REFLECTION: Worshipping Hearts

Seen at the end of Luke’s Gospel…..

“And they worshipped Him,” (Lk.24:52 KJV).

Could they do otherwise? They had witnessed a life beyond compare. Before their very eyes He had taken fish and bread and with a limited supply had fed and satisfied a hungry multitude. They had been with Him when He calmed the storm with His authoritative command, “Peace, be still!”  In amazement they had watched as sick people were healed, the blind were given their sight, the lame were made to walk – and even the dead had been raised.

He had been taken by wicked hands and nailed to a cross but had never uttered a word of protest. Instead, His prayer had been, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Lk.23:34).  Three hours of intense darkness had been experienced as He hung upon the cross, a sacrifice for sin. They had visited the place where His wounded body had been tenderly laid to rest. His death had seemed so unjust.

Then the unbelievable had happened. He appeared to them – alive again. They saw the wounds in His hands and in His feet and heard His words of reassurance, “Peace be unto you.” (Lk.24:36). They knew without contradiction that He was indeed alive. 

The scene was now Bethany. On the hillside He had lifted up those nail-scarred hands and had blessed them. They watched with wonder as He was parted from them and carried up into heaven before their very eyes – and they worshipped Him. The paradox is this: He had left them, and yet He was still with them. Although He had gone to the Father’s right hand, they knew His promise that He would be with them for ever.

“And they worshipped Him,” (Luke 24:52). Can we do otherwise? He is our Saviour, our Lord, and our God. As we consider His sinless life and His atoning death in the sinner’s place we love Him too. We rejoice in His mighty victory over sin and death. For a while He has been parted from us, but still we remember Him as we share the bread and the wine – the memorials of His passion. Like the disciples of old we worship Him too, until He comes again to take us to our heavenly home. There we will worship our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, throughout eternity.