Healing Rays of Righteousness

Joyously Pondering Easter

Today is the Wednesday after Easter Sunday, when we celebrated the glorious truth that the story of Jesus did not end with his death; that Jesus’ resurrection from the grave of crucifixion death confirmed his triumphant victory over Satan and death; and that his glorious resurrection confirmed his promise to us of an eternal new day and new life. Hallelujah! Praise be to God!

And as in previous years, “Holy week” seemed to come and go so quickly. Reflecting on my “now what” feeling, I wonder if I am being motivated to enter into Christ’s glorious resurrection event more fully for the purpose of gaining a greater appreciation for its impact on my life.

In reading all four Gospel accounts of Jesus’ resurrection, it seems that none of the disciples were on board with Jesus and prepared to understand and joyously celebrate their Lord’s resurrection from the dead. Instead, they were overtaken by surprise, fear, and doubt.

The story tells of women bringing spices to anoint Jesus’ dead body. On the way, they wonder who will roll the stone away for them and then are perplexed to find the stone rolled away and the body gone. They do not know what to make of the empty tomb and neatly folded grave clothes. Standing there perplexed, a voice from behind them asks, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” (Lk. 24:5), and “Trembling and bewildered, they fled from the tomb.” (Mk. 16:8), to go and tell all the other disciples what had happened to them. They were not anticipating and prepared to joyously celebrate Easter.

John tells us that even after seeing the empty tomb, the disciples “still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.” (Jn. 20:9). John also tells us that Mary Magdalene weeps with grief while the resurrected Lord stands nearby. (Jn. 20:11-18). They were not anticipating and prepared to joyously celebrate Easter.

I believe all four Gospel writers would have us understand that Easter joy is real, even for those not prepared for it. Easter is for Peter, too paralyzed by guilt and fear to take it all in. Easter is for Philip, who because of doubt finds it hard to believe without concrete evidence. Easter is for John, who believes in Jesus’ resurrection but needs time to process what difference it makes. Easter is for Mary, blinded by tearful grief, mourning her loss, while her Lord stands behind her.

Yes, prepared or not, Easter’s celebration is for each one of us. Our retail culture does not give us much time to joyously ponder Easter’s glorious life-changing event. Much like an impatient waiter whisking our plate away before we are finished eating, our culture tries to quickly move us on from Easter’s life-changing truths and joyous praise.

But I remind myself and you, that we still have the fifty days of the Easter season remaining until Pentecost; a time for us to linger by the empty tomb in thought and wonder. Days to weep. Days to pray. Days to ponder. Days to rejoice and give witness to the Lord, who stands behind us, healing our past; and before us, beckoning us to follow him into His promised future.
He is alive! Jesus Christ has conquered death. “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.!” (Rev. 1:17).

You may find these prophetic words from Isaiah 25:6-8 to be helpful meditation; “On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine – the best of meats and the finest wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations, he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.”

Because Jesus has “destroyed death” (2 Tim. 1:10; 1 Cor. 15:26), we are able to face uncertain tomorrows with singing, “Because He lives I can face tomorrow, because He lives all fear is gone; because I know He holds the future and life is worth the living – just because He lives.”

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Ray M. Geigley – “Healing Rays of Righteousness” – http://www.geigler13.wordpress.com – 4/23/25

Good Friday Darkness

On Easter morning, many Christians will joyfully sing of Christ’s glorious resurrection as though the cross and crucifixion was nothing more than a temporary inconvenience for Jesus; similar to a trip to the dentist, painful but endurable and over quickly.

In their story of Good Friday, both Mark and Luke record that “At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.” (Mk. 15:33).Jesus had hung on the cross for three hours, and then at noon darkness came over the whole land. And for three more painful hours, Jesus suffered in the dense darkness that blocked out the mid-day sun.

From the larger story, we know that this darkness was more than just a fact of the day’s appearance. It was also the description of the deep darkness of abandonment that was overwhelming Jesus’ body, soul, and spirit.

