“Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
John 20:17
People have a tendency to cling to what is comfortable. We cling to what is safe, what is secure, what we know to be reliable and true. We don’t like to let go of those things. We don’t like to face the unknown when we could have something safe and comfortable instead.
I believe this is how Jesus’ followers felt when he was first raised from the dead. I think they were probably very scared in the few days between his death and resurrection. They were probably very confused, lost even. When he returned, they must have been so relieved to see their teacher, their rabbi, their Lord. They must have felt so comforted seeing him again. Jesus, however, did not want or intend for them to simply cling to him. He wanted them to go and tell the world. He wanted them to step away from what was certainly felt like the most comfortable and the safest and most secure place to be, with him, and go instead into the world to share the good news.
I think that sometimes we hold on to Jesus the way the apostles did. I think that we’re tempted many times just to cling to the safety and comfort of knowing the gospel, the assurance of salvation, rather than to go into the world to share it. Evangelism is hard. Sharing the gospel can be very scary. Rejection is likely. Sometimes we may even face persecution. It’s not comfortable. But still, Jesus tells us, “Do not hold on to me.”
Do you tend to stay in your comfort zone? Do you keep your faith in the confines of your church, your community of believers, or yourself? Do you step out of the security of simply knowing the gospel and into the uncharted territory of actually sharing the gospel? If not, Jesus is calling you to. He won’t ever be far away, but to do the work he has set out for you to do, you have to be willing to leave the safe and comfortable and step into the unknown.
Prayer:
Father,
Give me the boldness and the courage to step out of the safety of simply knowing the gospel and into the real-world of sharing the gospel. It’s not always easy, and at times it’s tempting to simply hold on to you and never step out on my own, but I pray that you will empower me. Be with us always and help us never to feel alone, because we know that you are always with us, even as we step into new territories in faith.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
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