form

“When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons.” Mark 16:9 (TNIV)

“Later he appeared, but in a different form, to two of them out walking in the countryside.” Mark 16:12 (The Message)

Jesus was doing many things in a “form” that wasn’t expected or anticipated by his 11 remaining disciples, and they were struggling to hear, accept and believe any of it as a result.

For 3 years, these 11 men had been the cool guys, the ones whom Jesus has called especially to be his disciples, his go-to men. Were they now to believe that if Jesus had arisen from the dead, that he would appear to a woman and two followers who were insignificant enough to remain unnamed before he would appear to them? After all, they were the guys! How could Jesus treat other mere followers in the same manner as them, let alone give them precedence? Their stories of experiencing Jesus alive again couldn’t possibly be valid—the 11 were Jesus’ leaders; certainly Jesus would always appear to them first! Not to mention the question of Jesus appearing “in a different form” to the two country yokels. What, on earth, was that all about? Really!

What, indeed! How intriguing! How many different and varied forms does Jesus appear to people in – in the past, the present, and the future? When he speaks to us through a “different form”, do we recognize it as him, hearing and receiving his message just the same? Do we pay attention and listen, or do we quickly disregard it because it doesn’t look or sound as we know Jesus to look and sound like?  Are we open to recognizing and receiving what Jesus is saying to us through art, nature, cinema, circumstances, social atmosphere, novels, animals, technology, etc.? Do we recognize and receive what Jesus is saying to us through our fellow human beings, especially those who are different from us in some way (gender, age, nationality, culture, language, religion, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, education, temperament, occupation, etc.)? How about when Jesus’ actions go outside of the “normal way of conducting the business of life”? Do we cling to our attitudes, opinions, customs and chains of command, or do we receive and embrace a new way to live and be?

Apparently, Jesus can and does take many forms in his effort to inspire and encourage all of humanity. Apparently, those forms are frequently not what we can imagine, expect or anticipate. We humans are creatures of habit, and we frequently resist letting go of our attitudes and understandings, don’t we? I wonder if that’s why Jesus comes to us in different forms—to assist us in letting go of our own ways and receiving his?