Easter 3 B

You, my friends, are witnesses of these things. So, let’s examine for a bit the things that we are meant to be witnesses of.

The words that I just read aloud from the Gospel of Luke describe the first disciples of Jesus, and what they were thinking, feeling, seeing, and doing that same Sunday evening after they discovered the tomb of their Lord was empty. And what a day it had been… ever have one of those days that feels like it begins in one month and ends in another? That very morning, early, at dawn, some of the women who had been followers of Jesus had arrived at the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body and instead they had found the empty tomb. When they told the other disciples about this the first reaction was … psshh … disbelief. But then Peter and then other disciples saw for themselves that the women were right. Some disciples stayed in Jerusalem in shock, but at least two disciples left town. Those two disciples, walking towards Emmaus, which was basically a day’s walk away, found themselves talking a stranger…processing the mind-boggling events, and grieving the events leading up to the crucifixion of their master. When it was almost dark, they broke bread with this stranger only to discover they had been speaking with the Risen Lord the whole time. After Jesus then disappeared, they raced back to Jerusalem, even though it was already dark to share with the others.

It must have been pretty late, then, by the time these two disciples make it back to gather with the disciples in Jerusalem. And this is where today’s Gospel picks up. And after a full day of leaving Jerusalem in shock, encountering Jesus in a surprising way, racing that same day’s journey back to Jerusalem in the night with the purpose of sharing this amazing thing that had happened … then … they find out that Jesus has also appeared to others. And then … Jesus appears to them all. There, in that room.

The first thing that Jesus says is “Peace be with you.” And you have to know why, right? They all probably looked as if they’d seen a ghost. Imagine their mixture of emotions:

Jesus, their teacher and Lord, betrayed. Unable or unwilling to talk or fight his way out of the allegations against him, and then his punishment on the cross. His brutal, shameful death. The surprise of finding his body missing. Then, his body showing up, not missing. Not dead, but bearing the wounds of his death. This is probably more than you and I would normally want to process in just one day’s time. Especially with very much alive figure of Jesus standing right there.

Can you feel the conflicting emotions in that room? The Gospel of Luke describes the disciples as being first started and terrified — which is understandable. But then it says that ‘while in their joy’ they were disbelieving and wondering. At the same time, the disciples were filled with joy because of the resurrection, they could not believe what they were seeing, and also they were wondering, imagining what it could mean for their lives.

Between the lack of the sleep they’d gotten, and the events of the day, the disciples found themselves feeling basically all of the emotions all at the same time. They were scared and hopeful. They were joyful, but questioning: is Jesus alive? Or is Jesus a ghost?

This is not a trivial question for those of us who now live in the 21st century. You and I are called to be witnesses to these things…yet, aren’t witnesses of these things. In many ways, we too, after hearing the news of the empty tomb, and the resurrection, may only be able to think of Jesus as … a ghost. After all, many of us have heard since we were young that the regular world is this one, that we can see and touch and taste. The one that we can measure with science and observation. A world in which everything that matters is, well, matter. And many of us have been taught that there is this other realm. The religious world. Where there are souls, and where God is the ghost in the machine, so to speak. The invisible, unknowable force. This is a convenient way to explain the mixed and conflicting emotions that we deal with…but if you think about it, this explanation of God pretty much describes God as … a ghost. Mostly invisible, mostly powerless, and kinda spooky.

How can Jesus help me or anyone else deal with the complex emotions of life and the scars and wounds that come along with it, if he is just a ghost?

The thing is, though, that if you spend any time reflecting on this text, you see that Jesus is the farthest thing from a ghost.

Now, it is true that Jesus is somehow different after the resurrection — for one, he can apparently enter into homes without using the door or windows. Although, to be fair, Jesus could do some pretty amazing things before the resurrection. But… when he appears to the disciples after rising… he is still Jesus. He still has a body. And it’s not like a hazy, see-through spectre that maybe wears a white sheet over its head. Jesus is very much still a person — in fact, Jesus still has the scars and wounds that he bore in the crucifixion. The resurrection didn’t take him out of the regular world into some other spiritual world… at least for now, his resurrection was into the same world that the disciples lived in. A world of matter and emotions and scars and wounds. And then, in the middle of this amazing moment in which the disciples have come face to face with the Risen Lord, in their midst, comes one of my favorite moments in scripture. Jesus looks at these, his disciples, struggling to understand the meaning of this most amazing event, and Jesus looks at them, sees their emotional upheaval and says to them: “Do you all have anything to eat?”

And then, he eats in front of them. Jesus is no ghost. Jesus is a part of the world that the disciples are living in. A world that can be scary and cause mixed emotions and beliefs. But a world that is real. And the power of the resurrection, the power of new life, the power of eternal life is for this real world. Snacks, scars, and all.

The power and good news of the Resurrection is for our real world, too. And just like in today’s Gospel, the place where resurrection matters is among people who struggle with mixed emotions. Maybe you, too, have had the experience of wondering what God is up to in the middle of plan, boring moments. Like eating a piece of fish. The place where resurrection matters is among people who struggle to understand meaning in their lives. The place where resurrection matters is around everyday moments like eating food. Going to work. Playing a game. Talking to a friend. Resurrection matters for matter like you and me.

There is not one world for normal life and another world for God stuff. There is just the world that God loves. The world that you and I live in. The world the first disciples lived in. The world that Jesus lives in; one that we can touch, and see, and taste. As we live our lives, as we share meals together, as we comfort one another in our wounds, as we encourage one another in our fears, as we do that crazy thing of forgiving one another in our mistakes, we find ourselves in the presence of the Risen Lord who lives in this world.

You are witnesses of these things.