City Life Starter

Written by Scott Fiddler

The Word

22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

Luke 24:22–27.

Reflection

When I was a young lad, unredeemed and unrepentant, I remember being in church and hearing the priest talking about Jesus’ crucifixion and thinking how unfortunate it was that Jesus had been wrongly accused and killed. I remember being saddened, wondering what Jesus might have accomplished had He not been killed.

Like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, I didn’t realize it was necessary Jesus should suffer these things. This realization is a sort of spiritual continental divide between those who know Jesus and those who only know about Him. The former consider Jesus their savior while the latter only consider Him a good teacher. This spiritual divide continues until today.

What’s interesting is that my ignorance was not from a lack of knowledge. I was raised in the Catholic Church, but even the most ardent adherents to Catholic soteriology agree Jesus’ sacrificial death was necessary for the forgiveness of our sins. 

So, how could I have so missed the most central teaching of the Christian religion in which I was raised? How could the two disciples of Jesus on the road to Emmaus, after three years of Jesus’ earthly ministry, have missed it? And how could Peter, James, John, and the rest of the disciples have missed it? See e.g. Matthew 16:21-23; Luke 9:44-45.

The Apostle Paul explained it this way to the Corinthian church:

4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

2 Corinthian 4:4.

The thing about blindness is it doesn’t get better on its own. Ananias had to lay hands on the Apostle Paul when he was struck blind after encountering Jesus on the road to Damascus (See Acts 9:17-18). Jesus had to heal the man born blind in Jerusalem (See John 9:1-7). As the man who was healed stated, “Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind” (John 9:32). Only Jesus could.

Application

So, it is with spiritual blindness. One cannot be taught not to be spiritually blind. One must be healed, and there is only One who can perform such a healing. 

I remember when my eyes were opened. I was in a Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting in Dallas, Texas in 1977. The middle school football coach was sharing the gospel using “The Four Spiritual Laws.” It was like I had been walking in a dark room and someone had just turned on the lights. I could see how it all made sense. It was suddenly so simple, so clear. 

Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
  That saved a wretch; like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
  Was blind, but now I see.

Amazing Grace, by John Owen, 1772

Prayer

Lord, thank You for opening my eyes. Amen.