19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
John 20:19 ESV
It's hard to imagine today how frightened the disciples must have been following Jesus' crucifixion and death on the cross. The man they had followed for three years, had seen perform miracles, and face down the most powerful nation in the world had been unjustly accused, mercilessly beaten, and brutally killed. He had performed miracles, spoke of an eternal kingdom, and been the hope of a nation. If his life could be snuffed out so easily, what hope did they have?
So they hid. They withdrew and locked the doors. Fear drove them into seclusion. The locked doors did not keep out the fear. Thick clay walls could not remove the uncertainty. But those same doors and walls could also not keep out Jesus Christ. "Jesus came and stood among them!" There he was in the middle of tears, anxiety, and uncertainty.
In the centuries that have passed since John penned his Gospel, man has not changed. When we are afraid, we withdraw from friends. Anxiety causes us to lock out family, neglect prayer, and turn inward. Uncertainty creates walls. But Jesus also has not changed. He is still able to enter any walls we create. His love for us can penetrate the thickest of emotional bricks. Heart locks are no challenge for his peace.
Allow the Peace that passes all understanding to enter your emotional walls. He wants to enter your locked room of fear, doubt, and worry. You have but to ask, and he will appear.
No comments:
Post a Comment