There are things that often don’t make sense to us but still occupy our minds, disrupt our lives or potentially cause a change in our plans and expectations. Perhaps they may even challenge our hope and faith. We can become preoccupied with disappointments and feel emotionally compelled to walk away or turn in a different direction. How far can you go before a serious prompting awakens you to pause and question the very basis of your decisions and judgement?
Two of Jesus’ followers were “mind-full” as they walked away from Jerusalem. They talked about everything that had happened in Jerusalem and were preoccupied with their feelings and unexpected disappointment about the turn of events. Jesus, the Man from Nazareth, whom they believed was “a prophet who did powerful miracles” and “a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all people” (Luke 24:19, NLT), was condemned to death and crucified. “We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel” (Luke 24: 21, NLT).
When suddenly prompted by the only Stranger in town, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?” (Luke 24:17, NLT), they abruptly stopped, their faces betraying their sorrow. How could He be the only one who hadn’t heard about all the things that happened there over the past few days?
“What things?” Jesus asked (Luke 24:19, NLT). It was a deep question, seeking to understand why and who was crucified.
Perhaps, in an era of unprecedented information overload, we can also be obsessed with the happenings of all the things of “the last few days”. How can we engage with the Stranger when overwhelmed with disappointments and expectations? Can we allow these tensions to reveal the blind spots in our understanding? When He prompts us with the question, “What things?”, it is time to open up and listen like the two disciples: “And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem” (Luke 24:33, NLT).
