Mindset

He said to them, "Peace be with you!" But they were startled and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost. "Why are you troubled?" He asked them. Why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself!" Touch Me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have." Having said this, He showed them His hands and feet. But while they were still amazed and unbelieving because of their joy, He asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish, and He took it and ate it in their presence.

Then He spoke to them, "These are My words that I spoke to you while I as still with you- that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms might be fulfilled." Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. He also said to them, "This is what is written; "The Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead the third day, and repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His Name to the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And look, I am sending you what My Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high. Luke 24:36-49

The two Jesus had previously appeared to on the road to Emmaus give us insight into the thinking of the disciples, they were looking for a King who would deliver Israel from the Roman invaders. Yet we know Jesus had, on several occasions, told the disciples about His death and resurrection. Their belief that He was the King blocked their understanding of what He had tried to relate to them.

When we have a mindset, we fail to understand information about a different path, we reject it as irrelevant. I've done it, how about you? This is a source of so much angst in our lives. We so think we know how things are going to work out, and they don't. We become disillusioned and upset, even grievously so. Many depart the faith because it does not unfold like they think it should. So much emotion goes into our expectation and so much emotion explodes when it fails. Yet, the problem is in ourselves, not God. He gently, ever so gently whispers His thoughts and ways, but we are deaf to Him, because all our focus is on our expecitations.

Jesus has to calm the disciples, show them He is flesh and blood, before He can teach them and open their minds to the real truth. Have you ever caught a little child crying their hearts out, held them, calmed them and then was able to speak to them. Yes, that's us! If we think for a while about the child again, we gain insight into us. We are like that, at a more mature level.

The Lord, constantly, says to me, "Look at me!" If I look at my circumstances I would crawl into a hole and stay there, afraid to come out. Yet, while I look at Him, I walk across a tight rope, through tornados, through fiery furnaces and I build and build and build what He puts in my heart. If we open our ears and our eyes to a him, we win! Amen!