Not long ago I had breakfast with some other Methodist preachers. One of them said he would like to see a movie about the resurrected Jesus. This movie would attempt to
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| Them preachers would eat breakfast in a busy restaurant every week . . . . |
1 Corinthians 15:5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
Paul’s word here even suggests that the resurrection appearances of Jesus occurred for several years after Pentecost Day, since they appeared all the way until his own encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. (That event took place some time around the year 35 A. D.) So we know Jesus kept on making an appearance to early church members, sometimes to individuals and sometimes to groups, and over a period of perhaps even years. But what were those appearances like?
Even before I met with those preachers I had in mind to write about one such
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| Remember when Paul fell off his horse on the way to Damascus? That was another resurrection appearance! |
. . . He found himself sighing. Again. For some reason he could not stop doing this. It was evening now, of the second day of the week, and he had been doing it all day long. Simon had reason enough. It was the events of the previous day which had left him, one of the older disciples, out of breath, and almost beyond belief.
The day before they had all awoken with the sure knowledge that Jesus was dead. And now they must go on alone. Well, not really alone. They had each other. And there were their families. Simon had assumed all the Galilean boys would go back soon to their respective homes up north in those small towns of Nazareth and Capernaum. He had thought that on morning of the Sabbath after the crucifixion. But then yesterday morning, things all changed, and changed with more rapidity than he could have imagined. And he, a man who had once been a supporter of rapid and violent change, still found his head spinning from it all.
Some women among them had gone to the tomb very early in the morning. They had gone, they said, with perfumes, to anoint the body of Jesus since there had been no time on that Friday before the Sabbath fell upon them all. Simon had thought this a very foolish thing since he had also heard that the Romans had been ordered by their Procurator
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| The women said the stone had been rolled away on the tomb where Jesus' body had been laid . . . . Wow! |
The women got there and found the guards asleep, with stone already rolled back out of the way. Then they reported seeing an angel who told them Jesus was alive and would soon see them all again. They were to go and tell His disciples. Simon hadn’t been staying with the others. He couldn’t stand the self-loathing comments of his name sake, Simon Peter, and all the childish tears. He himself had wept when he saw what was happening at the cross. He had watched it from a second story window, over a furlong away. He had wept the next morning when he thought about it. But Simon was normally a man to get over things fast and move on to the next thing. At just over thirty, he was one of the oldest disciples, and had already seen a lot of good and bad things in the world. He was a stoic of a man, and not easily given to any extremes of emotion.
Now came the report of those early-rising women. One of them, Joanna, was a friend of his fiancé, Deborah. Deborah had insisted upon following Jesus too so as to stay close to her fiancé and Jesus. So of course her parents and brother had been travelling with them too. This was easily done since Jesus had been in or near Jerusalem for some time now. And Simon had, more than once, had spent the night at the home of Gideon, Deborah’s father, since they lived in the village of Bethphage, just west of Jerusalem along the ridge called by locals as the Hill of Olives.
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| Peter went back to the place where they had had the Passover with Jesus . . . . |
In fact Simon had been chagrined to see the change that had come over Deborah and her family since Jesus had moved south into Judea: they had started some weeks ago to be so attracted to Him that they had begun giving the Lord more attention than Simon. He knew why, but it still hurt. And now there was the news from yesterday, which still burned deep within him. The women had found Peter and John first minutes in the upper room of the place where they had all had the Passover Meal. Simon hadn’t been with them at that time, preferring the home of his soon-to-be in-laws. But he had made his way back into the city by noon to find his friends Andrew and Matthew; that’s when he heard the startling news that Jesus was no longer dead but alive. Later that afternoon, he had seen Jesus appear in that same upper room.
Simon had been through some terrifying times before, but this one beat all of them. Jesus of Nazareth looked the same – alive and fully human. His horrible wounds still showed on his wrists and feet. But there was something different about Him, some kind of strange glow which seemed to disappear if one looked long at Him. He even ate with them to prove He was alive and not a ghost.
Simon swallowed a lump in his throat and felt his eyes tear up at the unbelievable joy
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| Jesus showed Simon his nail-scarred hands . . . . |
His head was spinning at what had happened next: Jesus’ simple commands: be at peace with one another, receive His own Holy Spirit, forgive the sins of others in His name, return to Galilee where they would see Him again; do not begin their formal ministry in His name until they and many others had received the fullness of the Spirit some time later, when they had returned to Jerusalem. Simon had many questions about these simple commands. He pondered them as a voice interrupted his thoughts.
“Supper is ready!” It was his beloved’s voice wafting up the ladder well from the first
floor. Soon her beautiful head of dark, curly hair appeared to supplement the announcement. “It’s nice up here,” she said. “I know you probably want to eat here, Simon.”
That was the thing about Deborah. It was almost uncanny how she was able to read his thoughts the way she could. It was one of the things which had so drawn him to her. That and her amazing beauty, of course. He smiled and nodded. “I will come down later and join you and your parents. But yes, Deborah, I would like to eat here. And if you don’t mind, I will eat alone.” She smiled and nodded. Deborah had seen how moody he had become since this morning. She knew why. It was because of Jesus. She sensed how hard it was for a man who struck up such loyalties as Simon, to have Jesus back alive again
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| Simon liked to go up on the roof in the cool of the evening. |
only to have Him disappear for who knew how long.
Her head vanished from the floor hole and returned minutes later with a large bowl. There was a dish of hot, spicy stew, just the way he liked it, covered by a large layer of the brown flat bread that everyone ate in the land of Israel. Simon tried to kiss her as she handed him the bowl, but she blushed and ducked away. “Plenty of time for that later, my friend!” she said, laughing. “I will hold you to that promise!” he uttered, grinning back.
