Visual or Spiritual

I heard of a man who said to the preacher, "I want to sing in your choir." The preacher replied, "But you don't belong here. Where do you have your membership?" He said, "I don't belong to any local church. I belong to the invisible church." The pastor said, "Then I suggest that you join the invisible choir." Vance Havner

We live in a visual world.  The electronics and technology age have created a visual traffic jam for the eyes.  There are flashing signs, electronic billboards and dozens of other types of distractions to get our attention.  We are a society who too often wants to see to believe.  There is even the saying often used “seeing is believing”.  The problem is we are a skeptical bunch and even when we are provided with solid evidence we still hesitate to believe.

 

I started thinking about Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.  Remember the story how the two disciples who were walking down the road to Emmaus talking about all the things that had happened to Jesus and they were sad because they knew that Jesus had died but they didn’t have any physical evidence to prove He had been resurrected.  As they were walking Jesus appeared and started walking with them.  Can you imagine walking along the road and Jesus walks up next to you and starts talking?  They even had the nerve to tell Jesus that they were “hoping” that the One who was crucified was the One who had come to redeem Israel.  

If you think about it, we are no different from the disciples when it comes to faith.  How many times in life have you had something extraordinary and beyond your comprehension happen, and you blow it off and say it only happened because of luck or chance.  Too many times we want to see, touch and feel something before we are able to believe and even when that happens we don’t believe.

 

The spiritual side of things is much harder for us to comprehend.  We want tangible evidence.  In fact we sometimes take the evidence and disbelieve the truth.  Isn’t that was they did with Jesus?  It didn’t matter that he had performed miracles, healed the sick, fed thousands with a few loaves of bread and a few fish or raised people from the dead.  He had to be resurrected and talk to the disciples again so they would believe.

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I am guilty of lack of faith and wanting to see a visual representation of You.  You present Yourself to me every day in a number of ways and yet I will often question that it is You.  Help me to read Your Word and the stories that talk about Jesus death and resurrection.  He proved Himself before He died, during His death and after His death.  That is enough. 

Scripture:  Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem.  And they talked together of all these things which had happened.  So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.

And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?”

Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?”

And He said to them, “What things?”

So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.”

Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them.

Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.  Luke 24:13-31