Slow to Believe?

Jesus had died. He told His disciples this was going to happen, but somehow, they hadn’t expected it. After all He had said and done, with their hopes for the future and how they had felt all the time they were with Him, He was crucified like a common criminal. The bottom dropped out of their lives.

Then there were odd reports from the women who had gone to the tomb and found it empty, with some stranger asking why they were seeking the living among the dead. It was all very confusing.

Later that day two of the disciples were walking to a village about seven miles from Jerusalem. They couldn’t get Him out of their minds. If rumours were true, and He had risen, surely He would have appeared to them for all to see?

The past three years had seemed like a dream. Centuries before it had been prophesied that He was the One to redeem Israel. He claimed to be the Son of God, and now He was dead. But the women said that His body had disappeared. Now they feared for their lives. They could be arrested for being His accomplices.

So deep was their conversation with each other that they hadn’t noticed a man walking along beside them. He didn’t seem to know of any of the events of the past few days, yet was interested in what they were saying. They tried to explain that Jesus was a prophet. He had healed the sick, opened blind eyes and even raised the dead, but in the end, He couldn’t save Himself.

He listened intently, then said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” (Luke 24:25). Then He began to explain to them all that the Scriptures said about Himself. Still, they did not know Him.

It was only after they had invited Him to stay for a meal with them that their eyes were opened, and their hearts burned with fire (Luke 24:32). Suddenly they recognised Him. Jesus had indeed risen from the dead and come back. All that He had promised was true. From this moment their lives were completely transformed.

The same words could apply to us today: ‘how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!’ God shows us the way through Jesus. He has given us great and precious promises. He has encouraged us by the Holy Spirit. Can we grasp it? Receive it? Understand it? Live it?

We may be burdened by many things, most of which seem to be at the forefront of our minds. This pushes our trust in God down below our anxiety level. It’s not that we don’t believe, but belief and trust can be overtaken by doubt.

‘Do not be anxious about anything’ (Philippians 4:6). Worry must be replaced by trust in the truth and faith in Him. Fire is then rekindled in our hearts as we realise He has never left us, and everything He promised is true.