Emotions - We all have them

John 20:11-23

Have you ever wondered what life would be like without emotions; we all have them and they control our lives more than most of us understand.  It is important to state that emotions are not bad in fact they give us the ability to express love, sorrow, joy and pain.  Many wear them on their shoulder for all to see, and often they are referred to as emotional wrecks, while others keep them guarded but are just as controlled.  Let me share the story of a man who ask prayer for his wife because she seemed to cry all the time, but when he lost his job and was about to lose their home, I met him for coffee and tried to give him a hug to let him know that I was there for him, but when I hugged him he stiffened up like a board and looked around the coffee shop to see who was watching. That dude was controlled by his emotions just as much as his wife.  It matters not when we look at history we find emotions at work in the life of mankind.

As we visit the site of the resurrection of Jesus the Christ, we find Mary Magdalene and Peter and John at the tomb.  In the next scene, we see Peter and John returning to their homes, and Mary weeping outside the tomb.  Mary has not looked into the tomb till now and is she in for a surprise, this is what she saw: “But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her. (John 20:11-18 ESV)  So Jesus finds Mary weeping but how does he find Peter, John and the disciples?

Is Mary the only one being controlled by her emotions?  Where did Jesus find his disciples on the evening of that same day?  “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”  (John 20:19-23 ESV)  The disciples were totally controlled by fear of the Jews, and so would you and I have been.  This is not about judgment it is more of an observation; the disciples were just as emotional as Mary, but it showed up in a different form.  But when Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit on them, they had a Helper, God living inside of them, and they became fearless, they became powerful, and so can you, it’s your call.  Put this thought into your heart and mind that the same Jesus who came and breathed on them is living in you.  “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”  (Hebrews 13:8)  Now if He is the same, then is He still doing the same things today as He did then?  So it is a choice, we can choose to turn to Jesus or we can let emotions control us, choose Jesus!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice