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I am using St. John’s Luke Lent Reading Plan for these devotions
Luke 24:36-53
As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them.
44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
50 And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God.
My zoology professor was trying to be helpful. He knew I was in a pre-med track at the time, and he also knew that I was struggling. In my defence, it was commonly known that his tests were brutal. They were multiple-multiple choice questions. You chose the answer to the first part of the question, and then an answer was required to the second part. Confusing? Indeed. So much so I can hardly explain it. It’s like “Which kind of cuisine do you prefer? A. Italian; B. Chinese; C. Mexican; D. American. Then, based on your answer to the above, which of these is more healthy than your choice? Which is less healthy than your choice? Well…even more technical and confusing than that example!
When I talked to him about my struggles, he told me, “You ask good questions.” I’ve always liked asking questions. And Jesus was the master of question-asking. Zach Zehnder has written a blog post on the 305 Questions Jesus Asked. He has some great insights there. So maybe I’m a bit more aware of Jesus’ questions, and I noticed two great questions here.
- Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? This is a challenging question. It is a bit of a confrontation on Jesus’ part. In effect he’s saying they should not have been troubled. There should have been no doubt. I like to make the point that the resurrection is a really big deal, and that doubt does not disqualify you from the fellowship of the redeemed. Jesus calls us to repentance with this question. He turns us toward himself. He invites us to a place of peace and faith. Then he asks the next question:
- Have you anything to eat? He asks this question because he wants to show them that he is really alive. Really present. He has risen from the dead. He is not a vision or a ghost. He proves it by eating a piece of broiled fish. He says, “A spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” They touch him. They see him eat. He is really risen from the dead.
Jesus doesn’t ask questions for his own information. He doesn’t need to know the answers any more than my zoology professor needed to know the answers to the questions he asked. He needed to know we knew the answers.
When it comes to Jesus’ questions, the answers we must all give are that we are slow of heart, filled with doubt, and troubled within. But we want to be with Jesus. We need His reassuring love and doubt-canceling promises. We need never question His love or His faithfulness.
And here’s the beautiful truth: Jesus meets us right where we are—troubled, doubting, hungry for reassurance. He doesn’t shame us for our questions; instead, He offers Himself. His scars. His peace. His life.
And just like the disciples in that upper room, we are invited not just to believe