April 9
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“When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, ‘Do you want to get well?'” (John 5:6, NIV)
 
A little story (not true, but illustrative): Jesus encountered three disabled men along the roadside.  The first, He touched and he was able to walk.  He touched the second man, and his sight was restored.  As Jesus approached the third man, the man retreated and said, “Don’t touch me!  I am on permanent disability.”
 
It may be hard for some of us to fathom, but those who have spent time helping acutely needful people can attest to the fact that not all such people want to “get well”; especially if they have been in that “condition for a long time.”  Change — even good, positive, change — can be unsettling because it means releasing old, familiar, ways.  Change means — well — change.
 
Our Lord addresses each of us at the point of our need, and He asks, “Do you want to get well?”  – Luther
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April 8
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“The angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, ‘I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land I swore to give to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.’ Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this?” (Judges 2:1-2, NIV)

Resonant in this scripture — which recounts the disobedience of the Children of Israel when they did not utterly subdue the inhabitants of the Promised Land, but allowed them to coexist with them in the land, albeit as “servants” or “slaves” — is the peril of allowing anything that is ungodly to inhabit our lives.

The problem with allowing any ungodly thought or deed to persist in one’s life — even in a small, seemingly insignificant way — is that after a while the “slave” becomes the master; and the “servant” becomes the one that is served.

In the case of the Children of Israel, it wasn’t too very long before they were worshiping at the pagan altars and adopting forbidden practices. I am sure that their chosen courses of action seemed enlightened at the time, but the outcome of disobedience to God is always the same: Our own (eventual) destruction.

Today, choose life.  Choose God.  None of us shall ever find peace by considering disobedience to God; or by accommodating sinful thoughts.  – Luther

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April 7
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Resurrection Day +2

“He asked them, ‘What are you discussing together as you walk along?’ They stood still, their faces downcast.” (Luke 24:17, NIV)

The evidence of the Resurrection was not accepted by Jesus’ closest disciples. In light of the empty tomb, the angel’s proclamation, the testimony of the women, the ancient prophecies come true, and even Jesus’ own words about His death and resurrection, one might think the disposition of the two disciples en route to Emmaus in today’s scripture would have been anything but “downcast,” but they were very distressed.

I am the first to admit that had I been there, I also would not have believed.  All of the disciples — except, to their eternal credit, the women — refused to accept the evidence of Jesus’ resurrection.  What they were seeing was unprecedented, and denial of the evidence is always the surest way to avoid facing the hard questions that inevitably follow revelation or Revelation.

Today, we still have the empty tomb, the angel’s proclamation, the testimony of the women, the ancient prophecies come true, Jesus’ own words about His death and resurrection, and — unlike the two disciples on Resurrection Day — more than 2,000 additional years of testimony that all of it is still true!

Does your countenance reflect this compelling evidence?

He is risen!  The Lord is risen indeed!  Hallelujah!  – Luther

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