Crossing Paths
He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambsin his arms and carries them close to his heart. Isaiah 40:11 NIV
I was passing through the town my in-laws live in anddecided to call to see if they would like to meet for dinner. We discussedwhich restaurant to meet at and hung up. I arrived about twenty minutes laterbut did not find them at the restaurant. I agreed to go ahead and be seated,knowing they would soon arrive to meet me. The clock kept ticking, but theydidn’t arrive. I began to panic thinking something might have happened. Fearset in. Then I wondered if I was in the wrong place. I tried to call their cellphone, but no answer. I called my husband to see if he had heard from them, buthe hadn’t. Finally, I went ahead and ate dinner alone, still wondering ifsomething terrible had happened or if I had just been the victim ofmiscommunication. I later found out we were just a few minutes apart at twodifferent restaurants. We had agreed upon which restaurant to meet, but on theway, wires got crossed and we ended up in two different places. They didn’tcome meet me, because I was in the wrong place.
I thought about this incident recently as I was readingthrough Matthew 28. The two Mary’s had just left the empty tomb where an angelinformed them Christ had risen. The angel also told them to pass along amessage to the disciples – “go quickly and tell his disciples, He hasrisen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will seeHim.” Matthew 28:7 Ontheir way, Jesus Himself met the women and also instructed them to tell thedisciples to go to Galilee where they would see Him. The interesting thing isbefore Jesus was crucified He had told the disciples after He had risen Hewould go ahead of them into Galilee (Mark 14:28). Don’t you think if theybelieved Christ was going to rise from the dead, they would have been inGalilee waiting?
So just where were the disciples after Jesus had risen? Theywere in Jerusalem behind locked doors for fear of the religious leaders. Theywere not in Galilee where He had instructed them to go. But unlike my storywhere I ended up eating alone because my parents didn’t know where to meet me,Christ met them where they were, even though they were in the wrong place. Hemet them behind the locked doors in Jerusalem first (Luke 24:36). Then he met them in Galilee later (John21).
What’s my point – even when we don’t follow Christ’s instructionsand go where He sends us; even when we are paralyzed, unable to act because offear; even when we are in the wrong place, maybe even out of God’s will –Christ still comes to meet us. When we are lost, He finds us, and then gentlyleads us where He wants us to go.
