Greetings!…a post by Tom

Matthew 28:9 (ESV)And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.The first word of Jesus after his resurrection is hello. He has been betrayed, beaten, abandoned, crucified, and buried. When He rises from the dead and meets the scared and disoriented women He says…hello! The Greek word for greetings is pregnant with joy and energy. Jesus has no victim mentality or revenge seeking mindset. His mindset is one of greetings and joy.  His second words are “do not be afraid.”A recent study has shown that people who say hello to others live longer. Somehow the simple act of reaching outside one’s insulated self for connection is beneficial. It is a way of being open instead of closed. The open tomb shows us that in Christ we have nothing to fear. Jesus’ resurrection has triumphed over sin, death and evil. Our attitude toward Life can be that of openness and hello regardless of how confused and disoriented we feel. Greetings when we are unsettled, greetings when we are weak, greetings when we are imperfect, greetings when we fail, greetings when we are ordinary, greetings when we feel useless, greetings when we are an outsider, greetings when we are suffering, greetings when we feel stupid. God comes to us disguised as our life, and in Christ we can say…”hello!”