Daily Verse: Luke 24:42-43

They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.

The text above is pulled from the time when Jesus revealed himself to the disciples after he had risen from the dead. He stood before them in the flesh, showing them the holes in his hands and feet, yet the disciples still had trouble grasping what they were seeing. They thought the man standing before them was a ghost, an apparition, a vision…not the true Savior, risen from the dead, restored to life (v37). So Jesus takes the evidence a bit further…and in such a clever way…he eats a piece of bread, showing the disciples that he is in fact a real, functioning human form…not some spirit, ghost, or figment of the imagination. By doing this, Jesus seems to reveal his compassion and understanding for man. He understands that we are weak and limited in our faith and often times need multiple signs to believe and follow. So he shows the disciples that he is in fact capable of eating like a normal human being. Pretty solid evidence that he is indeed alive! And he provides this evidence in such a gentle manner…by simply asking for a piece of bread (v41) and eating it. He could have chastised them for being so weak in their faith…after all, he WAS standing right there in front of them! But Jesus is not about back-handing us when we are feeble in our faith. He is all about loving us, aware of our shortcomings and weaknesses, and gently helping us see him and understand his way. As repeatedly sinful creatures, we deserve a vengeful, angry, and unforgiving God. But through Christ, we instead receive love, forgiveness, and mercy. What a blessed people we are! To God be the glory!