Walking with Jesus: Third Sunday of Easter

Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; 1 John 2:1-5; Luke 24:35-48

Holy Week has been a wonderful time to place myself in the scenes of Jesus’ life, love, and total sacrifice. I’m one of the crowd members with a good view of the actions and words bandied about. I’m there evaluating the people’s responses to Jesus: the religious authorities, the Jewish and Roman rulers. I want to see whether their responses are coerced or honestly given. I’m evaluating them on the basis of Jesus’ triple command of love given in response to a scholar of the law who tested Jesus in Matthew’s gospel: “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest? He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.’” [Matthew 22:36-40]

In the Acts reading, Peter encounters a man crippled from birth who every day is brought to the Beautiful Gate to beg for alms from people entering the Temple. He asks for help from Peter, whose response is so touching: “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk.” [Acts 3:6] How responsible am I to the needs of people who come to me? Do I avoid them? Do I ever feel that they are sent by God so I can learn what Jesus’ command of loving my neighbor is all about? Do I feel God’s spiritual gift bringing me closer to Jesus’ love? Peter helps the man up, healing takes place immediately, and the man jumps and praises God: “As he clung to Peter and John, all the people hurried in amazement toward them in the portico, called Solomon’s Portico.” [Acts 3:11]

Always ready to share His love and belief, Peter uses the amazement of the crowd to explain what has taken place. They have had no part in this miracle; it was done in the name of God’s servant Jesus. No doubt many people know of Him from His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. I’m sure some of them had witnessed a miracle or two along with Jesus’ teachings. Could they have been a part of the crowd demanding His crucifixion and asking that a murderer be released in His place? “The author of life you put to death, but God raised Him from the dead; of this we are witness.” [Acts 3:15] Peter wants them to know that their misguided actions have served God’s purpose. God’s plan for our salvation has begun. A man physically crippled from  birth has been completely healed. But Peter tells them and us that we have our own limitations; we are learning about love as we live our lives. We certainly need a whole bunch of repentance: “Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away.” [Acts 3:19] The Holy Spirit is constantly making us aware of God’s love and His need for our help in sharing the gifts of love we have received. How am I doing?

The First Letter of John begins with a charge and encouragement: “Now this is the message that we have heard from Him and proclaim to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness.” [1 John 5] The footnote in the Catholic Study Bible reads: “Light is to be understood here as truth and goodness; darkness here is error and depravity.” Knowing’ Christ means obeying His commandments, and obedience to Christ is our road to heaven and God’s eternal love. Have I accepted the invitation to God’s forgiveness in Christ?

Luke’s gospel gives another post-resurrection appearance of Jesus. It is a continuation of the account of two disciples from Emmaus experiencing Jesus in the breaking of the bread. Jesus  has appeared to them. They run to tell the others in the Upper Room and Jesus suddenly appears to them. Imagine their astonishment: Jesus has appeared to a few of them and some women. They listen, are amazed, possibly a little doubtful and curious – and now Jesus appears to them. Again, Jesus offers the gift of peace. They are in shock. Would we be? Some, no doubt thinking their eyes are playing tricks on them, think they are seeing a ghost. Jesus shows them His hands and feet. He is real; He asks for food and eats in front of them. His overall purpose is responding to the suspicion of some that He really did not die because He is God – and God cannot die. He died for love of you and me. He died to show God’s total, complete and unconditional love.

In Exploring the Sunday Readings, Alice Camille shares a wonderful insight:

How do we make room for Jesus so He can be for us at least as real as the dark demons of our imagination? Let me tell you what I do. I make prayer a deliberate part of my routine, morning and night. I keep religious images – crosses, statues, icons – in every room in the house. I put Scripture verses that are especially meaningful to me where I can read them until I know them by heart. I also do the reverse. I keep dark ideas, emotions and stories away from my eyes so they don’t have access to my heart. I don’t flinch from tales of suffering: Those are as holy as the Passion narratives of the gospel. But I won’t listen to hate and prejudice. I won’t embrace cynicism and spite. To Jesus, it’s love or nothing. Be gone, dark ghosts!

So I reflect on:

• Some scholars suggest the second disciple on the road to Emmaus is unnamed in order to allow us to be that traveler. What questions might we ask? What are our concerns?
• Exploring the Sunday Readings reads: “The only reason to become a Christian is to receive the forgiveness of God in Christ. … If you deny this possibility, the whole religious enterprise is a waste of time.”
  

Sacred Space 2021 reads:

“We see the disciples, feel their fear, and observe their fear being changed into joy as they realize that the Lord is indeed in their midst and has a solid body. Share the emotions of the disciples. Can you sense the emotion of the Lord?

“Jesus reiterates the ‘law of the cross’ as He did to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. He then commissions them to continue His mission. As you listen to the disciples receiving their mission, what are your feelings?”