They Didn't Get It

I read through all of the accounts of the Resurrection last night before I went to bed. While I've heard them all before, something that really surprised me was that nobody really "got it" right away.


They didn't get it. When Jesus wasn't in His tomb, Mary, Mary Magdalene, and the others didn't get it. 


Though Jesus had told them He would rise again in three days, they didn't get it. 


Even when the angel appeared- they didn't get it. They were alarmed and afraid.


Even after Jesus showed Himself, it still took them a bit before they "got it"- they were trembling and afraid. Because they didn't get it.


I got this story in an e-mail forward today, and it brought tears to my eyes- it's rather lengthy, but WELL worth the few minutes it takes to read it:

Jeremy was born with a twisted body and a slow mind. At the age of 12 he was still in second grade, seemingly unable to learn. His teacher, Doris Miller, often became exasperated with him. He would squirm in his seat, drool, and make grunting noises. At other times, he spoke clearly and distinctly, as if a spot of light had penetrated the darkness of his brain. Most of the time,  however, Jeremy just irritated his teacher.

One day she called his parents and asked them to come in for consultation. As the Forresters entered the empty classroom, Doris said to them, "Jeremy really belongs in a special school. It isn't fair to him to be with younger children who don't have learning problems. Why, there is a five year gap between his age and that of the other students." Mrs. Forrester cried softly into a tissue, while her husband spoke. "Miss Miller," he said, "there is no school of that kind nearby. It would be a terrible shock for Jeremy if we had to take him out of this school. We know he really likes it here." Doris sat for a long time after they had left, staring at the snow outside the window. Its coldness seemed to seep into her soul. She wanted to sympathize with the Forresters. After all, their only child had a terminal illness. But it wasn't fair to keep him in her class. She had 18 other youngsters to teach, and Jeremy was a distraction. Furthermore, he would never learn to read and write. Why waste any more time trying?

 As she pondered the situation, guilt washed over her. Here I am complaining when my problems are nothing compared to that poor family, she thought.
Lord, please help me to be more patient with Jeremy. From that day on, she tried hard to ignore Jeremy's noises and his blank stares.

 Spring came, and the children talked excitedly about the coming of Easter. Doris told them the story of Jesus, and then to emphasize the idea of new life springing forth, she gave each of the children a large plastic egg. "Now," she said to them, "I want you to take this home and bring it back tomorrow with something inside that shows new life. Do you understand?"

 "Yes, Miss Miller," the children responded enthusiastically - all except for Jeremy. He listened intently; his eyes never left her face. He did not even make his usual noises. Had he understood what she had said about Jesus' death and resurrection? Did he understand the assignment? Perhaps she should call his parents and explain the project to them. That evening, Doris' kitchen sink stopped up. She called the landlord and waited an hour for him to come by and unclog it. After that, she still had to shop for groceries, iron a blouse, and prepare a vocabulary test for the next day. She completely forgot about phoning Jeremy's parents. The next morning, 19 children came to school, laughing and talking as they placed their eggs in the large wicker basket on Miss Miller's desk. After they completed their math lesson, it was time to open the eggs. In the first egg, there was a flower. "Oh yes, a flower is certainly a sign of new life," she said. "When plants peek through the ground, we know that spring is here." A small girl in the first row waved her arm. "That's my egg, Miss Miller," she called out. The next egg contained a plastic butterfly, which looked very real. Doris held it up. "We all know that a caterpillar changes and grows into a beautiful butterfly. Yes, that's new life, too." Little Judy smiled proudly and said, "Miss Miller, that one is mine." Next, Doris found a rock with moss on it. She explained that moss, too, showed life. Billy spoke up from the back of the classroom, "My daddy helped me," he  beamed.

 Then she opened the fourth egg. She gasped. The egg was empty. Surely it must be Jeremy's she thought, and of course, he did not understand her instructions. If only she had not forgotten to phone his parents. Because she did not want to embarrass him, she quietly set the egg aside and reached for another. Suddenly, Jeremy spoke up. "Miss Miller, aren't you going to talk about my egg?" Flustered, she replied, "But Jeremy, your egg is empty." He looked into her eyes and said softly, "Yes, but Jesus' tomb was empty, too."

 Time stopped. When she could speak again, she asked him, "Do you know why  the tomb was empty?" "Oh, yes," Jeremy said, "Jesus was killed and put in  there. Then His Father raised Him up." The recess bell rang. While the children excitedly ran out to the school yard, she cried. The cold inside her melted completely away.

Three months later, Jeremy died. 

Those who paid their respects at the mortuary were surprised to see 19 eggs on top of his casket, all of them empty.

Jeremy GOT IT! He understood! - That is what life is all about!

And the 19 eggs on the casket- they GOT IT too! Jesus is risen, and that is all that matters!

We as Christians- we get it! We know that our Savior is King eternal and has triumphed over sin, death, and devil. We get it! 

But... We still have our doubts. Sometimes, like Mary and those at the tomb that Easter morning, we don't get it. We forget that our problems always have a solution- take to the Lord in prayer and trust in our resurrected Lord. 

Sometimes we feel defeated. Worn down. Worn out. Tired. Sad. Angry. Frustrated. We don't get it.

Sometimes, like Mary and Mary Magdalene, we are alarmed and afraid, and we tremble with fear. We don't get it.

But we have a risen Savior who says, "Do not be afraid." (Matthew 28:10). The Savior that proclaimed that nearly 2000 years ago, says the same to you. "Do not be afraid." 

Because of those words, during the times when you don't get it, you can be confident that Christ has conquered. Christ has triumphed. Every pain, every hardship in your life- Christ has conquered. 

The next time I feel a relapse, the next time I am grumbling because my fractured foot hurts, the next time I feel low because of persecution, the next time I am hurt, the next time I want to sit down and cry, my prayer is that I will "get it". Like Jeremy, I hope I "get it".

Blessings-

-It was hard for me to come back to school. To face yet again the workload, the environment, those who persecute me. it took every ounce of determination I had to come back. But I did it. A victory. 

- "I understand perfectly how you feel about coming back. You should feel proud that you conquered those feelings. We can be our own worst enemies. Don't let anyone ruin your destiny, and that is to finish your degree."

-AND, I got to pick up a close friend I haven't seen in way toooo long and take her back to school! It made a crummy trip back not so crummy! 

-One last chance to sleep in and catch up on sleep!

-Hugs good-bye

-The fact that I "get it!"