These words appeared to them as nonsense.

Luke 23:44-24:12 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, ⁴⁵ because the sun was obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶ And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Having said this, He breathed His last. ⁴⁷ Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent.” ⁴⁸ And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, began to return, beating their breasts. ⁴⁹ And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things.

⁵⁰ And a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man ⁵¹ (he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God; ⁵² this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁵³ And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain. ⁵⁴ It was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. ⁵⁵ Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. ⁵⁶ Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes.

And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

24 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. ² And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; ⁵ and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? ⁶ He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, ⁷ saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” ⁸ And they remembered His words, ⁹ and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. ¹⁰ Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. ¹¹ But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. ¹² But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.

^“ But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them.”  That was the response of the apostles, Jesus closest disciples, when they were told that Jesus was no longer in the grave, when it was reported to them that He is risen. Why then should we be surprised that so many doubt today, so many think that the idea that Jesus lived a sinless life, was crucified on the cross for the redemption of all mankind, was placed in a grave and was resurrected to life, is nonsense? Many today seek human or scientific explanations for everything. They rely on the wisdom, knowledge and understanding of man. 1 Corinthians 1:18-19 says:     For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, "I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE."    

Earlier in today’s text it says:   Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent.”  And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, began to return, beating their breasts.  For many who witnessed the crucifixion, there was a revelation of who Jesus is. They were moved to repentance, they praised God. They believed. It’s not surprising that many don’t believe. Even the apostles questioned what they heard. We see though at the end of today’s text the choice everyone has. Each person can remain in their unbelief, their doubt. They can continue to rely on human wisdom and understanding. Or they can, like Peter, seek the truth.    But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.      Jesus says: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)     For all who seek the truth about Jesus, it will be revealed to them.

Jesus continues in Matthew 7:12 saying:    “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Normal human tendency is to treat others the way they treat us, to return good for good or evil for evil. Jesus says:  "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:43-44) He says:  “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the great and foremost commandment. ³⁹ The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”(Matthew 22:37-40) Love is the foundation for everything. Even the law was founded because of the love of God for all mankind.

The “second commandment” says we are to love our neighbor as our self. Matthew 7:12 says we should treat others the way we want to be treated.  How do we want to be treated? Surly everyone wants to be treated with love and respect. Everyone wants to be shown mercy and grace. So these things should all be part of how we treat others. Do we also though not all want to be treated with honesty? Do we not want to be told the truth? Do we truly love others if we show them respect, mercy and grace but withhold the truth?

Continuing in Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus says:    “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. ¹⁴ For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”   Is it possible that the broad way which leads to destruction is not really a separate path from the narrow way that leads to life? Is it possible that the way that leads to destruction is broad because there are wide ditches on either side? Our finite human minds tend to see things as either or, one way or the other. We believe that love, mercy and grace means acceptance of all things, inclusion of everything and everyone. Or we believe on the other hand that only those who believe as we believe, only those who measure up to our standards, only those who live righteously can know and receive salvation. Is it possible that the narrow way is neither far to the left or far to the right, but the narrow way which leads to life is in the middle?

In Luke 17:1-2,   Jesus says:  “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come! ² It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble.  We can be those stumbling blocks by being too focused on righteousness and hindering people from finding the way. We can also be those stumbling blocks by failing to tell them the truth. Jesus continues:        ³Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. ⁴ And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’forgive him.”     We are to rebuke sin and we are to forgive sinners.

The apostles had an interesting response to Jesus instruction to forgive others.       ⁵ The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” ⁶ And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you.       If we would love others, if we would rebuke sin and forgive sinners, if we would do great things, we like the apostles must say: Lord increase our faith. Make us faithful. Reveal to us the narrow way which includes Your love, grace and mercy and Your righteousness and justice. May we walk in that narrow way, not to the right or the left, lest we cause them to stumble. Rather, may we lead others to a revelation of You, the cross and the resurrection, the power of God.