Many of them were fishermen. One a zealot, one a tax collector. Mostly from Capernaum in Galilee. Their accent gave them away. What good could come out of Galilee? “Just country bumpkins,” we might say.

But these willing disciples left their work and faithfully followed their master for three years, traveling the length of Israel with him, watching the miraculous healings, and listening to his teachings, not to mention going two by two themselves to do these things.

So why do we find them hiding out in the upper room on the day their master is crucified? (Except for John, and “sort of” Peter.) Why do they not believe when the women say, “He has risen” or Mary Magdelene says she has seen him alive, or the two from Emmaus say they walked with him? We talked last time that it was because of fear. Fear of the unknown.

Fear can affect our judgment, our reasoning, our stress. What’s going to happen to us with him gone? Will we be hunted down like him? Will we be crucified as well? Maybe it was that kind of fear.

Or the disciples may have felt they had disappointed him because they ran away and hid, that only one showed up at the cross to stand by him, or that they hadn’t accept his warnings of what was to happen.

Confusion, guilt, and fright can bring such angst and fear that leaves us confused and unsettled. Isn’t it just like Jesus, then, to come with what they needed most—peace. “Peace be with you,” he said.

Long ago, I could have pulled out any number of those distressful, fearful feelings to describe our emotions over our wayward teenager. We’re talking years, not days. What a blessed afternoon when he came in, tears in his eyes, humbled to the core. In essence, he had found the Lord. In the midst of his rebellion and our nightmare, the Lord brought peace.

Thirteen years ago when my husband had prostate cancer, we flew to another city for surgery. The word “cancer” always brings on fear. Three days later he was released. The doctor shared that he felt like they got all of the cancer, no stray cells in the lymph nodes around it. Then the doctor revealed that the cancer had been a fast-growing kind. Gratefully, God had led us to act quickly. Our fear and anxiety released into peace and gratitude.

We all have our stories of anxiety and fear. For the disciples, Jesus stepped into the room and said, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19) And look what happened to those disciples. They experienced the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and faithfully went into all the world proclaiming the good news of the gospel.

Pretty good for some Galiean country bumpkins!

~ Joyce ~