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Jan 15, 2024 18:30pm

I Wonder…

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I wonder…

I find myself saying that a lot as I read. I like historical fiction, especially around the civil war or the Golden Age as trains were first introduced as a mode of transportation. I think about how far we’ve come as a nation in such a short time and as I look at us today, how far we’ve fallen.

I ask questions as I read. Not necessarily ones that can be answered, but my mind starts churning its little gears and more and more questions arise. As I ponder these thoughts, images start to take shape and I see a better picture of the characters and the storyline. They become more like actual people than just a character on the page.

I remember watching a movie in History class with Mr. Ward. It was about World War 2 (if I remember correctly) and we were seeing the story unfold from the soldiers’ viewpoint. Each character on screen became real to us as we learned about who they were fighting for – a brother, a wife, a mom and dad, their country. We were cheering for them as they planned an attack and it worked. These were our men and we were proud of them for answering the call to war.

But then the truth was revealed. And it left us in shock and uncertain.

The team we were actually rooting for turned out to be the German army.

Before, they had been the enemy and nothing more. But now, they were real people. People we had learned about and felt like we really knew them.

It was eye opening to say the least. Questions began to whirl through my mind. How did our soldiers feel as they entered that battle? What went through their mind as they faced them, when they came eye to eye with a German soldier? How terrified were they as they thought about this other person? And the Germans, did they really know who or what they were fighting for? Did they realize the wrongs that were being committed and how evil their leader was?

Thought provoking to say the least.

Luke 22:49-51

“When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.”

A multitude has come to take Jesus away. The characters are revealed little by little. Jesus and His disciples on one side and Judas, the religious leaders and the Roman guards on the other. But one other is mentioned – the servant of the high priest.

Let’s stop for a minute and think about him. He is the servant to the high priest. Peter draws a sword and severs his ear. Immediately, the man who he has come to see arrested and killed, reaches out His hand to touch where his ear had been and the pain was gone. His ear was healed.

What was he thinking? He’s been in conversations, meetings, planning sessions for months now all to take down this so called blasphemer.

I can imagine his thoughts – “Wasn’t Jesus the enemy? If He was, why did He just heal my ear? Who is this man?”

It’s impossible to have an encounter with Christ and not be affected. I’m sure he had a story to tell.

All I can do is imagine what must have been going through this man’s mind as he witnessed the trial, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Did he always remain an enemy of Jesus, or did that one touch from Christ change his life?

I know it did mine.

Through the course of my life, I knew who Jesus was, I knew of His miracles, and I believed He was the Son of God. But it took me years to realize I needed to surrender my life, my will, my all to Him. Those years in between may have seemed like a waste, but all the time, He was working on me. And He’s still not finished yet.

Have you met Jesus? How did that change you? Have you professed that to the world?

We all have a story to share, will you tell yours?