The Gospel reading appointed for the Third Sunday of Easter in Cycle B contains the third and fourth narratives about the risen Jesus on Easter Sunday in a series of five recounted in Luke 24: an appearance to Jesus’ disciples gathered in Jerusalem (36-43) and a remembrance of his final instructions to them (44-49).
The appearance narrative focuses on the reality of Jesus’ bodily resurrection while the story of Jesus’ last words to the disciples contains the missions Jesus gives them for the future. As those who share the faith of Jesus’ disciples, we align ourselves with those who experience him as risen Lord and take our place as witnesses to the reality of his risen life.
All of the appearance narratives make a central point about the reality of the resurrection: the Jesus whom the disciples had come to know as preacher, teacher, exorcist, healer and miracle worker; the Jesus who had aroused opposition from both the religious and political authorities of the day; the Jesus who had been condemned to, and undergone, a shameful death by crucifixion was the very same Jesus they now experienced as alive, but radically transformed.
This Gospel reading reminds us of the shock the disciples felt at experiencing the living Jesus on the “other side” of death: “scared and terrified, they thought they were seeing a ghost/spirit (pneuma).” In response, Jesus asks the disciples to trust their senses: seeing his hands and feet, still bearing the wounds of his crucifixion; touching/feeling (ps?laph?sate) his flesh; and observing him eat some broiled fish when the disciples provide the food, thus recalling the feeding of the multitude on bread and fish during Jesus’ earthly ministry.
Having established the reality of his presence, Jesus now enacts for the gathered disciples what he had done for Cleopas and his companion on the road to Emmaus.
First, he interprets his own suffering and death as the fulfillment of Jewish Scriptures, the enactment in history of God’s will to be reconciled with sinful humanity through the loving obedience of the Suffering Servant. Second, he commissions the disciples as “witnesses” (martyres) to spread the good news of God’s action in raising Jesus from the dead as a call to conversion and repentance, a commission that is manifested in both the preaching of Peter in the first reading (Acts 3:13-15, 17-19) and the proclamation of Jesus as our advocate in the second reading (I John 2:1-5a). Finally, he sends forth the promise of his Abba-God upon these remembering and proclaiming witnesses, an act of power that is fulfilled in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon them (and us).
While there is much that could be pondered in these readings, I would like to hold up the ministry of the Word as continuation of part of Jesus’ own ministry. When the text declares that “everything written about (Jesus) in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms must be fulfilled,” it cites a traditional organization of the Jewish Scriptures into Torah (Pentateuch/Law), Nebi’im (Prophets) and Ketubim (writings, headed by the psalms). Whether through homilies and reflections, through Bible study or Bible-sharing among believers, or engagement with scholarly or popular commentaries on the Scriptures in individual study, we can pray that the risen Lord through the power of his Spirit will continue to open our minds to understand and cherish the Scriptures.
Though retired as an artist in residence at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Father Joncas continues to celebrate the sacraments in various worshiping communities in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, teaches in person or online, and continues to write articles and music.
Sunday, April 14
Third Sunday of Easter
