Peace Even Here
December 19, 2022
Peace Even Here
“As they were talking about these things, Jesus Himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Touch Me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” “And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?””
Luke 24:36-41 ESV
“This is too good to be true!”
Have you ever felt this way? Seeing, yet not quite believing? Experiencing, yet not quite grasping the full implications? As if your mind is scrambling to catch up and make sense of reality.
The disciples “disbelieved for joy and were marveling.”
And who wouldn’t be?
Their rabbi and friend,
their brilliant and powerful leader,
their hope of salvation and rescue from Rome,
the promised and long-awaited Messiah
had been:
betrayed by one of their own,
judged as blasphemous by the Jewish leaders, and
brutally killed by the Romans.
In the process, they all deserted Him (except for John.) Peter emphatically denied Him. Jesus failed to free them from Rome, and they failed to be loyal friends and followers. Their focus for the past 3 years, all they’d done and seen, all they’d learned and practiced, all they’d hoped and dreamed – everything fell apart.
What went wrong?
How did it fall apart so fast?
I imagine they played the scenes over and over in their minds. Trying to see what they missed, desperate to go back and rewrite the ending, agonizing over their choices.
Will anything ever really change for me?
Will we ever be free from Roman rule?
Will I ever get away from all these regrets?
Will I ever feel joy again?
While they were still grappling with grief, Jesus turns up alive! Talk about an emotional rollercoaster!
Consider:
Have you ever been there—questioning your choices, in anger and despair, trying to make sense of God’s plans and God’s role in it all, unable to see any path forward?
Remember:
The old Christmas carol “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” says it so well:
And in despair I bowed my head,
There is no peace on earth, I said.
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of ‘peace on earth goodwill to men’
Even when everything around you is falling apart, God holds out hope to you. And the Prince of Peace offers, “Peace to you,” even here.
Share:
What joy has God brought that has you disbelieving, even as you rejoice?
How has God caused you to marvel recently?