The physical torture of crucifixion, with its excruciating pain, was designed by the governing authorities to send waves of darkness and fear coursing through the victim’s body. But for Jesus there was also the painful darkness of being ridiculed, abandoned, and rejected by His own people, including His dear friends and disciples.

And added to this darkness was the deeper darkness of taking on and forgiving the world’s sin, reconciling the world to himself. It was this darkness of the world’s sin that separated him from his heavenly Father, who “is light: and in (whom) is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5).

Pause a moment and try to imagine the story. The heavens went dark and silent, covering the world in darkness, and he could not see nor hear his Father. Jesus felt utterly alone, with nobody near who could fully understand and empathize with him and his suffering? Nobody! And we hear Jesus verbalize his agony when he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  But even though Jesus felt forsaken by all, he reaffirmed his relationship with the Father by crying out “My God, my God.”

So where was God on that terrible dark Friday? Betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter, and deserted by his friends and disciples, did God also abandon him? Really? It is true that God would not stand between Jesus and sin’s darkness, holding off the painful suffering and protecting him from death, which is the judgement of sin.

However, I am convinced that God was very much there, as loving, grieving Father, silently watching and agonizing with his Son as he made the ultimate sacrifice of his life for the sins of the world. He was there expectingly waiting, and when Jesus loudly cried “Finished” and died, Father God burst forth with earth-shaking, rock-splitting, brilliant light that completely tore the Temple curtain in two from top to bottom, causing the centurion guard to testify, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” (Mk. 15:38-39).

For me, the good news of Good Friday is that the God of light is also God in the darkness. Yes, God is in the darkness of His people’s pain and suffering. No, God does not stand between us and pain, holding it off, bringing us only good news, but God does stand, sit, and even hangs with us on our cross of painful, frightening darkness. However, this comforting, encouraging truth is most often only seen in the rear-view mirror of living.

For those of us who choose not to make a quick leap from the wondrous revealing light of Palm Sunday to the glorious resurrection light of Easter, the discovery that God is very much present in the awful suffering darkness of Good Friday is most encouraging.

The Scriptures repeatedly reassure us that when we feel most alone, God is with us in the darkness. As the psalmist declares in Psalm 139 – “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? …if I make my bed in depths, you are there. …even the darkness will not be dark to you;” And again in Psalm 23 – “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”  Thank you, Jesus!

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Ray M. Geigley – “Healing Rays of Righteousness” – www.geigler13.wordpress.com – 4/16/25

“I Want to See”

During my childhood and early teen years, I could not see things that others were seeing in the distant sky or woods. And I remember asking my schoolteachers to be seated closer to the classroom blackboard in order to better see the teacher’s writing. However, I do not remember questioning my vision or complaining to my parents. But at age 16, when I excitedly went for my driver’s permit, I failed the vision exam and needed corrective glasses before receiving the permit.

I can still visualize and feel the amazement that welled up in me as my dad and I walked from the optician’s office to our car. Stepping out of the office and onto the brick sidewalk, I excitedly exclaimed that I could see the sidewalk as individual bricks. And then looking up at the trees along the street I could hardly contain my excitement in seeing the shape and beauty of the trees’ leaves.

From that moment on, with the healing help of corrective lens, I enjoyed exploring a new world of earthly beauty and magnificence. And this visual exploring, coupled with a desire to see Jesus, became   a life-long pursuit. Many are the times, both glorious and grievous, that I, like blind Bartimaeus, answered Jesus’ question, “What do you want me to do for you?” with “I want to see.”    

Corrective lenses have opened the door wide to an ever-new understanding and appreciation for the world around me. And as such, it greatly impacted my relationship with God. Every day and everywhere, my desire has been, “Jesus, I want to see more of you in my world.” Maybe that is why I so thoroughly enjoyed traveling with van and trailer across country, east-west, north-south many times during our years of marriage.

Remember, Bartimaeus is a beggar, so he could have asked for a bag of gold. He has no status in the community, so he could have asked for the respect of others. He is unemployed, so he could have asked for a job. Most likely he has made mistakes in life, so he could have asked for forgiveness. But instead, he asks for healing of eyesight.

