Give Me That Fillet of Fish

...Jesus himself stood among them and said to them,
"Peace be with you."
They were startled and frightened,
thinking they saw a ghost...
he showed them his hands and feet.
And...they still did not believe it
because of their joy and amazement...
(Luke 24:36ff NIV)

It's only been a little while since Jesus' resurrection.

He physically shows up among his disciples.

He delivers a word of comfort.

He shows them his hands and feet.

"And...they still did not believe it"

Really??

Still?!

What else does Jesus have to do to get them to believe?

Shouldn't they become "superapostles" at this point, spurred on by the Resurrected Lord?

What's wrong, guys?!

And then I wonder...

Why do I still have battles in my own life.

Think about it. We've just passed through Easter, the most joyous, amazing time.

"He is risen! He is risen indeed!"

We said it to each other.


We said it. We believed it.

And yet...

...sometimes we still struggle with belief.

Sometimes we still wrestle with our will.

Sometimes we are not quite settled in our spirit.

Sometimes our obedience doesn't come so quickly or effortlessly as we think it should.

Am I alone here or can you identify with me?

But notice what Jesus does next:

He asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?"
They gave him a piece of broiled fish,
and he took it and ate it in their presence. (Luke 24:41b-43 NIV)

I think he did that for several reasons.

One of those reasons was to prove that he was really alive: Ghosts don't eat!

In the midst of their unbelief, Jesus eats with them, and casually proves he is who he said he was.

I'm thankful God comes to us in our times when we're wrestling, struggling, or not quite believing.

May the Spirit patiently yet powerfully speak to you today.

He has done so again this morning in my life.

Grace & peace