“I am the resurrection and the Life.”  John 11:24

“And their eyes were opened and they recognized Him“ Luke 24:31

What difference, if any, does the resurrection of Jesus make in your life?

That’s the question I’ve been contemplating these past two weeks during my time in Cambodia.

Jesus, and His resurrection, might be someone that we admire.  An historical figure who did some really great things, and illustrated how to treat other people.   His resurrection might give us hope for life after this one.  Or it might make us feel better about loved ones who we have lost.  Maybe it is merely a reason to celebrate a holiday with family and friends.

One of the challenges of faith is to have our eyes opened so that we see Jesus in the here an now, not merely in the past or future. 

It is fascinating to me that there are numerous accounts of Jesus appearing to people after His resurrection, but each time He is hidden in plain sight.  He is the gardener to Mary, the man walking on the road to Emmaus, and the guy cooking fish on the beach.  In each account those who are with Him have to have their eyes opened so that they really SEE him.  That is our challenge as well—to see the risen Lord hiding in plain sight.  I admit, I have not been good at it.  But the people I encountered in Cambodia are.

Nora Chan was an eleven-year-old boy in 1975 when the Khmer Rouge began their reign of genocide terror.  He recounted his life during that time, part of which was spent in a Khmer Rouge camp in a Buddhist temple complex.  He told of how much they children had to work, how little they had to eat, and most disconcerting of all the torture and murder that they witnessed and were forced to  become accomplices in.  Eventually he made it to a refugee camp in Thailand, and there, because of the kindness and love of strangers, he became a Christian.  He saw Jesus in them.

His wife Ming was much younger, and so can’t remember the horrors of those four years.  But she also became a follower of The Way, and as a result has not only embraced faith, but sees and emulates Jesus in her life.  She cooks for the children at Ray of Hope, feeding them with nutritious food that some would not otherwise get, and filling their little bellies with the love of Christ. 

Jesus is real to both Nora and Ming.  It is common to hear them thank Jesus for helping them to accomplish their tasks, overcome obstacles, or obtain what is necessary for the health and well-being of themselves and others.

And then there are the children.  Nine were baptized on this trip.  That makes a total of 19 that have been baptized in the past three years.  During their baptism Pastor Nora speaks of how this represents a new life for them.  I am convinced they believe it!  One of the children, (pictured below), whose parents are Buddhist (most of the people in Cambodia are), tells of how much her life has changed since coming to Ray of Hope as a student.  Jesus is real to her!  And she has made Him real to her parents, as they accompanied her to her baptism, curious to see what this was all about.

I witnessed faith in a real, albeit hidden Jesus, on countless occasions during my time in Cambodia.  Jesus is real to them!  They see Him everywhere, and give Him credit for everything.  It is a refreshing reminder and present-day example of what those first disciples experienced.  And it has left me pondering the question: “What does the Resurrection of Jesus mean in real life?”  What about you?