Tuesday, April 14, 2020
But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you. Mark 16:7
Promises are tricky things. They are really only promises once kept. Before the promise is kept – it’s just a sentence.
The sentence given by this angel to the women who went looking for Jesus’ body is directed not to the women, but to the disciples – and particularly Peter. The last time Peter saw Jesus he heard a rooster crow. When Peter hears these words, will they seem like a promise of good news or scheduled condemnation?
The only way we can predict future behavior is by examining past behavior.
For Peter, he had a lot of past behavior to anticipate what this angel was saying. He had witnessed Jesus heal his mother in law. He had witnessed Jesus cure a women who had suffered bleeding issue for 12 years. He saw a young girl raised from the dead. He was there when compassion led Jesus to feed thousands of people with minimal resources. The list goes on and on – in fact, there is precious little evidence of Jesus condemning anyone – except for those who put rules over relationships.
Jesus did not have a lot of time for the religious leaders who sought ways of keeping some people away from God’s grace and mercy while others were granted free access. He used the word “hypocrite” to describe them.
So, even if Peter could trust Jesus’ past behavior as an indicator that meeting him in Galilee would be GOOD NEWS, perhaps Peter didn’t trust himself. Perhaps Peter thought of himself as a hypocrite.
Here’s the thing – can any of us say that we are not hypocritical? Can ANY of us say that we haven’t set up walls that limit God’s love? That God’s love CERTAINLY can’t include “those” people – whoever that might be.
What Peter – and the rest of us – have yet to learn is that Jesus’ promise to meet us where he promised is not dependent upon our words – or our actions – or our inaction.
In fact, Jesus’ promise to be with us is dependent ONLY upon what God has already DONE, through Jesus.
People – Jesus promise to meet Peter, and all of the disciples in Galilee is the same promise that Jesus makes to us. For Peter and the disciples, Galilee was familiar. It was home.
I don’t know what your Galilee is – that place that feels familiar, that place that feels safe – that is the place where Jesus promises to meet you.
It is a promise you can trust – not simply a set of words. You simply need to look around and see all the times that Jesus has met you in your life and know that this promise is one that will continue to give you hope and comfort.
Let us pray,
Dearest Jesus, thank you for meeting us in our deepest needs. Open our eyes to see the many ways you meet us – and all people – every day. May this promise of your presence give us strength and hope. In Jesus name, Amen.