By Bob Bunn
There are usually two reasons to hide.
The first is to scare someone. My daughter-in-law is good at this. While she’s mostly spared me the stress of wondering when she’s going to jump out of nowhere, my son has not always been so fortunate. Whenever she’s outside your line sight, you must look carefully around every corner and cautiously approach each doorway. More than likely, she’s lurking somewhere, waiting. She’ll jump out and scream, sending your heart through the roof!
But most people don’t hide to scare others; they’re more likely hiding because something or someone is scaring them. Fear overtakes them, so—literally or figuratively—they lock all the doors and pull the shades. The cause can be any number of things, but something has left them afraid of what’s coming next.
That’s how Jesus’s disciples were living after His crucifixion. They were living in fear (John 20:19). They were afraid because the religious leaders could snuff them out, and they didn’t know what the future held. They were scared, so they went into hiding. Thanks to the benefit of hindsight, we can say they should have known better. But we know the rest of the story. All they knew at the moment was that Jesus had died. Everything else was fuzzy and uncertain.
But there in the middle of their darkest moments, Jesus showed up. First, He came to many of them on the night of His resurrection (Luke 23:36). A week later, He appeared to the disciples, along with Thomas (John 20:26). Both times, His message left the same impression: Don’t live in fear or doubt. Live in faith.
Thankfully, Jesus continues to show up in the lives of His followers. When things get dark, He brings His light into our lives. He still challenges us to experience His peace, reject the temptation to doubt, and believe He is in control.
We all have our reasons for hiding. We all have trauma that sends us scurrying for cover. Like a child, we sit down, pull our knees up to our chests, and pray that the sun will shine again. If that’s where you are today, please understand that you are not alone. Jesus is with you, encouraging you to turn from your doubt and embrace faith—even when it might not make sense. The One who miraculously stood among His frightened disciples is standing with you too. The Savior who transformed a group of fearful men hiding behind locked doors into a movement that changed the world can give you the courage to take your next steps.
His challenge to you is the same one He gave them: Believe. When all is said and done, trusting Jesus makes all the difference.
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