Let Me Tell You a Story

Jesus Lives in Us

Years ago a small monastery was nestled in the mountains of France. Once it had been the center of inspiration for pilgrims and seekers yearning for God. People came from all over Europe to discover God in the monastery. But then the monastery changed. It became proud. The brothers took themselves too seriously. In-stead of being truly humble, they became proud of their humility. So began their decline. Fewer and fewer pilgrims sought their wisdom, and few monks joined their ranks. The brothers became rigid. They worshiped their past. They were spiritually dead and physically dying. In another generation all the monks would be dead, and the monastery would die with them.

One day a scraggly stranger came to the door. He smiled a toothless smile and asked for a place to rest for the night. He was invited in. The monks thoroughly enjoyed his presence at dinner and sensed a spiritual depth in him, though he was outwardly rough and smelly.

The next morning, as he was leaving, the stranger thanked the abbot profusely. Taking the abbot’s hand, he leaned forward and said in a soft whisper, “I need to tell you a secret, one that God has given me permission to tell you. Christ is here in your midst. The Messiah is masquerading as one of your brothers.” The abbot was shocked: “The Messiah? Here? In this place? No, it isn’t possible!”

He told the other brothers what the stranger had said. They also couldn’t believe it. Then they began to think: Could it be Brother Joseph? No, he’s much too strange. Is it Brother Bernard? No, he’s too clumsy. No matter which monk they thought of, they couldn’t imagine that brother being the Messiah. Still, what if the stranger was right? What if Christ is Brother John and he is just pretending to be strange? What if Christ is Brother Bernard, and just pretending to be clumsy? So they started treating one another as though each was possibly Christ, lest Christ be revealed in one of them. As they did, the monastery changed. The monks began to focus more passionately on God during worship. They read Scripture with renewed fervor. Their prayers took on a new life. So did their teaching and service. And people noticed. Soon pilgrims and seekers came to their door to learn from their wisdom. New monks joined their ranks to learn the spiritual secrets. They became alive once again, and once again the monastery became a center of spiritual life for all of Europe. They became alive to Christ.

Christ is here in our midst. He’s not masquerading as any one of us. He lives in each and every one of us. That’s the promise and the power of the resurrection. Jesus didn’t just die and rise 2000 years ago and ascend into heaven 40 days later. On Pentecost, God sent His Holy Spirit to live in all His followers. And so He lives in each of us. The eyes you see in your neighbor are the eyes of Jesus. The hand you touch in comfort or joy is the hand of our Lord. The tears you wipe from the grieving or the overwhelmed are the tears of our Savior.

Christ is here in our midst. He lives in you. Thanks be to God.

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Sue Beadle