Easter Devotional--Day 01
"The apostles thought it was all nonsense, and they would not believe. But Peter ran to the tomb. And when he stooped down and looked in, he saw only the burial clothes. The he returned, wondering what had happened." Luke 24:11-12
Luke confirms Marks account that the women fled the empty tomb in fear. They said nothing about an angel—at least not at first. Who would believe them, anyway? Perhaps only after meeting Jesus were they emboldened to speak to the Eleven. Obviously, they should not have expected anyone to believe them. They were merely women and so did not count for much in First Century Palestine. When they did say speak, they weren't even greeted by doubt. Their witness was brushed aside by all eleven apostles. After all, a self-respecting man would not give much credit to the drivel of a handful of hysterical females. They should have expected as much. They probably did.
Even if Jesus had given women value and even called both Mary and Martha to sit at his feet among the Twelve, such a message of a woman's equality before God had not taken hold. Old habits die hard. Old ways of thinking persist. When we are under stress, we revert to the norms of youth, even those we once rebelled against. The men foolishly brushed aside the women's report as unworthy of their attention. After some consideration, Peter stood up and rushed out to the tomb. He didn't really believe the women, but he resolved to check out the situation for himself. He decided that maybe there was some kind of story at hand, even if he did not accept their interpretation of events.
Peter had been told that Jesus was alive. The women reported seeing angels as well as Jesus. They had been commissioned to tell Peter and the others that Jesus was alive. They had been sent with the reminder that Jesus had foretold his rising from the dead after three days. The women gave their report, despite the disciples' unbelief and brushing them aside. Peter was fully warned, but he was still unprepared for finding the tomb empty. He had been told that Jesus was alive, but even then he did not accept it after seeing the tomb empty.
He left the tomb amid inner turmoil. The women's report was not one he could accept. He did not find Jesus' body where it should have been. The guard was no longer there. He didn't know what to think. He did not know what to do. Nothing made sense. Jesus was not supposed to have died. Once dead, it was beyond imagining that he would come back to life. There was little thought to giving the women's message credit. On the other hand, he had no alternate explanation for the facts before him.
The tomb was empty, the burial clothes remaining alone. If Jesus' body had been stolen, why remove the burial cloths first? It was a lot of trouble to wrap a body. To remove the wrap was more difficult, yet. At least they would keep the thieves cleaner if while they were intact. There was no body, and only the word of a few hysterical women for an explanation. It would take more to convince Peter that Jesus was alive. He would have to set aside so many of his preconceived notions to accept the reality of the resurrection. He would have to take Jesus on Jesus' own terms, no longer in his mold of a political messianic reign in the halls of human power. Are we ready to hear that Christ Jesus is alive, accepting him on his chosen terms?
Ask God to clarify where you may be forcing Jesus into a mold of your choosing.
"Lord, help me to honor you as who you are, not who I want you to be."
—©Copyright 2009 Christopher B. Harbin http://www.sermonsearch.com/contributors/104427/
Luke confirms Marks account that the women fled the empty tomb in fear. They said nothing about an angel—at least not at first. Who would believe them, anyway? Perhaps only after meeting Jesus were they emboldened to speak to the Eleven. Obviously, they should not have expected anyone to believe them. They were merely women and so did not count for much in First Century Palestine. When they did say speak, they weren't even greeted by doubt. Their witness was brushed aside by all eleven apostles. After all, a self-respecting man would not give much credit to the drivel of a handful of hysterical females. They should have expected as much. They probably did.
Even if Jesus had given women value and even called both Mary and Martha to sit at his feet among the Twelve, such a message of a woman's equality before God had not taken hold. Old habits die hard. Old ways of thinking persist. When we are under stress, we revert to the norms of youth, even those we once rebelled against. The men foolishly brushed aside the women's report as unworthy of their attention. After some consideration, Peter stood up and rushed out to the tomb. He didn't really believe the women, but he resolved to check out the situation for himself. He decided that maybe there was some kind of story at hand, even if he did not accept their interpretation of events.
Peter had been told that Jesus was alive. The women reported seeing angels as well as Jesus. They had been commissioned to tell Peter and the others that Jesus was alive. They had been sent with the reminder that Jesus had foretold his rising from the dead after three days. The women gave their report, despite the disciples' unbelief and brushing them aside. Peter was fully warned, but he was still unprepared for finding the tomb empty. He had been told that Jesus was alive, but even then he did not accept it after seeing the tomb empty.
He left the tomb amid inner turmoil. The women's report was not one he could accept. He did not find Jesus' body where it should have been. The guard was no longer there. He didn't know what to think. He did not know what to do. Nothing made sense. Jesus was not supposed to have died. Once dead, it was beyond imagining that he would come back to life. There was little thought to giving the women's message credit. On the other hand, he had no alternate explanation for the facts before him.
The tomb was empty, the burial clothes remaining alone. If Jesus' body had been stolen, why remove the burial cloths first? It was a lot of trouble to wrap a body. To remove the wrap was more difficult, yet. At least they would keep the thieves cleaner if while they were intact. There was no body, and only the word of a few hysterical women for an explanation. It would take more to convince Peter that Jesus was alive. He would have to set aside so many of his preconceived notions to accept the reality of the resurrection. He would have to take Jesus on Jesus' own terms, no longer in his mold of a political messianic reign in the halls of human power. Are we ready to hear that Christ Jesus is alive, accepting him on his chosen terms?
Ask God to clarify where you may be forcing Jesus into a mold of your choosing.
"Lord, help me to honor you as who you are, not who I want you to be."
—©Copyright 2009 Christopher B. Harbin http://www.sermonsearch.com/contributors/104427/
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