Something In The Air

As Easter came and went this year, I’ve been wondering: did the resurrected Jesus ever miss his life before? 

Did he miss being the small town carpenter, followed by no one? Did he wish he could relive the very beginning of his ministry, assembling his team of ragtag disciples? Or from a different angle - did he ever resent the moments when Judas betrayed him or Peter denied him?

I mean, on one hand, why would he? Perhaps while on the cross, he wished he could return to the simple days, but on the other side of death? What would he have to resent when he’s already been proven victorious and made new? What would there be to miss about confinement to human nature?

I don't know. 

But, if for some reason he did, I think that he would :)

That may have been a circular statement, but think about it.

We can be scared of emotions. Sadness, regret, and grief are just a few examples of the uncomfortable feelings we may avoid. 

{To illustrate this, I came up with a little exercise for you to try :). It's a mad lib; see what you come up with as you finish the sentence}

*If I am feeling sad, then I will ___.*

..

^ What did you say? 

Watch TV? Call my mom? Talk to a counselor? Get some work done? Go on a run? Eat? Sleep? Read? Join a rock band? Jump on the moon?

Why? 

Playfully or not, it's as if we believe uncomfortable emotions are inherently wrong, like a problem that should be fixed. 

Imagine if I had written, “If I feel happy, then I will ____.”   

In this latter example, I find myself wanting more context. Without it, the first half and the second half of my sentence may have nothing to do with each other - there’s no correlation or causation. 

So, if feeling happy doesn't inform a specific action plan in response to the emotion, why would sadness? 

For me, usually, there's a fear-association that inhibits my emotional expression. I worry subconsciously that if I allow myself to feel anger, I may become anger itself! If I truly explore my feelings of bitterness, I may never love or laugh again!

Ha! 

I don’t think Jesus felt threatened by uncomfortable emotions. He knew his resurrected body was not going to revert into a baby boy any more than a child could return to his mother’s womb. He would never get to be a no-name carpenter again. And he would never have to suffer on a cross again. He was living a new life. One that was better. The “old him” was dead. The new him was alive. He was secure. 

Why would he feel sad? I don’t know.

But why wouldn’t he? He had nothing to lose.