Luke 24:36-49 New Revised Standard Version UpdatedEdition

36 While they were talking aboutthis, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be withyou.” 37 They were startled and terrified andthought that they were seeing a ghost. 38 He saidto them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Lookat my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see, for a ghostdoes not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 Andwhen he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 Yetfor all their joy they were still disbelieving and wondering, and he said tothem, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gavehim a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it andate in their presence.

44 Then he said to them, “These aremy words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything writtenabout me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must befulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds tounderstand the scriptures, 46 and he said to them,“Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from thedead on the third day 47 and that repentance andforgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginningfrom Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of thesethings. 49 And see, I am sending upon you what myFather promised, so stay here in the city until you have been clothed withpower from on high.”

****************

                Eastertideinvites us to ponder Jesus’ resurrection appearances. Each of the four Gospelstells a different story, with Mark leaving us hanging. We have an empty tomb, aheavenly messenger, and women who run from the tomb (Mark 16). The other threeGospels report different appearances, some in Jerusalem and others in Galilee.Luke tells us about the discovery of the empty tomb, first by the womenincluding Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several otherwomen. They encounter two men who deliver the news that Jesus has risen fromthe dead. They told the eleven Apostles, who didn’t believe their story, thoughPeter ran to the tomb to check things out (Lk 24:1-12). Then comes the famousappearance of Jesus to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. These discipleswho recognize the risen Jesus in the breaking of bread report their experienceto the rest of the group, confirming the story of the women (Lk 24:13-35). Allof these reports and experiences lead to Jesus’ appearance to the main body of disciples(Lk 24:36-49). The first story is, of course, an expansion of Mark 16:1-8. Allof these stories take place in and around Jerusalem, with no visit to Galilee.

                Ourstory picks up from the report to the disciples about the Emmaus Roadexperience. While the community is discussing this report, Jesus appears intheir midst. He greets them, saying: “Peace be with you.” That the community isstill trying to make sense of these reports of Jesus’ resurrection is revealedby the response of the community. Luke tells us that they were “startled andterrified.” So, we might want to read Jesus’ greeting as a warning: “Don’t beafraid.” It’s the kind of greeting that angels often give when making an appearance.This fear they exhibit at seeing Jesus appear in their midst is a reflection oftheir concern that this figure might be a ghost. If we chapter twenty-four ofLuke sequentially, despite the witness of the women and the two disciples whohad headed off to Emmaus, the community as a whole wasn’t ready or willing to embracethe idea of the resurrection. As Jonathan Walton points out, their response“suggests that the disciples misunderstood the resurrection. A phantasmicapparition is different from bodily resurrection. Luke sought to make clear forearly followers that Jesus’ appearance was the latter and not the former” [Connections,p. 230]. 

                Thecommunity’s response to Jesus’ presence in Luke’s gospel should serve as atonic to the continued tarring of Thomas with the moniker “Doubting Thomas.”They all had doubts, especially the men! They struggle to make sense of whatthey see and hear, which leads them, here in Luke to wonder if this figuremight actually be a ghost. Jesus responds to their fears by asking them: “Doyou have anything to eat?” The disciples respond to his request with a plate ofbroiled fish. This should answer their question as to whether Jesus is a ghost.After all, do ghosts eat? You wouldn’t expect a ghost to eat something. TheGospel of John also features a meal. In chapter 21, Jesus appears to seven ofthe disciples, including Peter, who have gone back to fishing. Jesus invited Peterto bring him some of the fish he caught after Jesus gave him some pointers, andthey had breakfast. So two Gospels feature the post-resurrection Jesus having afish dinner (John 21:1-14).  

That Luke tells resurrectionstories that include bread (Emmaus) and fish (our reading) is a reminder thatthese two elements play important roles in the gospel stories. Both are presentin the story of the feeding of the 5000. In Luke’s version of the story, Jesustook what was available and had everyone sit down. Then, “taking the fiveloaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed and broke them andgave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.  Andall ate and were filled, and what was left over was gathered up, twelve basketsof broken pieces” (Lk9:10-17). With both elements present in these stories, we might ponder whatthis means.

