To the 11 on a mountain in Galilee where Jesus told them to go
Reading for Today:
Matthew 28:16-20
Mark 16:15-18
Luke 24:36-48
During the forty days that Jesus was on earth between his resurrection and his ascension, we have only a few recorded times that he appeared to his disciples. It doesn’t mean there weren’t more – it’s just that these are all we have as a record. After grappling with trying to meld them – I have decided just to report them as we have them – and let them be as they are: the corroboration of his physically and tangibly being among them. Before I get to today’s specific passages, I have to backtrack a little bit for clarity.
On Sunday morning (+-April 5, 33 A D) reported in Matthew 28:7-10, the angel who told the women Jesus was risen, also told them, “Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
The angel obediently delivered the message as instructed. They saw the place where Jesus had been – and then they obeyed, but as they were running away from the tomb: Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said…. Then Jesus said to them…. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
In Matthew’s Gospel, verse 16 of Matthew 28 picks up the continuation of that story. The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. Note: according to Matthew they were told to go to Galilee to meet Jesus. When he told them that it was early – very early – that first Sunday morning – the Sunday of resurrection.
Bunny trail: The next verse is a doozie: When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. Wow! I guess that lets me off the hook for times when I am not absolutely certain if what I heard was from the Lord. He was standing right in front of them; hands, feet and sides pierced from nails and sword. They could see him, touch him – and some doubted….
Back on track: Mark’s account agrees that the angel told the women to go tell the disciples to go to Galilee – but he also specifies ‘the disciples and Peter’…. I love that Jesus knew how dreadfully Peter was hurting – and that we have this record that he reached out to him specifically.
I have to address the confusion Luke’s gospel creates. Luke 24:33-35 tells us about Jesus appearing to the two on the road to Emmaus that Sunday – two who jumped up from the table after Jesus had left them and immediately ran back to Jerusalem to tell the disciples, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.”
So – it’s Sunday evening, and even though the disciples were told by the women that they were to go to Galilee, they are behind a closed door in Jerusalem?
And further – was Peter (Simon Peter) the other disciple walking on the road to Emmaus with Cleopas? I’ve never thought about that possibility before…. If so, why doesn’t’ the Bible account tell us? Guess I’ll just have to wonder about that one…. But Luke reports Jesus appeared to Simon…and the Simon we know is Simon Peter.
Then, in verse 36 Luke reports: While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” I love this passage in Luke. Love that Jesus explained everything to them; Love that they had a time of ‘show and tell’ when he let them touch the sites of his physical wounds – and explained everything again to them – opening their minds so they could understand the Scriptures (which – as a reminder – was the Old Testament Law, Prophets and Psalms. The New Testament wasn’t written yet.) Verses 46 – 49 are wonderful verses: He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
There is definitely a glitch here somewhere. In fact, John corroborates the fact that Jesus appeared to them behind the locked door on that first day of the week – on the Sunday of his resurrection. And he attests that a week later, on the next Sunday, +-April 12, 33 A D, when the 11 disciples were in that very same house again, that Jesus appeared to them again for Thomas’ benefit. Thomas had not yet seen him.
So – it is probable that the Galilee appearance took place sometime after that first week. It also appears that the disciples didn’t obey Jesus’ directive to go immediately to Galilee. And – what he did tell them when he was with them was to remain in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit was given. Hmmm…. I wonder…. Galilee is in the northern part of Israel…. They couldn’t be two places at one time…. All I can do is wonder….
Strangely, the glitches in the stories just affirm the Truth of the Good News Jesus came to bring. IF these had just been writers who got together to concoct a story to make us believe in something that had absolutely no truth in it, they would have collaborated to make their stories align. Some had more accurate memories than others. Each reports different parts of the same story from a different perspective. Part of it depends on whether the writer as an eye-witness or whether he is transcribing the story as told to him some years after the fact – but the most important facts are there. The Good News that Messiah came, took on sin, died for our sins, was raised again on the third day, appeared to his disciples and others after his resurrection, proving he was alive is all true.
I don’t have to make it all fit sequentially to believe the basic truth presented.
In real life:
Last night when I quickly wrote my blog I only had a few minutes to write. I didn’t share much – but today I’ll share more.
My Potato Masher Parables presentation was at University Place Presbyterian Church in University Place in the metropolitan area of Tacoma, with University Place situated just before going across the Narrows Bridge to Gig Harbor.
I lived in University Place for a short while a long, long time ago. It was in 1969/1970. I was in my early 20’s. It was during that fairly short – but very painful – time of my life that I tried living life without God. It wasn’t pretty. The first place I lived in University Place was a small apartment in the basement of a Dental Office – right across the street from the University Place Presbyterian Church – the one I spoke at yesterday to their ‘Scintillating Seniors.’ (I don’t know what they call themselves – but they are a lovely group of people – and I was blessed to get to share being present with them for a few hours.)
Anyway – when I received the invitation to speak I thought, “How fun!” I knew where the church was, had been back there while I lived in Montesano to attend a Conference – and knowing I would be there for their event was pure joy.
I wasn’t prepared for the ‘blast of emotion from the past’ that hit me as I drove up to the church yesterday. It was completely unexpected. Tears leaped to my eyes as I was parking my vehicle – and I had to quell them and divert my attention away from the intrusion of being interrupted. I was there for a purpose – and the purpose was one of JOY to me – and this certainly was not joy! The flood of emotion blindsided me. I took a deep breath – and went inside to set up. I love giving my Potato Masher Parables talk – but even so, the memories lingered palpably ‘at bay’ making it a little harder to just enjoy the moment to its fullest – still, it was a joy. I choose joy!
Less than five minutes before I left the house yesterday, my glasses broke. I think that also affected my connecting to my audience. I couldn’t see them nearly as well as I like to…. I like to look into people’s eyes as I speak and get 'visual feedback.’
Even knowing I had broken glasses to deal with later, just before I left the house yesterday, I impulsively ran back up and grabbed the phone number for the lady I referred to yesterday as ‘an old friend.’ She was. She was also my former mother-in-law. I had been wanting to see her – had contacted her younger son, and he asked her – and she was open to my coming. I didn’t give her much warning. I wasn’t sure I’d be up to the visit after the ‘talk time’ so I called after I was finished with my commitment at U Pres and told her I was in Tacoma and could be there in about 20 minutes.
We had a lovely visit. She was a very special lady in my life – and I wanted to tell her I was sorry for the pain I caused her when her son and I split up. She told me she had forgiven me a long time ago. We agreed that ‘whatever happened’ it takes two. We didn’t discuss any details.
What was good was seeing her again. She looks great. It was wonderful to look into her face, see her beautiful blue eyes – and they are really blue, blue, blue and beautiful – and be able to hug each other and let the past be past. I told her, “You can’t be my Mom, but you can be my friend.” I plan to visit again. It’s a new chapter.
Back about 1973 I thought she had chosen not to be part of our lives because a letter I wrote to her came back to me unopened. Contact just suddenly ended – after I had tried to maintain contact. What happened between her son and I was not her fault and I wanted her to have a relationship with her grandson – who at that time was her only grandchild. I don’t know what happened at that point. I didn’t pursue finding out. But – we lost touch for many years. The in-between doesn’t matter now. What matters is what we do with today.
There was a phrase that I love which is part of my Presbyterian heritage: Saved and being saved. Yes. There is that beginning of ‘being saved’ – of accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior – but every day we are ‘being saved.’ Yesterday was a day I was very aware of that cleansing work of God’s continual salvation. It was a good day.
No comments:
Post a Comment