God Understands

We've all encounted those times when we've been overcome with sadness and grief which leaves us confused and feeling numb in the midst of  our painful circumstances.  At such times, we may erroneously think God doesn't care about what we're going through but this is one of the devil's lies that we may believe when our emotions are painfully raw. Where is God?  Why did this happen to me/us?  So often the depth of our pain is linked to our misunderstanding and ignorance of God's Word and His mysterious and sometimes, perplexing, ways. 

Luke's gospel relates just such an incident and how things are not always as they seem.  Luke tells us the story of Cleopas and one another disciple as they walked along the Emmaus Road out of Jerusalem after Jesus' death and burial.  Overcome with grief, they try to process the events of previous days when they were joined by a "stranger" who querried them about their conversation.  They were so blinded by sorrow and despair that they didn't even recognize the very One for whom they were mourning.

"And they stood still, looking sad. One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, "Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?" Luke 24:18

Jesus, their beloved Teacher, had been executed. Their hopes and dreams for Israel’s freedom from the Roman yoke were crushed as a result. They seemed genuinely amazed that anyone would not know what had been going on and found it hard to believe that someone could be so oblivious to the events that had recently taken place in the city. Long before television, the Internet, cell phones and the mass media that we enjoy, news in those days traveled by word of mouth but it traveled far and wide so it seemed incomprehensible that someone wouldn't have known about the events that had taken place.  You can almost hear their thoughts as they wonder if this stranger had been in a coma or something to not know what had been going on. Jerusalem had been aflame with heated emotion and commotion for days and the news traveled fast, particularly when it involved someone of noteriety like Jesus of Nazareth. Besides that, there had been strange and frightening natural occurances of the eerie darkness in the middle of the day, the violent thunderstorm and devastating earthquake that tore the heavy temple curtain from top to bottom and apparitions of long-dead people that caused folks to flee in terror.

These disciples were so taken back by the stranger’s seeming ignorance of the latest news and developments that they stopped mid stride to confront him with their question. Jesus responded with love and compassion to open their hearts and minds and give them hope.

Their lack of scriptural understanding coupled with their grief and confusion had clouded their perceptions.  He directed their focus to the Holy Scriptures, recalling prophecies and history of their nation, in order to unlock the door that had closed their minds to spiritual understanding.   Remembering God's Word was the key and when they sat down to eat, they finally understood when they saw Jesus break the bread in the manner of His last supper with them.  That's when the blinders were removed and they saw for the first time the full profound meaning and necessity of Christ's ignomineous death. At that point, Jesus disappeared from their midst, but He wasn’t absent from their presence. He was no longer a stranger to them, but their savior.

They finally understood that their own perception of God’s work had been limited and lacking and that their grief-stricken emotions had enhanced their false perceptions. It was only as they listened and went back to the scriptures, recounting and remembering, that they saw God’s plan of salvation unfold, not only in their lives, but in the lives of all those who, in faith, went before them.

God does care.  He knows our struggles, our pain and our griefs. He has a purpose, even in the difficult times we encounter in life. We sometimes loose sight of that when our emotions and our lack of understanding get in the way. This is why it's so important for Christians to be reading and studying the Bible every day so that we don't become overwhelmed with despair.  Sometimes, we can’t understand all that goes on in the world...as was the case with the disciples as they watched and lived through the horror of the days when their beloved Teacher was taken from them and executed, but they clung to faith in the midst of it all. For awhile they felt discouraged and lost but they came to understand that Jesus doesn’t abandon us in our grief because faith can be strengthened in it if we allow it to. He understands our pain and confusion and He joins us in walking with us in our pain and confusion to comfort and teach us so that we can catch a glimpse of His loving, strengthening and abiding Presence which helps us to move forward. His promises are trustworthy, faithful and sure. 

Cleopas and his companion walked to Emmaus carrying a load of grief and despair, but hastily returned to Jerusalem with exuberance and joy. Their transformation was swift. How like Jesus to surprise us on the road of life where He goes from being a stranger to comforter and beloved friend.  He comes along side us to help ease the burden of our sorrows.  In the midst of our pain, we, too, can find hope when we remember and listen to the Lord as He opens our hearts and minds to understanding so we can find hope and an anchor that stabilizes us in the storms.  He promises never to leave us or forsake us and He does understand our pain and anguish. He knows what it means to be rejected, mocked and humiliated.  He emphathizes with us because He knows all about pain because He's experienced it when He was crucified on Calvary's cross.  That emblem of suffering and shame became our bridge to salvation and hope.  Know that God loves you enough to have died for you and redeem your life from the pit.  Walk with Him and know the joy of His companionship.

Blessings for the journey,
Mary, Web-editor