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Gospel: Matthew 17: 22-27
As Jesus and his disciples were gathering in Galilee,
Jesus said to them,
“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men,
and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.”
And they were overwhelmed with grief.
When they came to Capernaum,
the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and said,
“Does not your teacher pay the temple tax?”
“Yes,” he said.
When he came into the house, before he had time to speak,
Jesus asked him, “What is your opinion, Simon?
From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax?
From their subjects or from foreigners?”
When he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him,
“Then the subjects are exempt.
But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook,
and take the first fish that comes up.
Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax.
Give that to them for me and for you.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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The disciples just heard the greatest news ever told: “The Son of Man… will be raised on the third day.”
Death will lose its sting!
Yet, “They were overwhelmed with grief.”
It seems the disciples stopped listening to Jesus after he said the word, “death.” They couldn’t see beyond it. The good news of the resurrection seemed too distant; uncertain; beyond their understanding.
What they did understand was the “d” word, death.
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Jesus wasn’t blind to their incredulity. He saw their saddened faces; he watched them mope around, kicking their sandals into the dirt, digesting the news.
But he continues towards Jerusalem – towards his cross – anyways. In spite of his death, he will not leave them “orphans.” After the resurrection, the Lord will appear to them for forty days and forty nights, convincing them he’s alive again.
Then he sends forth his Spirit to teach and guide them at Pentecost.
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Often, we react the same way the disciples did when bad news comes our way.
We lose our job; we’re rejected by our top college; a relationship ends; a loved one returns to the Lord.
It seems like the world is ending. We mope, question, become weighed down in sadness.
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But remember the resurrection.
With God on our side, there is always life after “death” – life after heartache or tragedy.
This is what faith is all about – trusting that God will always bring light out of darkness. As Saint Paul says, “All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose.”
If you find yourself in a difficult place, call upon the Lord who will not abandon you; rather, he will fill you with every heavenly grace and blessing.
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Image credits: (1) Dave DeSelm Ministries (2) The Kingdom @ Glandore-Underdale (3) Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
Lovely visual of what hope and Grace look like.