This past Sunday our Pastor gave a sermon that has stayed with me. He recounted the story told in John 21:1-19 where after His resurrection Jesus appeared by the Sea of Galilee…the third time He appeared to the disciples after He was raised from the dead. They didn’t recognize Him. The story was so similar to when Simon (Peter) was first called, even fishing through the night with no catch; being told where to let down the net and the net overflowing with fish. This time, Jesus actually had fish cooking in the fire on the beach and bread to feed them when He told them to come up and have breakfast. They finally recognized Him but it got me thinking. They weren’t expecting Him.

The two believers in Luke 24:13-32 walking toward a village called Emmaus after Jesus’ crucifixion also didn’t recognize Him because they were talking about everything that had happened. Jesus had been crucified and was now dead. Their hearts were hurting but after walking and talking with Jesus (not realizing it was Him), eating a meal with Him, their hearts burned within them as He talked with them on the road and at the table as He opened the Scriptures to them. As soon as they recognized Him, He disappeared. Mary Magdalene didn’t recognize Him in the garden outside the opened tomb. No one was expecting Him in the way they thought life would happen…how could they? Nothing had prepared them for that possibility.

Would you recognize Jesus if he sat down with you at an outside patio table at your favorite restaurant? How about at the lunch table at work or school? How about at Church or Synagogue, or Temple? Or possibly walking along the beach watching the waves rush in and back out while watching fishing vessels heading out to catch fish? We wouldn’t possibly expect that, would we?

A question to be asked in that vein is do our expectations of who Jesus is and what He would do help or prevent us from seeing Him? If we have a predetermined idea of who Jesus was and how He would act would that prevent us from recognizing Him should He decide to walk beside us?

The Pharisees of Jesus’ day did not recognize the Messiah even though He was standing there and engaging in scripture with them. They couldn’t see beyond their own idea of what the Messiah would do. Their own idea.

This morning as I was praying and listening to my breath going in and out…listening to my heartbeat, I was also aware in those minutes of quiet, of feeling as though I was going deep….almost like I was on an elevator within myself going down. I didn’t think too much about that because I was waiting to hear from God so I could write down His thoughts. Patiently waiting while “descending an elevator”.

I recently started reading a new book, The Art of Spiritual Listening by Alice Fryling. In the very 1st Chapter, in John 4:4-24 is the account of Jesus visiting the well and the Samaritan woman there drawing water in the heat of the day. Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” verse 10. “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” verse 13-14.

If you knew the gift of God…a spring of water welling up to eternal life…

I read that and I couldn’t help but reflect back to the feeling of descending down into myself in an elevator. I think God was helping me to realize He goes deep. He goes deep within us so that there is room for a gift welling up to eternal life. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth. John 4:23-24.

I pray I will always be open to listening to God because He knows what He is doing and He will lead us into His truth. His truth…not ours…the gift of God welling up to eternal life. How I pray I will greet Him with a huge smile and a welcome of loving arms to embrace Him and gratefulness for all He does and is.