At a recent pastors’ gathering hosted by us, only one pastor (besides myself and Sue) was able to attend. This unusual circumstance became something fascinating. We began by asking him questions and our time together turned into the telling of his story. We learned so much, even after having known him for over eight years! Slotting details into the timeline of his journey clarified, for us, more of who he was.
Jesus’ disciples only had a bit over three years to get to know their teacher. The ‘more’ of who he was, often came in story or parable form, sometimes too subtly for them to catch. Other times, like his working of miracles, took their breath away, leaving them wondering about the full extent of his identity. Jesus’ non-militant stance, especially as they increasingly saw him as the long-awaited Messiah, caused them much consternation and further questioning. His unwavering peace, even when challenged by the religious elite, was a marvel to them. The more they witnessed, the less they were able to make sense of it all.
During the forty bonus days with them following his resurrection, I wonder if any of them were bold enough to ask him how he did it, how he was able to just get up, roll back the stone at the entrance, and walk out of the tomb. I wonder, too, if each time they saw him, they felt slightly estranged from him, less sure of the type of relationship that was theirs. He must have seemed bigger, stronger, more capable while they surely felt diminished, weaker, less capable by comparison before him (I‘m sure I would have, had I been there).
Today, as Jesus’ followers, the ‘more’ of him often eludes us, too. We are called to him by his Spirit, forgiven, adopted and washed to a redeemed innocence. Well, that’s what God’s Word has recorded for our understanding, at least. We somehow accept that this is our current standing in Jesus. However, our mirrors don’t always speak that back to us. Nor do our thoughts nor our actions. Our ‘work’ is to realize the reconciliation of our redeemed identity and to acquaint ourselves with the ‘new’ we’ve become (and if this is our situation 2000 years later, little surprise that the first apostles had to struggle to breathe the rarified air of the Kingdom). And so, we continue to grow into a fuller appreciation of all that has been bequeathed us in Jesus. With that, let me say how eager I am to see each of you tomorrow, 10 AM, 3 PM UK, 4 PM ES. PD
