Reflection for Day 79, March 26: Joshua 4-6; Psalm 66; Luke 24
An embarrassment of riches is given to us in the final chapter of Luke’s
Gospel. The empty tomb, the myrrh-bearing women, the unbelieving apostles, the road to Emmaus, the “first breakfast,” the great commission, and the Ascension fill 53 verses that have been loved by preachers for centuries! They are stories of God’s triumph, God’s victory..and they fill us with hope and joy. But not so,
I suspect, for those in the stories, or even those first readers of them. Total confusion is probably what they felt. Throughout the chapter, Luke uses a number of words and phrases to show that those involved (and the Early Church) still had difficulty grasping the magnitude of what God was doing in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Are we so much different today? The purpose of gospel
writing is to proclaim the message that “Jesus is Lord.” And Luke does it with
eloquence and vivid description. The difficult part is to get beyond Luke’s
phraseology to the heart of his proclamation. Our job is to not simply
appreciate his writing, but to comprehend its meaning—that even though we might
not understand God’s ways, there is a plan, and that plan is made perfect in
Christ.
The psalm and the reading from the Hebrew Scriptures don’t impart the same
sort of confusion or misunderstanding. Confidence in God’s power and faith in
God’s might are woven throughout the story of Joshua and Jericho’s walls,
witnessed not only by the words of the newly ransomed Israelites, but by
the testimony of Rahab as well. And the psalmist who says over and over in
different ways: “How awesome are God’s deeds!”
Let us pray that during this holy season, we may move from a place of
uncertainty and doubt and bewilderment to one of assurance and hope and trust,
that God will lead us toward a faithful future.
The Very Rev. Doug McCaleb is dean of Trinity Cathedral Miami.
An embarrassment of riches is given to us in the final chapter of Luke’s
Gospel. The empty tomb, the myrrh-bearing women, the unbelieving apostles, the road to Emmaus, the “first breakfast,” the great commission, and the Ascension fill 53 verses that have been loved by preachers for centuries! They are stories of God’s triumph, God’s victory..and they fill us with hope and joy. But not so,
I suspect, for those in the stories, or even those first readers of them. Total confusion is probably what they felt. Throughout the chapter, Luke uses a number of words and phrases to show that those involved (and the Early Church) still had difficulty grasping the magnitude of what God was doing in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Are we so much different today? The purpose of gospel
writing is to proclaim the message that “Jesus is Lord.” And Luke does it with
eloquence and vivid description. The difficult part is to get beyond Luke’s
phraseology to the heart of his proclamation. Our job is to not simply
appreciate his writing, but to comprehend its meaning—that even though we might
not understand God’s ways, there is a plan, and that plan is made perfect in
Christ.
The psalm and the reading from the Hebrew Scriptures don’t impart the same
sort of confusion or misunderstanding. Confidence in God’s power and faith in
God’s might are woven throughout the story of Joshua and Jericho’s walls,
witnessed not only by the words of the newly ransomed Israelites, but by
the testimony of Rahab as well. And the psalmist who says over and over in
different ways: “How awesome are God’s deeds!”
Let us pray that during this holy season, we may move from a place of
uncertainty and doubt and bewilderment to one of assurance and hope and trust,
that God will lead us toward a faithful future.
The Very Rev. Doug McCaleb is dean of Trinity Cathedral Miami.
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