Little Budworth, Fourth Sunday of Easter, 21/4/2013
“Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures”
You may be one of those Christians who spends some time each day reading your bible, and finding there words of comfort, hope, direction.
Or you may be one who feels awkward at this point because your scripture reading is more occasional - and if that is you, please don’t feel awkward, you’re here, as you often are, and this is how you hear and learn the scriptures, alongside others in worship.
Whatever your relationship with scripture, like me I’m sure that you have times when you feel totally unprepared to receive what they say, sometimes they are a mystery to you becaise your hearts and head is in the wrong place to receive their wisdom.
If so, take heart from tonight’s gospel reading.
For never in history were followers of Jesus less prepared, less able, to receive the word of God than those disciples who he appeared to after his resurrection.
Here are some of the words Luke uses to describe their state of being at the time: terrified, frightened, doubtful, wondering; the best that is said of them is that in their joy - at seeing him - they were unbelieving.
Still they listened to Jesus as he spoke to them, and as they did so, unprepared and anxious as they were, still “Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures”.
And so I would encourage you to never give up on the scriptures, whatever your state of heart or mind, however unprepared you feel to receive their wisdom. Keep on reading them, keep on listening to them, and expect that at some point there will be a moment of revelation, that at some point there Christ will make clear to you the wisdom, the truth he wants you to hear.
Be encouraged by his disciples and their response to the resurrected Jesus, and encourage each other, in the reading of the scriptures. I look forward to many, many good conversations, in worship and in private , with you as time goes on here, about who Jesus is to you, on what he has “opened your minds to”, of your understanding of the scriptures.
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