Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Accepting Us Where We Are

“Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.  They asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying?’  ‘They have taken my Lord away,’ she said, ‘and I don't know where they have put him.’  At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

‘Woman,’ he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?’ 
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.’  Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’
   She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means Teacher).

Jesus said, ‘Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, “I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”   Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: ‘I have seen the Lord!’ And she told them that he had said these things to her.” (John 21:8-18 NIV)

It would seem more likely that Jesus would have appeared first to Peter and John, since, though not completely understanding, they had faith that Jesus indeed had risen from the dead.  Yet, He waited until they had left the tomb (and Mary) to show Himself, and to Mary nonetheless, a woman who, even with the tomb empty, could not grasp a risen Lord. She could only believe that His body had been moved.  

But isn’t this just like Jesus?  He accepts people where they are, not where they should be.  Like Thomas, who brazenly declared he would not believe Jesus was alive until He actually saw Him and examined His wounds (John 20:25), even after all the other disciples said they had seen Him.  So Jesus made a special appearance to show Himself to Thomas.

I think it is natural to believe that Jesus has certain expectations of us and we need to meet those for Him to be pleased with us. And when we don’t, the Lord seems further and further away.  Yet, He doesn’t wait for us to reach the point of bridging the gap. He comes to where we are.  

Today, recognize that regardless of how far you think you are from what Jesus expects of you, that He is willing to accept you where you are. He is willing to come to you and walk with you into even deeper and more obedient faith.

© Jim Musser 2015

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