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Thursday, September 16, 2004

Meditation
1 Corinthians 15:1-11

He appeared to me. (1 Corinthians 15:8)

Paul firmly believed that if Jesus could reveal himself to him, there was no reason why he wouldn’t reveal himself to anyone, even the believers in Corinth. Paul’s own experience—as well as the experience of countless others in the early church—taught him that Jesus wasn’t done revealing himself simply because he had ascended into heaven. On the contrary, he was just getting started!

The New Testament is filled with prayers asking that Jesus pour out “a spirit of wisdom and revelation” (Ephesians 1:17), and that we “may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Colossians 1:9). Scripture encourages us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus every day (Hebrews 12:2), and tells us that the Spirit has come to reveal to us the “mystery” of who Jesus is (1 Corinthians 2:9-10). It seems that it was almost expected that believers would have experiences of the risen Lord. Just before he returned to the Father, Jesus promised to be with us always (Matthew 28:20). Then, he sent the Holy Spirit to open our minds and hearts to Jesus and to teach and remind us of everything Jesus said and did. So no matter where we are in our faith journey, we can always receive more of Jesus.

What does Jesus want to reveal? First and foremost, he wants to tell you how much he loves you—especially if you feel unlovable for any reason. Second, he wants to reveal his character—his personality, his desires, his thoughts—to you so that you can learn how to become more like him. And finally, he wants to give you wisdom and guidance for your life, both the major decisions you face and the minor challenges that are part of your everyday living.

Jesus wants to do so much in our lives. All he asks is that we welcome him in. Then, like St. Paul, we too can announce, “He appeared to me” (1 Corinthians 15:8).

“Jesus, help me believe that I can hear your voice and receive your revelation today. Open the eyes of my heart as I read the Scriptures, and give me wisdom to know how to live today. Jesus, I want to become more like you.”