1st Reading Acts 3: 13-15, 17-19
Psalm 5: 2, 4, 7, 9
2nd Reading 1 John 2:1-5
Gospel Luke 24: 35-48
LET DOUBT BE PURPOSEFUL AND BE OPENED TO CLARIFICATION AND FAITH
Dear friends, we welcome ourselves to the 3rd Sunday of Easter. We are still in the Easter season, and we continue to reflect on the events revolving around Christ's resurrection. The Word of God for this Sunday brings this to our focus. The first reading narrates Peter's declarations and affirmations about the Resurrection, and the Gospel brings one of Jesus' post-resurrection appearances to the fore.
Let us look briefly at the Gospel passage. The Gospel is taken from Luke 24: 35-48. Let us put this Gospel within a larger context. The whole of Luke 24 talks about Jesus' Resurrection. From vv. 1-12, we hear that some women went to the tomb at daybreak. Upon arrival, they were told by two men in dazzling garments that Jesus was alive. The women returned and told the eleven apostles and all the others. Peter went to verify, and he saw the burial cloths alone, and he went home amazed.
From vv. 13-35, we hear the story of the two men, Cleopas and the other man, leaving Jerusalem and journeying to Emmaus. They left on account of the supposed inconsistencies and difficulty in understanding the whole issue. Probably, that women told them that two men said Jesus was alive when the testimony of a woman is not usually regarded as another problem in understanding and raising their doubts. Secondly, Peter did not see Jesus himself, but only the burial cloths. To them, how should it be that Jesus was alive? They met Jesus on the way and "beginning with Moses and all the prophets, Jesus interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures" (v. 27). He, in the evening, broke bread with them, and within that context, they recognised him (v. 31).
The third division of Luke 24 is what we are reading today, thus, vv. 36-48. It follows from the event of the two men who were journeying to Emmaus. These men, having recognised Jesus and having cleared their doubts and realised that Jesus is truly Risen, returned to Jerusalem to speak to the others. I want us to see that the very gradual process of enlightenment through which the two men went through is the same, if not similar, process the rest will go through. First, they all heard the news, and two men were disturbed and left. Similarly, the two men told them about their encounter and when Jesus entered and told them, "Peace be with you" (v. 36), they took Jesus to be a ghost (v. 37). This is a doubt that needs to be clarified. Secondly, the two men journeying to Enmaus had supper with Jesus, and when Jesus broke bread, they recognised him. Similarly, Jesus, in appearing to them, ate a piece of baked fish. Consequently, their doubts were clarified. In fact, just as Jesus interpreted to the two men what concerns him in all the Scriptures (24: 27) and opened the Scriptures to them (24: 32), so did he also open the minds of the rest of the people to understand the scriptures when appeared to them as a group for the first time according to Luke's Gospel (24: 45).
One thing stands clear, and it is that of the purpose of doubting. The reflective question is: What is the purpose of our doubting? Doubts are good in so far as we make them purposeful. We make them purposeful if we surrender them to clarification and understanding. The purpose of our doubts should be to arrive at comprehension and appreciation of an event. If we doubt merely to discard information, we run the risk of journeying away from the centre of enlightenment.
Indeed, life's events can sometimes be difficult to understand. They may be unrelated, and we may find it a burden to comprehend what is going on. We may even doubt some events. Yet, that should not be an occasion for us to conclude that life is unfair. We will reach an appreciable level of comprehension and understanding of issues when we focus on understanding rather than doubting for the sake of doubting.
In the face of doubts and perplexities, remember that the scriptures will best help you to understand events. Resort to the Word of God for help because there you will find Jesus leading you to understand. "Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts" (v. 38). Christ can clarify them and provide the best answers.
May the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief vanish before the light of the Word, and the Spirit of Grace. And may the Heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all people. Amen.
Pax et Bonum 🙏❤️🕊
Comments
Post a Comment