An Early Christian
As I read Early Christian history, sometimes I wonder: What if I had been an early Christian? What if I had been there live and in person to see and hear Jesus?
What would it have felt like to be in the crowd when Jesus taught them? Would I have believed Him? Would I have even begun to understand what He was about? Would I have absorbed His words gladly, or would I have been skeptical, or even offended, as the Pharisees so often were?
What would I have thought if I had been in one of the crowds that He fed with a few loaves and fishes? What if I had seen Him heal a leper or give sight to a blind man? Would I have believed or would I have thought it was some sort of trick? What if He had healed me?
What if He had called me to follow Him? Would I have been able to leave my world as I knew it and follow indeed? Or would I have been afraid and pulled back? If I had been the rich, young man, would I have gone away sorrowfully as he did, or would I have sold all that I had and given to the poor and followed Jesus?
What would it have been like to be in the temple with Him? Or to be at the Last Supper? Or to be in Gethsemane or at Calvary? Would I have had even a glimmer of what was happening? And after--would I have believed the first reports of His resurrection? Or would I have doubted with Thomas? What would it have been like to walk the road to Emmaus with Him and listen to Him expound the scriptures? How would I have felt when I realized at last that it was Him and by the time I realized it, He was gone?
What would it have been like to have been in the Land Bountiful at the temple when He appeared to His people in the western hemisphere? Would I have touched the nail prints in His hands and feet and touched His side where the spear had entered in? Would I have bathed His feet with my tears as I realized who He was and what He had done for me? Would I have listened closely to every word He spoke, treasuring it in my heart? Would I have gazed at Him silently, with tears, when it was time for Him to go?
I wonder....
What would it have felt like to be in the crowd when Jesus taught them? Would I have believed Him? Would I have even begun to understand what He was about? Would I have absorbed His words gladly, or would I have been skeptical, or even offended, as the Pharisees so often were?
What would I have thought if I had been in one of the crowds that He fed with a few loaves and fishes? What if I had seen Him heal a leper or give sight to a blind man? Would I have believed or would I have thought it was some sort of trick? What if He had healed me?
What if He had called me to follow Him? Would I have been able to leave my world as I knew it and follow indeed? Or would I have been afraid and pulled back? If I had been the rich, young man, would I have gone away sorrowfully as he did, or would I have sold all that I had and given to the poor and followed Jesus?
What would it have been like to be in the temple with Him? Or to be at the Last Supper? Or to be in Gethsemane or at Calvary? Would I have had even a glimmer of what was happening? And after--would I have believed the first reports of His resurrection? Or would I have doubted with Thomas? What would it have been like to walk the road to Emmaus with Him and listen to Him expound the scriptures? How would I have felt when I realized at last that it was Him and by the time I realized it, He was gone?
What would it have been like to have been in the Land Bountiful at the temple when He appeared to His people in the western hemisphere? Would I have touched the nail prints in His hands and feet and touched His side where the spear had entered in? Would I have bathed His feet with my tears as I realized who He was and what He had done for me? Would I have listened closely to every word He spoke, treasuring it in my heart? Would I have gazed at Him silently, with tears, when it was time for Him to go?
I wonder....
Labels: Jesus Christ, personal reflection
posted by Mary A | 6:15 PM
2 Comments:
"What if He had called me to follow Him? Would I have been able to leave my world as I knew it and follow indeed? Or would I have been afraid and pulled back?"
I have heard it said that those of us who have chosen to follow the Savior in this day would have been likely to follow Him then. I think this may be true. He said, "My sheep know my voice."
Thanks for your comments. Peggy, I find your comment encouraging and think you are probably right. It is a hopeful thought! lizzy, I was hoping my questions would get people to thinking about how they follow the Savior--it certainly gets me to evaluate my progress!
Post a Comment
<< Home