What’s the first thing a teenager says upon walking into the house? Is there anything to eat? Notorious endless hunger would be the main characteristic
of many a teen as their bodies store up for times of growth. Most parents understand that need even if
they resent the grocery bill. Being
hungry after a long day’s work, after fasting for a medical test, or even
because we simply didn’t have time to eat are all understandable because we
have all felt that hunger.
Jesus
once asked a question (after His resurrection as He met with His disciples) that
made me think “What?”. It’s not some
momentous question that stirs their thinking or their faith; it’s not seeking
to understand them or to have them understand Him. At first glance it doesn’t even seem to make
sense.
And when He had spoken this, He showed them His hands and feet. And while they still did not
believe for joy, and wondered, He said to them, Have you any food here? And
they handed to Him a piece of a broiled fish and of a honeycomb. And He took it and ate before them. Lk. 24:40-43
Jesus asked
His disciples if they had any food and proceeded to eat what they gave Him. Simple.
Human. While they were wondering
and uncertain, He did a most basic human activity- he ate, right in front of them. Jesus was in His new resurrected body. Did He even need to eat? Did He just have a sudden craving? What was His purpose? My thinking is that Jesus wanted to make Himself
real to them. They gave Him food, He
chewed it and swallowed it, and they understood- He is real.
So when did Jesus become real to me?
The earliest
time in my memory was a vision or dream I had before the age of ten when He
appeared and said, “Come to me.” I can’t
say there was a big effect on me back then but I don’t really remember
either. The next time Jesus became real
for me was when I heard the real gospel, one that required me to accept that He
died for my sins, that I needed His forgiveness and to repent- then I gave my
heart to Him. Jesus was so real to me
then that it drastically changed me forever- and I haven’t stopped changing
yet- thank You God!
There are
many other times that a facet of who He is became real to me so I’ll only write
about a few. One time in the midst of
sinning against Him I heard His voice (a loud inner voice) saying, “I love
you.” Immediately I was grieved at my
own sinfulness, wondered at His love but for the first time I understood how
great was His love for me. Another time
Jesus became real as I stood in the kitchen weaker than I’d ever been body,
soul and spirit, as I totally gave up fighting and surrendered my family, my
reputation and finally, my control over my life to Him. Then there was the time He healed me when I
didn’t even know I had a problem*. The
fact that He was SO much bigger
than the box I continued to put Him in became apparent and He became more real.
Jesus wants
to be real to each and every one of us: as real as our mother, our child, our
spouse or our best friend- as real as the person eating right next to us. He is real.
And He is here. We must ask
ourselves- ‘Is Jesus real to me?’
Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you,
Before Abraham came into being, I AM!
Jh. 8:58
I am the Alpha and Omega, the
Beginning and the Ending, says the Lord,
who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. Rv. 1:8
*You can read about it here