“They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.” -Luke 24:42
The readings this week in the Easter Octave have forced our hearts and our minds to confront a very challenging truth about our faith. Jesus is risen! He is not a ghost, Jesus himself makes it perfectly clear that his resurrection is not simply a spiritual experience void of real flesh, in real time, in their presence. The resurrection of Jesus the Christ is the object, the centrepiece, of the faith of the church. No real bodily resurrection equals no Christian faith.
In the gospel readings this week we have heard Jesus open up the Scriptures to us so that we may understand that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer. This week so far in the appointed Gospels for each day, we read that Mary Magdalene, “took hold of his feet”, (Matt 28) Jesus called her by name (John 20), the two disciples walked and broke bread with him, (Luke 24), and here we are today with Jesus, of all things, eating a piece of broiled fish with them (Luke 24).
Scripture puts to rest any non-corporeal understanding of the central allegation of the Gospel. Jesus is risen. The post-resurrection Jesus is neither a ghost, nor some sort of disembodied spirit but he has returned from the grave in the flesh to walk, talk, and eat a piece of broiled fish!
In the midst of the fear those gathered are experiencing, Jesus comes with the greeting of peace. He then takes them through an interesting few steps to cause their hearts and minds to be opened by this troubling, frightening truth:
Step 1: Look at Him. He tells them to, “Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is myself.”
Step 2: Touch Him. “Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones and you see that I have.”
Step 3: He ate with them. As if seeing and touching were not enough he asks them for something to eat and, “They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.”
Step 4: He opened their minds to Sacred Scripture. Just as he did on the road to Emmaus, “Then he opened their minds to the scriptures…”
Step 5: You are witnesses of these things. He has entrusted a task for his witnesses, “that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations.”
There is no escaping these uncomfortable truths about Jesus - It is the Gospel and our calling in response to it. How will you respond? Is your heart not burning inside you? Why are you frightened and why do doubts arise in your hearts?
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