“Go, your faith has healed you” says Jesus. And “Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.”  Instantly Bartimaeus’ blindness was healed and seeing Jesus, he quickly joins the crowd in following Jesus on the journey to Jerusalem. What else can you imagine him doing?

Bartimaeus is spontaneously enthusiastic, and in all likelihood, was one of the participants in the cheering crowd surrounding Jesus as he enters Jerusalem, shouting “”Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

We can receive the same life-changing healing of heart, mind, and spiritual insights. We can fully embrace Jesus as our most loving and powerful Messiah King. And we can follow him with re-energized courage and confidence, as our most trustworthy Savior. And the first step toward that reality is in answering Jesus’ question, “What do you want me to do for you?” with “Lord Jesus, I want to see you.”

If we ask, Jesus will heal our eyes, allowing us to see the chaotic world as he sees it. He daily calls us to walk with him in loving and caring for the world with the grand vision of building God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Amen!

The song-writer, Bob Dylan asks some hard questions that call for a prayerful “I want to see” response.

Blowing in the Wind

“How many times must a man look up, before he sees the sky?

Yes, and how many ears must one man have, before he can hear people cry?

Yes, and how many times can a man turn his head, and pretend that he just doesn’t see?

The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind, the answer is blowing in the wind.”

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Ray M. Geigley – “Healing Rays of Righteousness” – www.geigler13.wordpress.com – 4/10/25

Helping Another to Cry

It is wonderful to hear stories of answered prayers for successful surgery, cancer cured, health restored, protection and safety in dangerous storms or threatening violence. I rejoice with all recipients of answered prayer and gratefully praise God for his intervention and help.

But there are times when sincere and fervent prayers are not answered as we would desire, and our life is painfully shattered with grievous loss of spouse or child, and our future is emptied of dreams and expectations. We weep, we groan, and we cry out “O God, why?” 

There are many psalms that ask this same question. Psalm 10:1 – Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? Psalm 22:1 – My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? Yes, we may be crying out “Why, God” but we really want to know “Where are you, God.”

Feeling alone, unloved, and forsaken by God, we wish for someone to sit and cry with us. But feeling shameful because of our tears, we are reluctant to ask someone to just sit with us. But when someone does take the time to sit and cry with us, they become to us God’s heart and hands of caring love in human flesh and presence.

During these days of Lenten self-reflections, I am hearing God’s reprimands for not responding to the cries of others as he would want me to do. Even though I have appropriately done so many times during my chaplaincy ministry, God is reminding me of the more recent times that I have excused myself as being too busy or being already burdened with my own crying heart, I did not want to give compassionate attention to the cry of another.

But God keeps reminding me that helping each other to cry is his intended primary role in our shared life with others. Jesus’ story of the Good Samaritan writes this intention in large letters.

Also, the apostle Paul encourages the Corinthian Christians in this “crying” ministry with his greeting to them. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”(2 Cor. 1:3-5). And he also talks about this caring, sensitive, comforting lifestyle in his letter to the Romans, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”  (Rm. 12:15).

God’s intention is also vividly declared in the story that I heard told of a little girl who got home from school unusually late one evening, only to find a daddy who was very unhappy about her lateness. He asked his little girl why she was late. She said, “Because my friend broke her dolly.”  Her daddy then said, “Oh, okay, so you stayed with her to fix it?”  He did not expect her gentle reply, “No, Daddy, I stayed with her to help her cry.”

We often do not do this very well, because our full schedules keep us busy and disconnected from another’s pain. But God is always giving us opportunities to hear someone’s cry, to feel someone’s pain, and to be God’s compassionate presence in the midst of their hurt.

In his book, Out of Solitude, Henri Nouwen says, “When we honestly ask ourselves which persons in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand.”

Perhaps the most important thing we can do in life is to “weep with those who weep.”  I pray that we will be more attentive to nurturing within ourselves a Spirit-led flexibility that allows us to step away from our busyness and sit with those who need a friend to “help them cry.”

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Ray M. Geigley – “Healing Rays of Righteousness”– www.geigler.wordpress.com – 4/2/25