Category: News (Page 2 of 107)

I can be…non-observant; not noticing things going on around or perceiving of things right in front of me.

It can take many forms.

And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And He vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked to us on the road, while He opened to us the Scriptures?”

Luke 24:31-32

In some cases, it is being completely unaware to my surroundings; not noticing (or remembering?) that our master bathroom had wallpaper after living there for several years. Or that my wife had hung up a simply painting on the wall of the house.

Other times it in the form of my focus on something I’m working on, while being shockingly oblivious to the fact that my wife had come home, done work in the kitchen, had a conversation on her phone – all while I worked at my desk a few feet away until I look up and ask in wonder, “when did you get home?”

It can be quite impressively shocking and scary!

Perhaps I am rare in the scale and scope of my ignorance of surroundings, but I do not think I’m alone in it. (And, “no,” it’s not just a husband thing!)

I do wonder, however, if a lot of the disciples were plagued with some version of this. Seeing Jesus’ miracles all the time, yet not grasping the significance of Him being Lord of all. Hearing His words and message but being clueless as to what He meant. Having eye-witnesses see Jesus alive after His death and not connecting to this reality that confronts them.

And the two in our text today even speak with Jesus face-to-face and start to eat with Him – and still don’t “see” or recognize Him – until ‘the breaking of the bread!’ Then they saw Jesus, recognized Him, and realized the burning that was happening in their hearts was due to Him!

Now I think that Jesus was having some fun here. Whether or not He was intentionally obfuscating their view until the right time, allowing it to happen, or it was simply due to gross unawareness may be debated. But Jesus took the time to walk with these two, share the Gospel, and ‘acted as if He were going further.’ Really, I think He was enjoying this!

But the fact is, Jesus made Himself known through His actions, through His Word, through Himself – and He is to be recognized and seen!

I wonder how different things would be if we intended to intensely hone our hearts, our gaze, and our very being on Jesus; if we made Him our world and being; if we made Him our focus rather than our periphery.

Jesus and His victory over sin, death, and the Devil isn’t some side-story that can be missed, forgotten, or disregarded; He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life to be seen, believed, and followed!

Open your hearts and eyes! Look at Him! Look to Him! Let your hearts burn with Him and His Word every day and in every way! Don’t miss Him! Let your eyes be opened – for Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!

“Amazing Lord Jesus; thank You for not only saving us, but for being the One to look to as the Author and Perfecter of our faith. Send us Your Spirit to ignite our hearts, open our eyes, and strengthen us for holy service. In Your risen and reigning Name do we pray. Amen!”

Scripture

• Psalm 116:1-14 (Confession & Absolution)
• Luke 24:13-35

We are weak out from Easter. Last week we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And then, well, it seems like kind of a letdown. Somewhat anticlimactic. From this highest of highs to just regular day living.

You have to wonder about “doubting Thomas.” He gets a bad rap. In the same situation under the same circumstances I wonder how many of us would believe just because others seemed delusional and like they were hallucinating. His doubt is understandable. I mean, after all, how many times have we seen someone raised from the dead? True, they saw some like Lazarus, but it’s hardly a common or usual occurrence.

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:8-9

Thomas has to go this whole next week without having seen Jesus. It makes you wonder what that week was like for him. What kind of heartache he still held. His world having been turned upside down. And if he didn’t believe what everyone else was telling him, what hope was there for him? What future was there for him?

Sometimes we like Thomas. In doubt. Or maybe we’re just forgetful. We forget the goodness of God; forget the grace of God; forget the miracles that we have seen time and time and time again; forget that God has given us everything. Given us an inheritance.

That’s what our passage in 1st Peter talks about in chapter one.

It reminds us that God has “caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for [us]…by God’s power…being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed at the last time,” and then it goes on, “for a little while…[we] have been greed by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of [our] faith—more precious than gold…may be found.” And it says, “though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice, that with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of [our] faith, the salvation of [our] souls” (1 Peter 1:3-9).

What a wonderful description! Thomas had these times of grieving; times of doubting; times when he wondered about what his faith and hope were going to be like.

We exist in that situation, too. We doubt. We grieve. We lose hope.

Those are times of testing of our faith.

But they are for a little while. We are grieved for a little while. We have trials for a little while. But the truth is, we have an inheritance that is kept for us through faith in Jesus. That is, through faith in Jesus, the One who has come the One who died; the One who rose the One who is living now and prepares a place for us — that inheritance is ours and is being kept for us, so that no matter what trials and heartaches we are going through now, we have an assurance that something greater awaits us; something that is far more than we can think or even imagine.

In our baptism, God makes this promise to us when he pulls us into his fold when he grants us forgiveness and faith; when He makes us His own. At that moment, he is guaranteed that inheritance for us through that faith. We realized that last week on Easter, and that fact still exists today! Through faith our inheritance is kept, no matter what doubts and trials we have — and that is something to celebrate. It is something to celebrate because “Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Hallelujah!” and amen.

“Gracious Lord God, Jesus Christ; we praise and thank You that Your Resurrection wasn’t just a one-time deal. You have kept our inheritance the salvation of our souls certain and sure, waiting for us. So, we need never fear any doubts and trials and temptations now. We know that not only will we get through them, but through faith in You, they have been defeated. Remind us of that daily, Lord. In Your precious and victorious Name do we pray. Amen!”

Scripture

• 1 Peter 1:3-9
• John 20:19-31