The What and the Why

10.11.14

Luke 24.25b “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” – Jesus (ESV)

I think I would comfortably fit into the group labeled Slow of Heart. I sometimes wonder who it is I really worship. My prayers might give up a clue: Lord, I need Your grace…! Since when is His grace ever lacking?

For the two on the road to Emmaus we might cut them a little slack – big things had just happened and bewilderment had set it – these disciples were confused and scared. Sometimes life takes on a magnitude in which we mortals really struggle. Did that just happen? And, now what!? The two on the road were big on wonder and short on belief.

Last night some friends were over and we discussed the inane and insane cultural habit we humans seem to have of placing our leaders and people in positions power on pedestals of prominent perfection – like these folks’ stuff don’t stink. Why do we do that? Our preconceived notions of who’s who are so lame, and our understanding of such celebrity is foolish. We are slow of heart to remember that these people despite their power and  fame, are people just like us with the same faults and frailties as ours. They are just people.

And yet we elevate them to this superficial and (perhaps) superstitious presence that reveals just how naïve we are. Jesus made the same claim to the two on the road…How foolish you are to have not believed what God through His prophets has already told you… (how do you persist to be so dumb!?) Don’t you guys read?

Humanity’s difficulty is we want so desperately for things to be better and yet we’ll settle for the most pathetically poor solutions to betterment. We cannot seem to understand that more effort on our part won’t get the job done. We can’t seem to accept that our leaders are just people we entrust to lead, and yet they are subject to the same weaknesses we are. And when they fail we won’t understand why. O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe don’t you realize just how stupid you look when you do this? (I am one of the slow and stupid who buys the lie…)

Years ago, I remember the bi-line of a certain religious group: Just believe. That is the mission call to all of us who cannot help but wonder where God is in all the crap around us. His response to us is simply: “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!”

When is the last time you had a belief review and really came to a solid conclusion of what you believe and why – what would happen if you did? Would Jesus say to you what He said to the two? Maybe it’s time for a reality check of Who we worship and why we worship…

Father, it is shocking sometimes just how foolish and slow of heart I am to believe what You’ve told me to be true. I pray forgiveness. I have a choice and I pray for the willingness to choose: do I believe You – or do I just keep on pretending? Lord, help me in my unbelief! Amen.