Imagine what it must have been like the day after Jesus' crucifixion for the Disciples, the Mother Mary, Mary Magdalene and all of those who loved and followed Him. They were likely numb, having difficulty believing what had happened the day prior and worried about what would happen to them now that their Savior was gone.
The word was out that the soldiers would be looking for them, likely wanting to destroy any vestige of the group which upset the social order of the Temple leaders and others who had been instrumental in killing the Savior. The High Priest and other powerful Jews were anxious to have the Jewish nation forget about Jesus so that their life of power and prestige could once again go on uninterrupted by God's truth.
Most of Jesus' followers were in hiding, trying to figure out what to do next and how to cope with the loss of their leader. Even though Jesus had told them what was coming, they really didn't understand understand the gravity of his message and it would take a while to really sink in. They gathered in small groups and shared their grief and anxiety, wishing that the Son of God was still with them to guide their way.
As I think about that stressful time, it is impossible not to look at it from our perspective today when the world is once again in major turmoil. Even though we have been taught, pray and worship Him and read the Good Book, we mortals still have serious doubts, doubts which require us to dig within ourselves to keep the faith alive and growing. Some have even tried to substitute dogma for the truth, even going so far as to say that Jesus was just nothing more than a radical socialist as evidenced by the way He lived. They cite arguments like giving up riches for the poor, stating that socialist government policies are just enacting the same things that Jesus taught.
But we must realize the fallacy and identify what is different in practice between that and true Christianity and here it is in a nutshell. Jesus was about love and free will, not the force and power of government power. Jesus truly wanted the poor taken care of, but he wanted it to come from the heart of each of us as true Christians, doing so because we wanted to do so and not because the government dictated it by force. After all, belief in Jesus by faith is voluntary as are the works performed to please Him. We do them because we love Him and want to please Him, showing Him that we love our fellow man and want to act upon that love.. It means we've made the right choices with our free will, something quite different than giving up what we have under the threat of force. Never forget that, for government authority is only man made. It is not like the authority of God that is above everything and exceeds everything in this world.
And, of course, the followers of Jesus will on tomorrow so many years ago finally understand the message of returning from the dead that Jesus taught them and they will then be one step forward to facing the imposing task which He has given them, the task of spreading the word of Jesus' love and grace throughout the entire world. We, too, must do so, with love in our hearts and by making the right choices to do those things that He would have us do because we want to please Him, not because some earthly authority is holding a gun to our head.
Praise His Holy Name and remember to thank Him for what we have. He truly does LIVE.
The word was out that the soldiers would be looking for them, likely wanting to destroy any vestige of the group which upset the social order of the Temple leaders and others who had been instrumental in killing the Savior. The High Priest and other powerful Jews were anxious to have the Jewish nation forget about Jesus so that their life of power and prestige could once again go on uninterrupted by God's truth.
Most of Jesus' followers were in hiding, trying to figure out what to do next and how to cope with the loss of their leader. Even though Jesus had told them what was coming, they really didn't understand understand the gravity of his message and it would take a while to really sink in. They gathered in small groups and shared their grief and anxiety, wishing that the Son of God was still with them to guide their way.
As I think about that stressful time, it is impossible not to look at it from our perspective today when the world is once again in major turmoil. Even though we have been taught, pray and worship Him and read the Good Book, we mortals still have serious doubts, doubts which require us to dig within ourselves to keep the faith alive and growing. Some have even tried to substitute dogma for the truth, even going so far as to say that Jesus was just nothing more than a radical socialist as evidenced by the way He lived. They cite arguments like giving up riches for the poor, stating that socialist government policies are just enacting the same things that Jesus taught.
But we must realize the fallacy and identify what is different in practice between that and true Christianity and here it is in a nutshell. Jesus was about love and free will, not the force and power of government power. Jesus truly wanted the poor taken care of, but he wanted it to come from the heart of each of us as true Christians, doing so because we wanted to do so and not because the government dictated it by force. After all, belief in Jesus by faith is voluntary as are the works performed to please Him. We do them because we love Him and want to please Him, showing Him that we love our fellow man and want to act upon that love.. It means we've made the right choices with our free will, something quite different than giving up what we have under the threat of force. Never forget that, for government authority is only man made. It is not like the authority of God that is above everything and exceeds everything in this world.
And, of course, the followers of Jesus will on tomorrow so many years ago finally understand the message of returning from the dead that Jesus taught them and they will then be one step forward to facing the imposing task which He has given them, the task of spreading the word of Jesus' love and grace throughout the entire world. We, too, must do so, with love in our hearts and by making the right choices to do those things that He would have us do because we want to please Him, not because some earthly authority is holding a gun to our head.
Praise His Holy Name and remember to thank Him for what we have. He truly does LIVE.
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