|
Do We Recognize Him?
Yet Peter looked for him in the tomb. And just as the two men on their way to Emmaus did not recognize Jesus walking with them, Mary did not recognize him at the tomb.
Jesus told them all who he was and where he was going. While they acknowledged that he was the Messiah, they did not understand. The breadth and depth of what that meant escaped them all. Pastor David said that the two men wanted Jesus to change their circumstances.
Isn’t that what we want from Jesus, to change our circumstances? Is that what we pray for? Well, surely it is. We pray for safety, health, and strength for ourselves and our loved ones. There is nothing wrong with that, and we should pray for these things. But is that who Jesus is to us?
Do we recognize him? Are our conversations just one-way? Jesus talks to us, and most likely a whole lot more than we know. Our problem is recognizing his voice. A lamb recognizes the shepherd’s voice: “He goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice,” John 10:4 NRSV. How many times and how long did Jesus call my name, and I did not come because I did not recognize his voice? Lots of questions.
Pastor David said we need reminders. That is why we celebrate communion. His body broken for us/me. His blood poured out for us/me. The breadth and depth of who Jesus is can begin when we understand holy communion. He has changed our circumstances. It’s why he came and what he accomplished.
| 
