Third Sunday of Easter (B)

April 18, 2021                                                                    

Readings:

First Reading: Acts of the Apostles 3: 13-15, 17-19

Psalm 4: “Lord, let your face shine on us.”

Second Reading: 1 John 2: 1-5

Gospel reading according to Luke 24: 35-48

+

Homily: 

Two of the disciples of Jesus, one of them named Cleophas from Emmaus, were returning to their home town as if nothing had happened in the past days, weeks, months and years following Jesus.  “Uwian na, wala namang nangyaring pagbabago.” As if they were saying, “Let us go back to our places, back to normal, anyway nothing happened, because our Teacher, Master and Leader Lord Jesus Christ died.  No liberation occurred through revolution supposedly to be led by Jesus.” When suddenly Jesus appeared to them and explained to them why Christ should suffer and died and on the third day rose from the dead.  At first, they did not recognize him because of the rays of the setting sun; but when they invited him to stay with one of them in his house, at table he said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to them.  And their eyes were opened but Jesus was no longer there, and they hurriedly returned to Jerusalem to tell what had happened along the way and on the table, they recognized him in the breaking of the bread.  The two disciples explained to the other disciples and Apostles at the upper room what Jesus said and did at Emmaus.  “The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way, and how Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of the bread” (John 24: 35).  They explained to them in detail what had taken place along the way, the explanation of the whole Scriptures about the suffering Messiah, the slaughtering of the sacrificial lamb, that led the death of Jesus, the Son of God, the Christ but on the third day he rose again, and they were the witnesses of his resurrection. 

Still they were telling the affairs that had happened to them when suddenly Jesus appeared in their midst.   “While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’  But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost” (John 24: 36-37).  Jesus said with his resurrection greetings, “Peace be with you.”  But the disciples were frightened and scared as if they saw a ghost.  Like what had happened at Mount Tabor when Jesus transfigured with shining exceeding white as snow (Matthew 17:1-13; Luke 9:28-36) and his whole body was radiantly light or as he walked in the sea where the disciples as if they saw a ghost (Matthew 14: 25-26).

Even Jesus was perplexed with the reactions of the disciples.  They still could not believe or slow to believe in Jesus’ resurrection despite him already being himself for the third time alive.  “Then he said to them, ‘Why are you troubled?  And why do questions arise in your heart?  Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.  Touch and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.’  And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet” (John 24: 38-40). Jesus asked them questions for they were troubled and disbelieving as if he was a ghost.  So, he invited them to look at his hands and feet [and side].  He was allowing them to touch and see his wounds, that he has flesh and bones as compared with ghosts, like a spirit or air or wind without a material body.  “While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’  They gave a him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them” (John 24: 41-43).  To show also that he has flesh and bones, he asked them something to eat to prove that he was not a ghost. And they gave him a piece of baked fish, and in their presence, he ate it.

Then he explained the Scriptures to them, everything relating to the suffering Messiah, from the Books of Moses (the Torah), the Prophets, and the Psalms.  It must be fulfilled. “He said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.’  Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.  And he said to them, ‘Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.  You are witnesses of these things’.”  (John 24: 44-48).  Each one of them, he opened his/her mind to understand and learn Scripture better.  The Scripture was written to know, act and love Christ who would suffer and on the third day will rise again; in it also the calling for repentance, the forgiveness of sins, and an invitation to preach it (the Scripture) to all nations beginning from Jerusalem.  Jesus made his disciples who understood and loved the Scripture as his witnesses throughout the world. We too, as his disciples and followers, are taught about the Scripture.  We have to love it, act upon it and share it with others, then we are truly witnessing the risen Jesus Christ.