“But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”” Mark 16:7 ESV
Reflection: do you take Jesus at His word? All of it, or just some of it?
The Bible is full of what could be looked at as controversies. Statements that, taken out of context, can mean one thing. However, if studied in context, and aligned with other parts of the scripture, you can come to a very different conclusion. Perhaps the best example of this is Jesus own sermon on the Mount, where He states repeatedly “You have heard it is said… But I tell you…”. What He was referring to there, was how the religious groups like the Pharisees had corrupted the word of God, to mean something that they could benefit from. Jesus therefore said “But I tell you..”, or as we may say today “Let me explain what that really means…”. We therefore read “And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.” Matthew 7:28-29 ESV.
And, we see some of the same behavior even today. We have all these church factions who all claim they have the truth, some being more fixated on their position and understanding than others, even to the point of unbelief and hard hearts. You might be surprised at that claim, that Christians can have unbelief and hard hearts. But the disciples did. Let’s read what Jesus told them. “Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.” Mark 16:14 ESV. Jesus rebuked the 11 disciples for their unbelief and hard hearts. How could He say that?
If we look back, we learn that there is a thread with at least 4 points, that they should have picked up on. First, Jesus Himself said multiple times that He would suffer and die, but then be raised again. Even to a point that He told them He would go before them to Galilee where they would meet Him again. We know this, because in the focus verse we read the angel saying to the women “But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”” Mark 16:7 ESV. Just as He told you. So that was the second. And third, He showed Himself to Mary Magdalene, who then witnessed to the disciples. And finally, Jesus also showed Himself to two followers, on the way to Emmaus, as we read about in Luke 24. They also witnessed to the disciples. But they would not believe, until Jesus finally had to show up, in Jerusalem where they were hiding. But Jesus was frustrated with them, “because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.” And therefore not believed what Jesus had told them would happen.
There is, of course, direct application here to us today. Are we listening primarily to what Jesus is saying, or what man is saying? Are we seeking the heart of God, when trying to determine what the scripture really says? Let’s take a simple example. Paul writes “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV. Yet James writes “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” James 2:14, 17 ESV. So who is right, Paul or James?
We can easily be led astray here, by clever orators, speakers who can use words of the Bible out of context, without really seeking the heart of God. In this example, they are of course both right. There is no contradiction in God’s heart. But we see “tension” in the word, for us to seek Him. Let us not be filled with unbelief, but believe Him and all that He told us.
