Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table; and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.’”
NL Daily Devotion for Friday, April 5, 2024
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
I love that Jesus is irritated with his friends here. He had appeared to Mary and the two disciples in the countryside, making himself known, showing them that he had risen from the dead, and yet his friends had shown “lack of faith and stubbornness.” So he scolds them. “How could you? Oh you of little faith!” Or so I imagine. “Did I teach you nothing?” Who knows how long his diatribe lasted. Mark is so terribly succinct, a single sentence suffices to indicate his disappointment. And then, turning on a dime, he commissions them.
Think about that. “You have really ticked me off! Oh, and by the way, I’m trusting you to share the good news with the world. That very good news you refused to accept!” And maybe that was the point. The disciples needed to experience first hand how their testimony was going to be rejected. They needed to reject it themselves to understand the mindset of all those who would be hearing the message without Jesus’ physical presence to back it up. What better training than experiential training? I am sure that it gave his friends a deeper appreciation of the task in front of them, and perhaps strengthened their commitment. Maybe they debriefed Mary and the other two disciples testimonies and strategized about how to respond to the kind of unbelief they themselves had exhibited. In any case, the fallacy of their lack of faith was pointed out, and then used as a springboard to sharing the good news with the world.
When have I had my own deep deficiencies transformed into an asset?