“And I will hold you to yours!” Sometimes she had a funny way of getting in the last word. He would speak to Gideon that evening about a wedding date and a dowry. His parents were no longer living, and as a Zealot he had led the life of a poor man, living literally from hand to mouth, from day to day. His life with Jesus had brought his life of violence to an abrupt end, but had certainly left him no better off financially than before. He was sure Deborah had apprised her father and mother of his financial situation; yet somehow already he was sure that they approved of him in any case and would accept
whatever he might be able to bring to the marriage. They were good parents who mainly
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| Deborah brought him a delicious bowl of goat stew! Yums! |
seemed just very happy that their daughter had found a good strong man that she liked.
He started in on the delicious food, not knowing whether Deborah or Barbara, her mother, had cooked it. That’s another thing about this family: both women were outstanding cooks. Simon tore a piece of bread off and shaped it as if to dip into the bowl of stew. The odor of incense was wafting up the roof hole from the room below. Barbara had lit it earlier, but he just now noticed it. His seat faced west so as to see the sun just dropping below the horizon. A dark blue sky surrounded him on all sides but the west. He dipped and ate a large scoop of the delicious goat soup.
“That smells good,” said a voice off to his left. At first he thought it was Gideon, but this was not Gideon’s voice. It was a warm, deep, friendly voice, like the voice of an old, trusted friend. “It is good," Simon answered automatically. Then he turned to look, startled. He was sure he had climbed up here by himself and had, up to now, been alone. He lowered the bowl of stew and looked to his left. Not 12 cubits away was the shadowy figure of a man. The man was dressed as he, in a simple robe. It was a dark figure making a clear contrast with his light-colored robe. And, strangely, the man was looking off in the same direction Simon had been facing. Yet in that instant he turned, and looked straight at
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| Jesus was alive again and appeared to Simon the Zealot. |
Simon. When He did, Simon knew his visitor.
"Lord! Is it you? Really you?" he asked incredulously, a thrill welling up from deep within him. "Hello, Simon. How are you and your family tonight?"
Simon stood and walked over to where the man sat, and was about to join him. "Simon, by all means bring your food. I know you are hungry!" smiled Jesus. Simon scrambled back to his bread and his bowl.
"Lord, please have some!" he insisted. "There is enough for us both."
"You are generous, Simon. You have always been generous. In times past you helped out a friend or fellow warrior when you had little to spare. It is why I wanted you among my followers." Simon took his seat beside Jesus.
"Lord, you are too kind."
"I am not!" asserted Jesus. "I am kind enough always, my friend. I came here to pray, and you are here to eat. Let us both be about our task and calling of the moment."
Simon knew the Lord was aware of his embarrassment, though the gathering dark hid his blushing. He ate his supper while Jesus sat in silence and looked out toward the stars. He stretched a hand up and pointed, and one star seemed to fall in a streak across the sky.
"Right on time!" he said, chuckling. "You are wondering why I am here, Simon."
"Lord," his disciples answered, "I am honored that you would come to the home of my future father-in-law. I am unworthy of your visit."
"No, Simon, you are worthy to receive the fulfillment of my promise to you and the others."
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| Simon had found what he was looking for in Jesus Christ! Have you? |
"I remember, Lord," he breathed. Jesus looked at him and nodded.
"I will visit each one of you separately in these days. And then, I place a heavy sentence upon you, Simon!" Jesus spoke seriously, but He was smiling. "I am sending you back to Galilee with the others, so they may take their leave of family members and friends for awhile. Then I will meet with all of you there."
Simon chuckled to himself. He had not cared for Galilee that much. In the old days there was no good action there against the Romans. He knew the Lord knew this about himself. But now? Now, his hate was gone completely against his old enemies.
"I know that Galilee is not and will never be your home. Neither is this place. Or the whole
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| As Jesus finished talking the lamp mysteriously began to grow dim . . . . |
"My Kingdom is not of this world," Simon quoted softly to Himself.
"You have learned that lesson now, and that is why your hate is gone." Jesus got to His
feet. The lamp was starting to burn lower. "Therefore you will not mind going to another part of my Kingdom when the time comes."
"No, Lord, I -- I won't mind. Except that --." He couldn't finish, but found himself staring at the roof hole.
"You're not going alone," said Jesus, following his gaze. "For once again I have made a very good match!"
"You, Lord?" asked Simon in surprise. But he knew the answer to that. "Thank you, Jesus. I do love her."
"Of course you do. And you will!" He added.
Simon sighed, knowing within himself that their conversation had come to an end. "You're leaving again, Lord."
"I am, my Son," He affirmed. But not without a parting gift -- until we meet again!" The lamp was out.
"In Galilee," added Simon.
"If not before," added Jesus with a smile that Simon could barely see. The sun was well below the western horizon. Jesus turned to look at the fading light, and Simon became
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| Simon found a special gift from Jesus His Lord for them all . . . . |
Jesus turned back to him, "Look in your pouch for the answer!" Simon walked over to where he had left his travel pouch and an extra blanket. When he lifted it the bag was very heavy. Opening it he found many silver coins inside. "My Lord!" he gasped.
"They are mine, and I loan them to you. They are to help out your new father and mother; and especially your new wife!" It was the answer to his need of a bride-price; and then some.
"Simon, who are you speaking with?" came a voice from down below. He looked up to see Jesus one last time, but the Lord had already disappeared.
"I was praying aloud," he answered, quite truthfully. "I am coming down now," he added.
"Good," answered Deborah. "We have a fire going now."
"So have I," Simon said to himself. "So have I."
LBC
