Following the resurrection of Jesus Christ but before His ascension, He spent forty days and nights, coming and going among His disciples. At one point, two of His disciples were walking along the road to Emmaus when suddenly Jesus appeared, walking with them. Then, just as suddenly, when they broke bread together, He disappeared. At another time that same day, His disciples were gathered together in the Upper Room in Jerusalem with the windows barred and the doors locked. Suddenly Jesus was in their midst; then just as suddenly He disappeared. Jesus appeared again suddenly to His disciples on the shore of Galilee after they had been out all night fishing.
During the forty days when Jesus suddenly appeared to His disciples then just as suddenly disappeared, could it be He was teaching His disciples to live by faith? Whether or not they could see Him, He seemed to be teaching them to be confident He was actively present and involved in their lives.
Even though you cannot see Him, you can know He is near because He says He is!
When was the last time you wept into your pillow at night, thinking no one cared? Is the pain so deep and your hurt so great that you cry night after night? In your misery and loneliness, do you think Jesus is emotionally detached? That He just doesn’t care? Or that He’s simply too busy to notice? Or that He is somewhat callous since He sees a lot of pain that’s worse than yours? Or that He couldn’t possibly understand how you feel? Or that He’s not concerned enough to meet your needs?
Did you know that Jesus weeps with you? Did you know He puts all your tears in a bottle because they are precious to Him? (Ps. 56:8, NKJV) He has said in all of your afflictions, He Himself is afflicted. Why? Because He understands! And He loves you!
Your suffering is His.
Your grief is His.
Your tears are on His face!
When you and I live lives that reflect Jesus, His light in us reveals the darkness of sin and rebellion and ignorance in the world around us. This may begin to explain why your old friends have rejected you or your coworkers avoid you or your neighbors shun you. If they are living in darkness, the light in you makes them uncomfortable.
Our world lives in spiritual darkness, separated from God. But people have adjusted and, generally speaking, are comfortable in their “twilight zone.” They may not be able to “see” God or others or themselves clearly, but they see well enough to get along in life.
When a person who belongs to Jesus Christ lives a life that reflects:
His integrity and morality and purity,
His holiness and righteousness and truthfulness,
His goodness and godliness and grace,
the light of his or her life can cause others to react with spontaneous rejection. But be encouraged! The Light not only reveals the darkness, it also reigns over it.
