. When the disciples panicked over the horrific storm they found themselves swept into on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus ridiculed their response. "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. (Matthew 8:26 NIV) It isn’t that the storm wasn’t real or that people don’t die in storms like that. Jesus gave no hint that the disciples were behaving insanely. Bills are real, bankruptcy is real, rapists are real, broken pipes and broken arms are real. Christian faith doesn’t deny reality. What Christian faith does though is look to God for complete help. Like water and oil, faith and fear cannot mingle, they may co-exist in the same heart but one always works to push out the other. Open up faith and fear slips off, nurture fear and your faith bubbles away.

A second sign that faith is low is a concentrated gaze on stuff. Part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount was dedicated to the problem of God’s people spending too much time and effort collecting goods, clothing, food and drink. Little faith and a preoccupation with what we eat and wear and what we have go hand-in-hand. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (Matthew 6:30-31 NIV) The fuzzy line that defines just enough and too much money and property collected and considered is the line between unbelief and faith. A new may be just what God wants me to purchase for myself. Yet the amount of thought I put in my wardrobe may be the chief hindrance to having enough faith in God to do much for the Kingdom through prayer. Spend too much time debating the benefits of one computer over another and your hope in God could diminish and your faith weaken. Do not take the time to pursue God’s guidance in what to buy or not buy and you may have a great sound system but nothing to help you with your cancer or your new boss.

A third sign that my faith is weak is when I complain. On another occasion the disciples were boating with Jesus and Christ wanted to teach them about how bad it was to follow the same approach to God as did the Pharisees. This was a crucial lesson for the disciples to grasp and Jesus wanted their full attention. However, the disciples were bitterly obsessed with the fact no one had brought bread along for the trip. Stomachs growling and fatigue setting in on them, the bread crisis kept them from listening to God. Jesus’ rebuke of them was sharp. Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, "You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? (Matthew 16:8 NIV) Bread is not the issue when we complain about something nor is a messy house, a touchy supervisor or a whining child. When we complain, our lack of faith is being proven. “You of little faint”, Jesus remonstrated, not, “wow, we are having a horrible day. Who forgot the bread?”

All faith begins with this one decisive moment. Without real hope available anywhere else, I cry out, “God help me.” Whether I need to buy a tie for a wedding, get my car running, take a sick aunt to the hospital or decide how I will spend eternity once I die, the plea, “Jesus, please help me” is the one and only way to enter into the supernatural of Christ. I can wag my finger at a store clerk who won’t let me return a Christmas present, beg for a bank employee to give me more time to pay off my debt, work for hours on a new resume but nothing enters me into God’s world if I do not in faith turn to Him for help.

At the very edge of Easter was perhaps the purest picture of the sort of faith we must embrace if we are to know the power of God mingled with our earthy moments. Having watched Jesus’ blood splatter down before her and then in agony groan out His last breath, Mary Magdalene did what even the disciples were not willing to risk, go to the grave of Jesus and honor His memory. How could she go down to His tomb Easter Sunday when so many others could not who loved Jesus just as dearly? What strength gave her power to risk the wrath of the guards stationed at the tomb? How was she able to manage the journey there when no one else would? We must call it…faith. Take what seems to be empty hope, mix it with the unwashed promise of God to always be with you and help you in your times of need and you have faith…It was faith that gave Mary Magdalene, when everyone else was gone, the first sight of the risen Savior.