As the community eats their fishdinner, Jesus moves into a teaching mode. He reminded them what he had toldthem before his death and resurrection, including what the prophets and psalmssaid about him. We see here something similar to what happens on the road toEmmaus. Opening up the scriptures to them, he let them know that the Scripturesdemonstrated that the Messiah would suffer and then rise from the dead on thethird day. After that, Jesus told them that a message of repentance andforgiveness would be proclaimed.

The stories of the resurrection aredifficult to digest because there isn’t “scientific proof” available to us. Wemight have historical evidence, especially since Paul wrote of the resurrectionin his letters some twenty years after Jesus’ earthly presence. Jesus’ earliestfollowers were still living and could verify the message. Nevertheless, manymodern Christians look for non-material answers to the question of theresurrection. Maybe it’s a metaphor or something spiritual but surely it’s notmaterial. The Gospel stories however are rather earthy. There is a physicalityto Jesus’ person, though he appears and disappears at will. Paul suggests that theresurrection body, both Jesus and ours, is a spiritual body (1 Cor. 15:44).  Still, Jesus eats the fish. Thomas Long writesthat “The New Testament accounts of postresurrection appearances testify to arisen Christ who is embodied, but in a body both continuous and discontinuouswith his ‘earthly body.’” I appreciate that distinction of a body that is continuousand discontinuous, as Jesus has a physical body that can be touchedand can eat food but appears and disappears at will. Thus, “The risen Jesus isembodied, by his body is different, a glorified body, an eschatological body,an eternal body appearing in temporality” [Connections, p. 232].  In the second century, we see a strongreaction to gnostic stories where Jesus only appears before and after theresurrection to have a physical body. The Gospel writings make it clear thatJesus retains a human body in his resurrection. In John 20, Jesus appears tohis disciples showing them the wounds in his hands and side (he does the samefor Thomas).

During the first two Sundays of Eastertide,we read resurrection stories from the Gospels. We’ve already had the story ofJesus’ appearances to the disciples minus Thomas and then a week later toThomas (Jn. 20:19-31). Now we have Luke’s version. While these stories emphasizethe material nature of the resurrection appearances, we can’t see and touch theresurrection body. We have testimonies, but as David Hume made clear in thelate eighteenth century, resurrections are not a regular occurrence. Ancients didn’thave cameras, so we don’t have a photographic/video record. We can use ourimaginations to ponder what all of this looks like, but we’re still limited totestimonies. Each of us must make our own decisions on this matter. I choose tobelieve in a physical/material resurrection. It seems to make the most sense ofthe disciples’ decision to follow a man who had been crucified by Rome. Ifthere’s no resurrection then Jesus is dead and still lying in his grave, whichwould make him a real “loser.” So, why follow him if he tried his best, gotkilled, and that’s it? That is the question.

In Luke’s telling of the story ofthis resurrection appearance, Jesus gives a commission that will be repeatedwith slightly different wording in Acts 1:8. Jesus told the disciples they wereto proclaim repentance and forgiveness to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. Theyare to be Christ’s witnesses. Thus, in Luke’s version of the story, Jesus tellsthe disciples: “I am sending upon you what my Father promised, so stay here inthe city until you have been clothed with power from on high” (Lk24:49).

They have the promise and thecommission, what they still needed was the power from on high. In other words,they must wait for Pentecost Sunday. When it comes to our observance,liturgically Pentecost is in front of us, but the promise is already in effect.We have been given that which had been promised. We don’t have to wait. We cansimply get on with the work of bearing witness to the resurrection. As ThomasLong concludes: “There is hope when someone can bear witness to the truth, andthe disciples are sent to bear witness to the best truth of all: Christ isrisen, forgiveness is offered, hope is everywhere” [Connections, p. 233].That is good news.