Relating to the Lord.

In this weeks gospel  Luke 24:35-48  Jesus appears to the disciples, giving them more proof that he is the risen Christ. As they were walking, he appeared to them and their reaction was probably no different  than how you or I would have reacted. They were shocked, scared and unsure if Jesus was real.  Some thought maybe  he was ghost. They knew of Jesus’s resurrection but, seeing him in the flesh was over the top. Jesus knew they were scared and confused so  he made it very clear for them.   He reminded them that the he is the true and living God. He spoke of all the prophecies that were written during the time of Moses.. He  also had them look at his hands and feet so they can be sure it was really him. No, He was not  a ghost. It was truly the Risen Christ.  

Life as a follower of Christ is filled with these moments. Moments of fear and confusion.  We have all had them.  As a matter of fact, with all of the turmoil in today’s world some of us may be living  lives filled with fear and confusion right now. I wonder if the Bible gives us all of these details so that we can be comforted knowing the disciples also had moments of fear and confusion just like the rest of us. They had direct contact  with Jesus yet, still had moments where they doubted how real he was. I’m sure they are no different than us on our doubtful days.  Jesus  knew exactly what they needed.   They needed a shot of faith. He made it 100 percent clear that he was who he said he was. Have you ever needed a shot of faith like that? Have you ever doubted if Jesus was real and with you?  I know I have had my doubts  and just like with the disciples Jesus knows what I need.  

We as followers are allowed to have doubts and fears. That’s part of being a Christian. The way through those fears is simply faith. Faith that Jesus is who he said he was.  I’m not talking about lukewarm  faith. I’m speaking more about Faith that encompasses your entire being.   I’m talking about the type of Faith that helps you see in the darkness. There are times when my faith is just not as strong as I need it to be. Sometimes I can come up a little short in how I  believe. Just like the disciples, most of us understand and know that Jesus came, died and rose again for our salvation.  We know this mentally. In our minds we get it.  Now, our hearts is where the breakdown happens.   In our hearts is where we must do the work.  Better yet, in our heart is where we allow Jesus to do his work.  Is your heart open to Jesus?  Does Jesus have a special place  in your heart?  What I’m asking is, do you have a relationship with Jesus or do you simply know about him?  Just like disciples in the gospel , knowing about the resurrection isn’t enough. They needed to understand that he was real.  I firmly believe that if you want Jesus to be real to you there is  a way.  That way is through a relationship with a lord. That’s what makes Jesus real to you.  A relationship with the lord allows Jesus to enter your heart and give you peace that  you can’t always get in your mind.  Where your mind begins to worry, doubt and fall apart, your heart picks up the slack. Jesus is always available to give us that extra shot of faith right when we need it most and it begins with relationship.