24
Cold Fish Faith
Jon BurgessAs he said this, he showed them his hands and feet. They still couldn’t believe what they were seeing. It was too much; it seemed too good to be true. He asked, “Do you have any food here?” They gave him a piece of leftover fish they had cooked. He took it and ate it right before their eyes. Luke 24:41-43
So Jesus conqueres sin, death and hell and he gets cold fish? Jesus takes our sin and shame upon Himself and suffers the worst possible torture and the disciples give him leftovers? With the utmost patience and kindness He shows His disciples the holes in His hands and feet where He was pierced through with real nails. Is this enough? Nope. It's Jesus Himself who suggests a proof more commonplace to reveal the miracle staring them in the face. The fish didn't fall to the ground! That rules out ghost I guess. More then that watching the resurrected Lord eat some fish would provide a tangible trigger to precious memories over the past 3 years. How often had they sat dusty, dirty, laughing and learning with Jesus around the fire eating fish and stoking the flames of faith? It was Him! It was Jesus! They never thought they would have another moment to eat with Him again. He had done it! The resurrected Lord was in the room with them!
The resurrected Lord is in the room with me! I don't blame the discples for their need for multiple proofs. The problem would be if everyday after that before His ascension they asked Him to prove Himself again. How ridiculous would it be to feed Him cold fish over and over again to be sure He was still real and with them? Yet, isn't that exactly what I do with the Lord? Sure, He has proved Himself to me over and over again throughout my life, but it just never seems to be enough. My short-term spiritual memory blocks out how Jesus helped me pay for my bills, provide for my children, healed my sickness, gave me words in an impossbily difficult converstation. Why do wake up this morning and live as if I'm not sure that Jesus isnt just a ghost or a figment of my imagination? I'm living a cold fish faith if I need Him to prove Himself and His love to me every single day. It should be enough that He died, rose and filled me with His Spirit! If He never gave me another single proof for the rest of my life He has already given me so much more then I deserve! Yet, even in the midst of my doubt, fear, and double-mindedness He fills this room with His presence and guides me through another day frought with challenges bigger then I. Maybe, the root of the doubt is in the lack of control I have over Him. Just like He did with the disciples, Jesus shows up when He wants to and how He wants to. I don't get to tell Him how to make His presence known, He tells me. Wouldn't it be great though, if after all of these years of His faithfulness to me, I no longer faltered and I simply followed? Wouldn't it be great if I had a fresh fish faith? Something like fresh cut sashimi every day ready for His arrival! Jesus always shows up and when He does I want Him to have my best and not just what's left!
Lord, You are so good to me! I love how You love me! I love how even as I write this I can sense the nearness of Your presence and the assurance of Your love. You embolden me to be ready to face whatever this day throws at me. There will be a day when I see the nails in Your hands and feet in Heaven, but I wont be looking at them as much I will be Your beautiful face. Until that day, let me live a life of faith that doesn't demand proof, but knows my life redeemed is all the proof I need!
Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." John 20:29
