The Third Sunday of Easter:
Luke 24:36b-48
“While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering…”
What an interesting phrase! “They were startled and terrified, and thought they were seeing a ghost.” Jesus comforts them, and we read “while in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering.”
We’ve briefly moved over to the Gospel of Luke from John. Even though they probably came from totally different sources, there are some interesting parallels between the two, when it comes to the Passion and Resurrection sections. Here we have Jesus inviting them to see his wounds; there is a theme of doubt; Jesus appears suddenly and mysteriously, like a ghost; and he greets them with a word of peace: these are all aspects of the ‘Doubting Thomas’ story that was read in churches last week.
Though here in this particular version, the discovery of the empty tomb is followed up by a resurrection account that many people find especially touching: the road to Emmaus. The risen Jesus comes alongside two of his grief-stricken followers who are leaving the city, deflated. Jesus helps them make sense of the scriptures in light of what they’d witness happen to their friend Jesus — though he still, somehow, remains veiled from their eyes. They get to town, and sit down for dinner with him, and its as he takes, blesses, breaks, and gives the bread that they finally recognize that it’s Jesus, and he miraculously disappears from their presence.
They run back to Jerusalem, to the other followers of Jesus, gathered together, and report what’s happened. They hear from their friends that they, too, have learned that Jesus has been raised from the dead. There’s even mention of Peter having met with Jesus directly (though weirdly that incident isn’t actually narrated in the book, directly).
So now that we know the rest of the story, it might strike us as even more interesting: After several have met the risen Jesus, and shared with others about this, “in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering…” What a strange Easter story that describes the followers of Jesus — the Church — as “startled,” “terrified,” “frightened,” “doubting,” “disbelieving,” and “wondering.” It seems to be saying to us today that there’s a difference between hearing about the resurrection and experiencing it yourself. There’s even a difference between meeting the risen Jesus and letting that resurrection power actually govern and shape our lives.
There is good news for us, who might at various times be startled, terrified, frightened, doubting, disbelieving, or wondering. This Jesus who came to them, meeting them where they were at, wishes them his peace, engages in table fellowship, and proclaims forgiveness. We’re separated by thousands of years, but it sounds a lot like the Church. Commissioned to bring this message to the world beyond the walls, and act as witnesses to Jesus, that too, sounds like the Church. We’ve all been commissioned, as imperfect as we all are, and as unprepared as we might feel. “While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering,” Jesus came, strengthened, and commissioned them.
This ragtag group, that last time Jesus saw most of them, they had deserted him. Peter denied him. Peter (or one of them, at least) had struck out with a sword, cutting off the ear of someone involved in his arrest. And here is Jesus, the first words on his lips being “peace be with you.” Words of reassurance. (Reassuring them that he’s not going to smite them, for their utter failings.) And words describing how they are to live amongst themselves and in engaging with the wider world: peace be with you.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu said something to the effect of “if the Church isn’t about reconciliation, then it isn’t about anything.” And we know from his life, that reconciliation is understood both personal and relationally, and also with implications for our life as a society. And yet we struggle with this, on all those levels. Conflicts don’t instantly dissipate when we walk through the doors of a church building. And yet, just as Jesus “opened [the disciples’] minds to understand the scriptures,” so too is he present to us, calling us to open our minds to how he — somehow, through the cross — has brought peace between God and humanity, and that same peace is to be lived out amongst our neighbours.
This is not always easy, as our joy is usually mixed up with our disbelief and wonderings… But over and over, in our gatherings as church, like water smoothing out a stone over decades, we’re reassured and commissioned to be ministers of peace. Our church services have two main sections: the Liturgy of the Word in the first half, and then the Liturgy of the Eucharist in the second half. Both sections culminate — and this is intentional, not random — in a time to get up, and recognize and deepen our peace with each other. In the first half of the service, it’s the passing of the peace. We get up, turn around, and wish each other God’s peace. We saw how this tradition has its roots way back in the first generation of the Church. And then in the second half of the service, we have another opportunity to get up, this time for communion. We share our family meal. We recognize that we share in the one bread, and drink from the one cup. It is so ingrained in our life and liturgy as Church. And it’s so hard. “While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering… Jesus said… peace be with you.”
© 2024 The Rev’d Matthew Kieswetter