Too Good to be True?

Then go quickly and tell his disciples : "He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee.There you will see him." -Matthew 28:7 (NIV)

Last week, I received an email claiming to be from State Farm Insurance. The email said that I had been randomly chosen as a State Farm customer to conduct an online survey. As an incentive to participate, the email promised a $10 gift card from www.amazon.com.

My first thought was that the email was a scam. When Subway Restaurant asks you to complete an online survey, all they offer you is a free cookie. When Walmart asks you to complete an online survey, you waste twenty minutes of your life to be entered for a chance to win some money (I've never won). But a $10 gift card from Amazon? That's enough for a free book or CD download! It sounded too good to be true.

I emailed my State Farm agent to see if the email was legit. I later learned that it was legit and I am now checking the mail each day for the arrival of my free gift card for participating in the survey. Although it sounded too good to be true, it wasn't!

In today's suggested scripture reading, Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" return to the tomb where Jesus has been buried. An angel comes and rolls away the stone that has been blocking the entrance to the tomb. The guards witness this miraculous event and shake with fear. The angel informs the women that Jesus has been raised from the dead and that they are to go tell the disciples that Jesus will meet them in Galilee.

Perhaps God realizes that, when the women tell the other disciples what they have witnessed, the disciples will be tempted to doubt and conclude that the message is too good to be true. Perhaps that's why Jesus himself also graces the women with his post-resurrection presence. Yet after hearing the testimony of the women and even after the disciples themselves have a personal encounter with the risen Christ, the scriptures says they worship him...but some doubt (Matthew 28:16).

You too may have doubts about the resurrection or about faith. It may seem as if it's too good to be true. I would suggest to you that such doubts are not unusual. Even his closest disciples who walked alongside him everyday for three years had doubts. And yet it was to these doubting disciples that the Great Commission is entrusted: go and make disciples. Along with this Great Commission is a great promise: Jesus is with you always.

It may sound too good to be true...but it's not.

May God grant you the grace, even in the midst of doubt, to hear Christ's commission and Christ's promise for your life today.




Tomorrow's Reading: Mark 1

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