For the past 40 years there’s been lots of talk about people needing to have an “open mind”. Generally this advice comes in situations where a more relaxed kind of morality is being proposed, or some new philosophy or religion. Those who raise questions about such innovations are told that they need to have an “open mind”.
From today’s Scripture, it would seem as if having an “open mind” is a much different kind of thing. The followers of Jesus were having great difficulty grasping that Jesus was alive again after having died: they were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost (Luke 24:37). I suppose that those advising an “open mind” would have told the disciples that they needed to open their minds to believe in ghosts. And yet, Jesus made it clear that such an “open-minded” belief would have missed the point. He said, touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have (Luke 24:39). He then conducted a little demonstration as He consumed a piece of broiled fish in their presence. And He concluded by reminding them of the Scriptures, which clearly spoke about how the Messiah would suffer and die for sin, and then rise again to offer new life to all who would come to Him. In all of this, Jesus opened their minds to understand the scriptures (Luke 24:45).
So when you are told that you need to have a more “open mind” that you might accept uncritically whatever innovation comes down the pike (including belief in ghosts!), nod politely, but then inwardly pray that the Lord Jesus would open your mind to understand the Scriptures, and to guide you in how to respond to such suggestions. Perhaps, as you allow your mind to be open to His, He will help you to assist those who advocate “open minds” to open their own minds to the Scriptures and, more importantly, to the Mind of the Universe behind them, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
