“To Be Open . . . Believe” (Luke 24:36b-48)

Jesus had many followers . . . many who considered themselves to be his disciples.  There were not just the original twelve at the end . . . there were many who followed Jesus and his teachings during his lifetime.  Not all of them had the privilege to be standing in the room when the resurrected Jesus appears.  Would have been quite difficult to get them all into one room.  Because of this there should be no surprise that there were those followers . . . those disciples . . . who had some doubts about whether or not Jesus really had returned from the dead.

Dead people do not do any of the things that living people do.  They cannot walk, run, jump, play, sleep, or eat . . . they are dead . . . there is nothing there.  Imagine then the shock that occurs when Jesus makes an appearance among a group of his “on the fence” followers . . . he just pops in!  The writer of Luke’s gospel tells us that “. . . they were startled and frightened, thinking that they saw a ghost.”

Now remember, these were not the disciples that had encountered the risen Jesus earlier . . . these were the ones who had heard the rumors, but were not privy to the proof that Jesus was alive.  These were the ones who had followed Jesus, listened to him preach and teach, seen the miracles, saw him arrested, tried, and beaten before being nailed to a cross.  These were the ones who witnessed Jesus dying on the cross . . . saw his dead body removed from the cross and placed in a tomb.  Jesus was dead and they saw that for themselves.

Remember that old saying . . . “Dead men don’t talk”?  Well, dead people don’t do anything . . . they are dead.  Yet in our reading this morning Jesus is standing in front of these people, and they think they are seeing a ghost.  Thus Jesus begins the process of proving to them once and for all, that he is indeed alive and well.  He has them touch him . . . ghosts do not have flesh and bones.  Jesus then eats . . . ghosts do not eat.  Jesus is alive and standing before them in all his flesh and blood.  He’s no ghost, he is the real McCoy.

I suppose that Jesus presented enough evidence to those disciples that they came to fully believe . . . to believe in the living Jesus; but, the writer of Luke’s gospel does not tell us whether or not they believed.  But I think that they did . . . that they did believe.  They had to believe.  It is the only way that Jesus would have been able to open them to the “good news” that he shared.  The “good news” that stands as a prelude to the charge that he places upon all who truly believe enough to open their hearts to this new faith they are called upon to live.  Unless they can really believe with their whole being . . . mind, body, and soul . . . they cannot comprehend a resurrected savior or a call to bear witnesses to this way of life.  Only if a person fully believes can he or she begin to understand and follow the movement of God’s Spirit upon their lives and in the world.  Only when they believe can they be open to God and God’s will.

As I stated last Sunday, I have come to the conclusion that “faith” is a
mystery.  Every time that I think that I have it figured out as to what it means to be faithful, God throws me a curveball when I’m expecting a fastball.  Faith is not a “one and done” deal; no, it is a constantly living, growing, and changing thing.  Because it is this “living” things, we are always having to keep learning what it means to have faith.  That only happens when we completely believe with all that we are . . . mind, body, and soul . . . as our belief opens us to God’s Spirit.  God’s Spirit who is there to prompt, prod, push, and challenge us to open our hearts to receive the full love and grace of God.  The love and grace we are called upon to go and share.  The more that we believe, the more our hearts open up to this reality of God’s will.

In the Easter story we witness its power to change . . . to change individuals, communities, countries--the world.  We witness that nothing can stop its power, not even death.  It changes the game plan and the game, and nothing is ever the same again.  Nothing is ever the same again because it is grounded in God’s love and grace as demonstrated by Jesus himself.  And, suddenly, all things are possible . . . all things are possible if we truly believe and open ourselves to the possibilities.

Once again, Jesus shows us the way. 

In our reading this morning, Jesus shows us the way.  Jesus met these disciples where they were . . . not just physically, but spiritually.  He shared the Scriptures so that they could begin to make sense of their lives in light of God’s love and grace.  He gathered them in a meal that they might understand and be nourished by Jesus’ own presence.  And, then he sent them on their way . . . back into the world to be a partner in God’s work and to share God’s grace.

Thus we are given a template.  We meet people where they are in their lives . . . we listen and care.  We share the story of God’s love and grace through Jesus as we also share our own stories.  We practice hospitality and we feed them . . . physically if we have to, spiritually because we need to.  And, we walk with them, just as Jesus has walked with us.  We become agents of change . . . God’s change.

The Scriptures show us how this works out . . . we are here this morning because those before us believed and opened themselves to the movement of God’s Spirit to change the world . . . to be kingdom builders.  Thus it is for us.  We have to believe . . . really, really believe . . . if we are going to allow the Spirit to work through us and with us.  When we believe our hearts open up to all things that are God . . . especially the love and grace.  We have been called upon to believe . . . to share . . . and, to change the world.  We have been called to be kingdom builders.  Jesus has challenged us to be “. . . witnesses of these things.”  May we believe and do them well.  Amen.