The phone call was clear. If we buy either pens or magnets, then we would receive a large amount of money. Of course it sounded too good to be true, but the desire to receive something we didn’t work for was enormous and so want overcame common sense and we sent in a cheque to receive our prize.
Of course, like all scams, it was destined to fail, and it did to our financial loss. (Lesson learned!) You hear about scams like this all the time, and with the advent of the internet, they have become even more prominent. But as the saying goes, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true.
And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? Luke 24:36-41
They, the disciples, saw the empty tomb and or heard the reports of people speaking to the risen Jesus. Then He was standing in their midst speaking to them (and they knew Him) when He showed them his hands and feet. Then He offered to let them touch Him and prove He wasn’t a ghost. Eye witness accounts are no substitute for seeing it for yourself, yet the disciples heard from others, saw for themselves, possibly touched Him themselves, watched Him eat and it is still reported ‘they believed not’.
I think it was a case of wonderment and ‘this seems too good to be true’. Still, they had their lingering doubts right up until Jesus opened their minds (v.45) and explained how He fulfilled prophesy. I like to think I’d be better than the disciples, but the truth is we are all blind until the veil is torn off and our eyes are opened.
Post Jesus, we have the same opportunity to have our minds opened by the Lord with the most amazing and life-changing book in existence- The Bible. We can pray that He open our eyes to behold wondrous things in it (Ps. 119:18) We can ask the Spirit to teach us and help us understand (John 14:26; 1Cor. 2:13) Then we can read and meditate on (ponder, revolve in our minds) the Word of God and know Him through it.
The Lord may sound ‘too good to be true’, but in actuality, He is the only ‘thing’ in this earth that is:
Both Good
AND True!