While reading through Luke’s account of the resurrection, I noticed two words that stood out, “idle talk.”
I had to look up what these words meant exactly. Translated from the Greek word léros, they mean twaddle. This word twaddle means silly talk or nonsense, incredible story.
If you haven’t noticed, I like looking up definitions of words because it gives a stronger and deeper meaning to something if you know what it means. I’ve heard people try to give a definition of a word and you can tell they are making it up or saying what they think it means, not what it actually means. Definitions and uses of words are very important in our language.
“It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.”
Luke 24:10-12 KJV
The women mention here in these verses had gone to the tomb with their burial spices to take care of the body of Christ. When they arrived, the stone was rolled away and they were able to go inside the tomb. They looked and there was no body of Jesus! As they stood there wondering what was going on, two angels appeared and told them that Christ had risen again according to the words that He had spoke. They were amazed and went and told the disciples what they had seen that day!
The disciples heard their story and thought it was just idle tales, nonsense, twaddle! They didn’t believe what these women were telling them! How could Jesus come back to life? How could the grace be empty? Who took His body? Why were these women making up these ridiculous stories?! I’m sure the disciples were thinking about all these different things as they listened to the women talk excitedly about the empty tomb and the angels they saw!
The first disciple to act upon this story they just heard was Peter. I’m sure that as Peter was sitting there listening to this crazy tale, he was thinking about the time he had spent with Jesus. I’m sure Peter thought about the people he had seen Jesus heal. The raising of Lazarus and the widow’s son probably flashed through his thoughts. Watching Jesus walk on the water, all the other miracles were in Peter’s mind. I’m sure as he sat there, he was like, “maybe, just maybe, what these women are saying is true!” Peter got up and ran, I’m sure he ran as fast as he could to see that tomb!
Peter arrived at the tomb, saw the stone rolled away and walked inside. He saw the linen garments laying there and he walked away wondering. He was probably wondering why he ever doubted that Christ was the Son of God. Peter was probably wondering where Jesus had gone. He was probably wondering if He would ever see Christ again.
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ to some is just a ‘twaddle’ or a form of an ‘idle tale.’ To many though, it is the greatest event to happen throughout time! Without Jesus rising again, we wouldn’t have salvation!
Though the disciples thought these women were just telling a ‘twaddle’ there was truth in it. Truth that Jesus Christ did rise again and that the tomb was empty!
I’m thankful for the amazing and wonderful event of the resurrection of Jesus Christ!
