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.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.
[Luke 24: 38–43]
Following Easter, the disciples experienced sadness, fear and now doubt – not really what we expect from this season. Their friend is alive, but they doubt their own eyes. How many of us doubt when good things happen, especially this past year when we have learnt that hope can be quickly and easily dashed?
We have learnt to doubt the promises around the easing of lockdown and the news around Covid-19 – perhaps understandably. The government has been much more cautious in its wording surrounding lockdown this time, to ensure that promises are not broken. Too often have we been promised something – no second lockdown, Christmas bubbles, it’s safe to go out to eat – only for that promise to be taken back.
How about God’s promises? Do we feel the need to doubt them? Has God ever gone back on what was promised? Many in the world think that God does this, but perhaps this is because the promise has been misunderstood, or they think something that God has never promised! The disciples doubted the resurrection of Jesus at first – do we? If we believe that God kept that promise and Jesus lives, then that really is good news, and we should share it with each other.
God of all,
we thank you for all your promises to us;
we thank you that your promises are reliable and can be trusted.
Help us in the times when we doubt your word is true,
when we worry that promises will never be fulfilled.
Give us the courage to share your promises with others.
Amen
Weekly Prayers for April 2021 written by Revd Claire Rawlinson
Image: photo by christopher-catbagan on Unsplash
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