By Pastor Steve Nickodemus
Slow to Believe…
“But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.”
Luke 24:11 New International Version
They just couldn’t believe it. When the women show up from Jesus’ grave, they tell a story of a missing body and angels telling them, “He is not here, he is risen!” To them the women’s words seemed like “nonsense” or “idle tales”. You can almost see the looks between the disciples, “Oh, boy, these women are hysterical!”
And who can blame them at being slow to believe? They had seen Jesus suffer and die, they had seen his dead body taken from the cross. Their grief was real and raw and recent and talk of a resurrection was not where they were in their stage of grief.
How many times have I heard the good news of Easter, how many times have I chanted, “Christ is risen, he is risen indeed!” How many times have I hear that because Jesus lives, we too shall live. And yet, when I stand at the grave of my loved one, the gloom of the sentence of death pervades my spirit and I am overwhelmed with grief. Yes, I hear the words, “Your loved one shall rise again,” but the words ring hollow in the face of this consequence of our sin, death.
We are as slow as the disciples to believe the Good News. Praise God that Jesus is patient with us, that he comes to us in our grief and doubt and disbelief, and he refuses to write us off as hopeless! Jesus repeatedly comes to us and refuses to be turned away by our lack of faith. His Word and his cross and resurrection and his Spirit will not be turned away. His forgiveness is there for us even as we struggle with this world changing reality of the resurrection. Praise God for his loving kindness in our doubt! He is risen! He is risen indeed!
Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church Colorado Springs, Colorado
