It’s a well-known saying with multiple variations. i.e. You can take the boy out of [the farm] but you can’t take [the farm] out of the boy. The familiar is etched into his DNA. So, he may begin to dress like a businessman, squelch his drawl to sound more citified, learn the slick lingo of urbanites, adapt to the noise and concrete and perpetual hurry, but just below that surface there’s still grinnin’ joy at the thought of open fields, cattle, hay, a faithful dog – and tractors. While the contents of the bracketed portion change, to some degree I think we can all relate.
I see a rough parallel (is that even a thing?) with the disciples after Jesus’ death. After an intense three plus years following him, seeing and experiencing things they had no boxes for, coming to believe things they’d never heard from their parents, or anyone for that matter, they were learning a new language, a new lifestyle. They were, outwardly, changed. Then, the resurrection (that nobody saw, that we know of) took place. Jesus was alive again and showing his alive-again, visibly-wounded, self to the group. Talk about having zero boxes! The cruel events of the previous week were yet to be processed. Grief was raw. Emotions were in turmoil. Yet, here was their Master back with them! And not just returned, but having perfectly finished his mission and having opened up all kinds of new reality, new possibilities, new adventures.
For 2025 disciples like us, the resurrection continues to declare a freshly opened reality, myriad, heretofore impossible possibilities, and mind-bending new Kingdom adventures. And, also like those first disciples, we’re still wearing just a thin, outward coating of Jesus-believing. There’s still unbelief etched into our DNA, interfering, in so many maddening ways (I’ll let you make your own list), with our moving forward. What we believed about ourselves up till now has now been proven to be false. And it never takes faith to believe what’s false. But it does take faith to believe what’s true. Personally, I’m glad to read that those guys were slow-witted knuckleheads. It gives me hope going forward. Jesus didn’t give up on them, so I have confidence he won’t give up on me/us. We can’t change our DNA, but Jesus’ truth trumps our falsehoods and there gradually emerges mature believers from the raw material (us) he has to work with. And I think Jesus is cool with cows and open fields – and tractors. Looking forward to seeing y’all tomorrow, 10 AM, 3 PM UK, 4 PM ES. PD
