Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. Luke 24:45 (NIV)
Imagine standing by the edge of a river you have to cross. There is a strong branch within your reach, and all you have to do is grab it tightly, and swing over to the other side. The problem is you have a deep wound in your hand. To swing to safety, you must risk being hurt again.
This is a picture of where the disciples were. They wanted to see Jesus again more than anything else. And there He was, standing right in front of them. But they wanted it to be true so badly that they were scared to believe.
Maybe the pain you have experienced in life makes the gospel seem too good to be true. You listen to the gospel message just like you listen to commercials—with skepticism and great caution. The joy of the gospel remains beyond your grasp, because your wounded hands are too tender to grab hold of it.
What can you do about it? Go ahead and search the story and you’ll find that the disciples did nothing. But Jesus did something. He did something to get them past their hurt and bring them into the joy of believing. He opened their minds so they could understand the Bible.
They had the Old Testament, and they understood many things about it. They knew the Ten Commandments, the Psalms, and the Prophets, but they did not really understand what the Bible was all about.
The courage to believe is the gift of God. You can’t force it, but you can ask Him for it. You can listen to the words of Jesus and you can say to God, “Open my eyes, help me to believe.”
If the gospel has been beyond your reach because of your wounds, ask God to put you in a position where you can say, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.”
