Scripture
“Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?”
~Luke 24:38, NIV
Quote
Expectation is the root of all heartache.
~William Shakespeare
Luke 24 begins with the grief, sorrow, doubt, fear and the troubled hearts of the disciples following the death of Jesus. Two disciples are walking on the road to Emmaus when Jesus suddenly appears incognito. They are aware of a man’s presence but they have no idea it is Jesus. As they began to share their sorrow with this apparent stranger, the truth comes out. They are talking to Jesus about Jesus…“He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and men. The chief priests and our rulers handed Him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified Him, BUT we had hoped that He was the ONE who was going to redeem Israel.”
These disciples were hoping that Jesus would establish a kingdom here on earth and lead Israel to prominence. Their expectations were set on here and now. Jesus never intended to establish an earthly kingdom, at least not at this time. A huge part of their grief and sorrow was bound up in their false expectations. Jesus was on a redemptive mission; He came to seek and to save the lost. He came to serve not be served. He came to rule in men’s hearts not sit on a throne. As I read Luke 24 this morning, I noticed it’s prophetic significance. Note the sequence of events:
- The Disciples discover the empty tomb but it leads to more frustration, grief, sorrow, doubt.
- The Disciples confess their false expectation: they thought Jesus came to be a King.
- Jesus reveals HIMSELF. He appears to them, eats with them, talks with them, blesses them, confers peace upon them and they are amazed and filled with joy.
At present, we are somewhere in sequence one and two: we are filled with sorrow, grief, doubt and disappointment. I guess the one word that would describe me best is “Disappointed.” I feel like Mary and Martha, “Lord, if you had answered my prayer, Kaley would not have died.” BUT “A time is coming” when we will be free of doubt and disappointment. Jesus will fully reveal Himself and we will be filled with amazement and joy. Our wonder will turn from doubt to worship. All of this will happen in time. As it was for His disciples, so it will be for us.
- My brother John {Kaley’s grand father} has always said that “Sleep is a habit,” and he may be right. He says that we do not need as much as we thing we do. He got that from Daddy but I take after mother on the sleep thing: I love good sleep but lately it alludes me. I don’t usually get the blog done this time of day but I could not sleep so I got up and started reading. God’s word is amazing. Every passage I read spoke to me.
- Looking forward to Junior Hill this Sunday at 10:15. Again, the order of worship has been altered. We will have the warm up, one praise and worship, Hailey and Charity, Junior, invitation, praise and worship and conclude with Baptism. By the way, if anyone else has triplet girls, consider naming them Bailey, Hailey and Kailey.
- What goes around comes around: we didn’t get a drop of the hurricane rain here at 1120. It rained at church Saturday but not here. It is fall dry. Leaves are falling like crazy and you need a mask to mow the stems of the grass. I love to cut good green grass but I hate mowing stems and dust. Everything in our garden is going to die if I don’t get out there and water it and I don’t have time today.
- Gregg Lindsey is having three stints put in his heart this morning.
- GATHERING tonight at 6:30.
