Beyond the Cross 4

John 20:3-5

When I worked at a newspaper my fellow editors and I were frustrated with what we perceived as a lack of appreciation from the publisher. Like other people in other jobs, we spent some time as we worked griping about our fate, how much we worked, how little we were paid, the lack of proper equipment to make our jobs easier, and so on. Mike, one of the other editors, kept telling us that if he ever had the chance to sit down with the publisher he would give him an earful – really lay our complaints on the table.

As luck would have it the publisher took us all out to lunch one day so we could air any complaints we might have. Mike remained silent through the entire lunch.

John’s story of the resurrection continues with Peter and “the other disciple,” whom most experts agree is the disciple John. How did these two react to Mary Magdalene’s news? Who reached the tomb first? What did he NOT do?

We can see an eagerness in these two devout followers of Christ. Peter and John have learned from Mary that Jesus was not in the tomb. The two go to the tomb to see for themselves what is going on, racing to get there.

John runs faster than Peter, perhaps more anxious than Peter to know what is going on. Yet, when he arrives he stops short. Although arriving first he doesn’t have what it takes to enter the tomb and see that Christ is risen.

So many believers can call themselves Christians and even be loyal to their faith by attending church and trying hard to live a holy life. But many times the requirements of our faith can be too much for these believers.

We may be comfortable in hearing the good news that Jesus died for our sins and rose again. We are promised the forgiveness of God through Christ’s crucifixion. We are promised eternal life through Christ’s resurrection. But our faith is more than receiving these gifts of God.

We are often called to commit ourselves, our time, our talents, our money and our efforts in serving the Lord. It is part of our faith to be in ministry for God. Yet we can often lack the determination and trust to move forward and dare to risk things for the good of God’s kingdom. Too often we are like the eager disciple who stops at the doorway to the tomb, afraid to go deeper in our faith.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you go deeper in your faith?