Startled by Jesus
Have you ever been startled by somebody?
Cats are always funny when they are startled, they jump straight up in the air. We humans don’t do that, but we don’t like to be startled, do we? We don’t like to be taken by surprise!
This is why those thriller movies are too much for some people - somebody’s alone in the house, and the music stops and you’re thinking it’s coming it’s coming it’s coming and then it still startles you when whatever happens happens.
But sometimes being startled can be a good thing. Sometimes it takes a bit of a startling encounter to wake us up! Sometimes we are so trapped in our routines, our norms, our situations, that a startling experience can awaken us to great new things.
Awakened by Startling Encounter
After Jesus was crucified, the disciples were very much trapped in a hole of self-pity and bewilderment. It took a rather startling encounter with the risen Christ to awaken them. We read it in Luke 24, which says “While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
Startling. We sometimes think of this moment in a very dry way – we imagine the disciples standing in a circle waiting for Jesus, and he appears and they say aha it is the Lord.
But I imagine them jumping out of their chairs yelling in fright when he appeared! They were truly startled. But they were changed by this startling encounter.
And you know what, perhaps we need to be startled today. Maybe we need to be awakened by the startling presence of Jesus!
Seeking Startling Presence
Of course, to them he appeared in actual bodily form. If he had to appear in the flesh today we would certainly all be startled. But now that he’s ascended, he appears to us in the person of His Holy Spirit, and he is a bit harder to discern at times.
But at other times His presence is so tangible that you can’t deny it! And so perhaps today you will join me in praying an unusual prayer. Let’s pray “Lord, startle me today!”
It’s gonna be an exciting day if all through the you are looking for Jesus’ startling presence wherever you go.
