I stood at the top of some stairs in our church sanctuary and saw one of our elders directing traffic on the main floor area. I sauntered over to say “hi” glancing around at all the activity. Morton’s a tall guy and as I approached I looked up at him. But it wasn’t him but Jesus, standing four feet from me. Looking at me.
Robe. You know the one. Tall. Taller than me. Beard. Somewhat muscular. Not the five foot tall Jewish, or the sickly/wimpy ones suggested by others. No halo. I didn’t speak and He didn’t either. We looked at each other for at least a minute. Eye to eye. Face to face.
What first astonished me (perhaps that’s why I was speechless), was His perfect beauty. He radiated health and strength. I once tried to grab ahold of a good friend who pumps iron. He couldn’t be grabbed or moved. Solid. Like that. Hair curly flowing thick locks that women would give up all they had to possess.
The thing I slowly came to notice was that He was very faintly smiling.
I noticed He was at rest. The One who calmed the waves with a word, type of peace. If Bill Gates wants fresh Maine Lobster for dinner in four hours, he says the word and a couple of lobsters off the East coast say “whatthe?” five minutes later and head to wherever he is. Like that. Or Welches Grape Jelly and Laura Scudder peanut butter sandwiches with Lays potato chips sandwiched between evenly toasted squishy white bread. Now. All available in heaven or earth or under the earth. At His call.
I realized he saw my burdens, my cares, my failures. I don’t think He touched me or them at all. I was memorizing every line in His face. This was not the time for my stuff. I drank Him in somehow – standing there in resurrection power. I woke up with His face burned into my memory.
How can somebody go from vanquished to victor without a real change of circumstance? That I know Him. And He knows me. What else really is lacking to joy?
People can’t swallow the double command “rejoice in Lord always, again I will say rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance” because they haven’t understood or experienced with the eyes of faith the key to the verse, that “the Lord is at hand”.