More on the eleven

“Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart,…”

 A few days ago we looked at why there were only eleven.  We posited (cool word) that it was because we each are number 12.   We were challenged to take that number.

But now I want to take a look at why Jesus, when He was about to send His disciples into the world, upbraided (another cool word) them.

“…because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.” Mark 16:14-15

When I hear from people that they had a vision of the Lord, or that they saw angels am I too quick to judge it false?  Maybe.

But I need to be careful. 

To believe is to act according to your confession.  These guys had not believed the girls when they said Jesus was risen.  They did not act according to it.  They stayed put.

Jesus doesn’t want us to stay put when we hear that He is around.  If someone says they saw Him… maybe, just maybe… it deserves a look-see.

Too often we try to bury Jesus when we determine that so-and-so couldn’t have had an encounter with the Living God.

The Bible, in this very verse, says that this causes unbelief and hardness of heart.  Not two things that I really want to have.

So take the time to listen to the stories that others tell of Christ.

It will keep you soft.

SDG