By Jeff Cranston

Life, just like a painting, has a foreground and a background. In the foreground of life are the things that are right in front of us—the things that are seen and are easy to focus on. In the background of life are the invisible, unseen, spiritual realities that are behind us and beyond us.

In our foreground right now is the coronavirus. In our foreground right now are the frightening possibilities coming from the news reports that we hear about every day. In our foreground right now are food, and toilet paper, and masks, and work, and lack of work, and our finances, and home-schooling, and the possibility of getting the virus.

But! I want to remind you: It’s only the foreground! Jesus recognizes both the foreground and the background of life. He’s not dismissive of the foreground of your immediate cares and needs, but He wants you to see that it’s not the whole picture. He wants you to see your needs in light of the colorful, dynamic background of God’s Fatherly character and kingdom. And it’s in the light of that background, that Jesus teaches us and reminds us of a few things.

Read Luke 24:36-49. In this passage, we find Jesus appearing to the bewildered disciples on Easter evening—the evening of His resurrection. The disciples are scared, hiding from people who weren’t looking for them, and wondering what in the world is going on. And here’s what we see:

1. Trusting in Jesus brings peace, even in suffering.

The first thing Jesus said to His disciples was, “peace be with you.” And then He assured them of His identity by showing them His scars. Why did He do that? First, to identify Himself. It was the nail prints that showed an unbelieving Thomas and other disciples not only the reality of His resurrection but the depth of the love of Jesus for us all. And the second reason He showed his scars was to identify with us.

Life is painful. So often, we find ourselves tempted to think we can’t stand it any longer or handle it anymore. But then we hear Jesus say, “When you think you can’t stand anymore, look at my hands and feet and be reminded that I understand.”

2. Trusting in Jesus brings peace, not fear.

Jesus is offering peace to a group of men who are panicked and terrified—just like some of you may be right now. John’s Gospel tells us the disciples were hiding behind locked doors because they were so frightened. In the face of all of this, Jesus offered His disciples (and us!) real and lasting peace.

The Bible’s understanding of peace is based on the Old Testament word “Shalom.” Shalom isn’t just the absence of conflict; it’s also the presence of blessing. It is wholeness, virtue and flourishing throughout all of life. Shalom is the opposite of hiding behind locked windows and doors. What door are you hiding behind? What key have you thrown away because life has just become too much? It’s too scary. It’s too hard. Today, Jesus wants to appear to you behind your locked door. He wants to show up with the power of His resurrection—with shalom, with peace.

3. Trusting in Jesus brings peace, not doubt.

In Luke 24:38, Jesus asks the disciples, “Why are you troubled and why do doubts arise in your hearts?” First of all, the disciples think they are seeing a ghost. That’s already a decent reason for them to be frightened. And even with Jesus standing there in front of them, they still don’t believe.

To prove He’s not a ghost, Jesus asks, “Do you have anything to eat?” A simple request, something concrete they can do for Him. The disciples find Him a piece of broiled fish, and He eats it. In doing so, Jesus offers them further proof that He’s alive—that His resurrection was a physical resurrection.

What is Jesus asking you to do? In the midst of what you’re experiencing right now—the fright, the questioning, the doubt—there are still things Jesus is calling you to: Feed someone who is hungry. Welcome a stranger. Look after someone who is sick. Visit a prisoner. Pray for one another. Pray for your enemies. Stand with the powerless. Speak out against injustice. Practice hospitality. Practice compassion. Practice generosity. 

Watching for opportunities to do the basic things God commands you to do in Scripture can help you become fearless, even in the face of all the unsettling news in the world.  You will be able to put one foot in front of the other and keep going because you know there is Someone greater than your fear.

Sure, the present-day foreground of life’s picture is kind of scary. But the background of that very same picture reminds us that: You can trust Jesus with your life because showing up when you’re frightened is one of the things our Lord does best.

Jeff Cranston is the lead pastor of LowCountry Community Church in Bluffton, South Carolina.

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