God In The Box

When I started Seminary back in 2001, I knew exactly what I believed and why I believed it. After all, I had known God my entire life. In fact, I didn't have some dramatic conversion experience. I can't tell you of a time when I didn't believe in God even if it wasn't always evident by my words and actions. I believed that God called me to Seminary in preparation for a life in vocational ministry. I believed that all I really needed were the technical aspects of my faith. You know, big words like sanctification and formal doctrines like the doctrine of atonement. I soon realized that while God was certainly calling me to a life of ministry, what he really wanted was to be let out of the box I had placed Him in. Gradually, over my years at Seminary, God, with the faithful help of all my professors, tore down the walls of that box. It was an uncomfortable and scary experience. After all, I was very comfortable with my God In The Box. He didn't really ask much of me and I really didn't need Him for much-I had it covered. However, once He was out of the box, life would never be the same for me. I reached a point where I questioned everything I previously believed about my God In The Box. I was now ready for God to begin writing Truth on my heart. When I graduated from Seminary earlier this year, I wrote a card of thanks to the Seminary President for my transformational experience at the Seminary. I told him that when I entered Seminary I felt I knew pretty much everything about my God In The Box. However, after the many years of study, I came to understand that what I knew about God I could fit in a thimble compared to what there was still to know about Him. And that's exactly the way it should be!

Maybe you're a little like me at times. When my life feels like a hurricane, I long for something I can control-something like my old faithful God In The Box! Well if it's any comfort, we're not the only ones to revert to the comfortable God In The Box. All four of the Gospel writers record the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. With the whirlwind of events inaugurated by Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem at the beginning of the week that would end...well, I'm getting ahead of myself. It's safe to say that there is so much going on that we miss some of the smaller details. It's one of those small details that's recorded from a slightly different perspective in each of the Gospels that I'd like to look at specifically in Luke’s Gospel. The detail I'd like to focus on is the actions of the disciples at Jesus' resurrection.

Luke 24:1-39

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words.

When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.

He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

“What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread

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.”

If you read the parallel accounts of this in the other three Gospels, you will notice a recurring theme. The disciples doubted Jesus' resurrection in spite of the fact that Jesus told them he would rise from the dead and in spite of the eyewitness testimony! No! He was dead and buried! They thought he was the One. They thought they had it all figured out. The thought they had God In The Box! But their picture of God In The Box didn’t include a Cross! Instead, while they were hiding away afraid that the Jews would come looking for them next, Jesus appears to them behind locked doors (John 20:19)! After inspecting the wounds in his hands, feet and side, they ate a meal together. From that point forward, even though some still had doubts, nothing would ever be the same again! How? History tells us all but one of those frightened and doubting men hiding away after Jesus' death, died a martyrs death while proclaiming the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! Certainly they were empowered by the Holy Spirit (John 20:22), but that didn't make torture and death any less painful. What was different? The answer: Their God was no longer in the box! With the Truth in their hearts, they knew everything else Jesus taught was true as well. Including the truth that all those who put their trust in Him would receive the gift of eternal life (John 3:16). With the God of eternal life by their side and living in their hearts, who needs a God In The Box?

This practice of letting God out of the box is a daily and intentional mindset. Over a period of time our spiritual lives become...I want to say “complacent,” but “safe” is probably more accurate. The days pass by and we never wonder what if. What if: We trusted God with our jobs, family, friends and finances; or We loved one another unconditionally; or God is calling me to something more; or God is back in the box? I recently asked myself that last "what if" question as it relates to this blog. Let me explain.

When I was planning this blog, I had in mind that it would be something I shared with my friends and family. I hoped that the link would get passed along but I suspect my readership would remain relatively small and localized. Even though Jesus' Great Commission to take the Gospel to all the nations heads my blog page, I didn't fully see my part in that commission. That's because I had God In The Box! Well God has broken through the walls of that box in a way that only God can do. While I don’t know exactly how many people are reading this blog, I would like to give you an update of the blog's current geographical readership:

United States

Mexico

United Kingdom

Switzerland

Russia

Germany

Ukraine

Israel

Praise God! Since I only announced the blog to my personal contacts, it is clear that it was forwarded (perhaps many times) from there. I am humbled and grateful that God would use this ministry in this way and I am grateful to those of you who have taken the initiative to forward the link to your family and friends. Jesus' command to make disciples of all nations was not only directed at me, it was directed at all those who claim Him as their Lord and Savior. I know it can be intimidating at times to share your faith with someone. But when you share this website with someone, then we're doing it together. Imagine the possibilities if, together, we let God out of the box! If you haven't already done so, please take a minute to share this blog with your family and friends and say "good-bye" to God In The Box!