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Delivered up by lawless people, Jesus has been
vindicated by God and given His place of glory (Acts
2:14, 22-28). But though exalted, Jesus abides with those who
believe in Him, and He is there every time the bread of
His word and of His body is broken and shared
(Luke24:13-35).
Recommended and raised up by God
An
excerpt from Peter’s Pentecost sermon, the First Reading
reflects the basic pattern of early missionary
preaching, as modeled by Luke. The kerygma or
fundamental message of Christianity declares the coming
of the age of fulfillment, a summary of events
pertaining to the ministry, death and resurrection of
Jesus, all these according to “the set purpose and plan
of God” as borne out by the Sacred Scripture, and a call
to repentance.
By
emphasizing the divine plan about Jesus, the scandal of
the cross was devaluated. According to the people’s
expectations, the eschatological age of fulfillment
would be inaugurated by signs and wonders demonstrating
the power of God. Jesus himself, answering the query of
John, the Baptizer, earlier appealed to this Jewish
belief in locating himself within the perspectives of
salvation history (Matthew 11:5; Isaiah 35:5). Peter
asserted that it was public knowledge that miraculous
deeds characterized the ministry of Jesus, signs that
could only be from God and showing that God was working
through Him, and wonders that proclaim Jesus to be
“recommended by God” to the people. Even Jesus’s death
happened according to the plan of God, and it was God’s
working that He was raised from the dead.
Filled
with joy in God’s presence
As a
scriptural and prophetic “proof” for the resurrection of
Jesus, the early Church quoted extensively from Psalm
16:8-11. The psalmist could not have been solely
thinking of David who died and whose tomb at Siloam was
well-known to all. He must have been referring to some
messianic descendant of King David as God’s Holy One who
would not see corruption. In fact, in a very rabbinic
method of argumentation, the community of believers saw
in another reference promising David that one of his
descendants would sit on his throne (Psalm 132:11), the
conclusion that speaking prophetically David must have
been thinking of the resurrection of Christ.
Jesus
was released by God “from the throes of death, because
it was impossible for Him to be held by it.” Not only
was He not abandoned to the netherworld and to
corruption, He was exalted to the right hand of God.
“You have made known to me the paths of life; will fill
me with joy in Your presence.”
Abiding
with His friends
The two
disciples on their way to Emmaus were returning home
from the celebration of the Passover in
Jerusalem.
One was Cleopas; could his companion be his own wife,
Mary, who stood at the foot of the cross (John 19:25)?
They jointly offered hospitality to the stranger as if
they were a couple in their own house. Amidst the
confusing turn of events in the city the last few days,
this couple had not heard yet of any actual experience
of Jesus as raised from the dead.
Unable
at first to recognize the stranger on the road with
them, they expressed their despondency at the death of
Jesus whom they had hoped would be the prophet mighty in
deed and word to redeem Israel. And the hearts of the
two disciples burned within them, as Jesus interpreted
to them the Scriptures to show that they had truly
referred to Him. They had their expectations of Jesus;
death was not part of it. They did not yet comprehend
that He has indeed redeemed Israel through His death.
This new and revelatory understanding of their religious
tradition came to a climax when they offered their home
to Jesus and He broke bread with them. Their eyes were
opened and they recognized their Lord, their traveling
companion.
Alálaong
bagá,
we come to really know Jesus in the breaking of the
bread and in the sharing of His word. Not unlike the two
disciples on the road, in our own journeys through life
we encounter the Risen Lord in the breaking of the bread
of His word and body. Thus, He abides with us as His
disciples until the end of time, nourishing us and
vivifying us. Though Jesus vanished from their sight,
nonetheless the faith of the two disciples picked up and
they were transformed into urgent bearers of the good
news and witnesses to the new life in Christ. Sunday,
the Day of the Risen Lord, with its breaking of the
bread with Jesus and the sharing of His word, is the
celebration of our true intimacy with Him. This vital
encounter that takes place in the Eucharist is
irreplaceable for us if we are to live through and
overcome our weaknesses and disillusionments in this
world. The failure of the resurrection lies in us, when
we greedily lunge at the “bread” offered by the world
and wallow in our own insatiable appetites.
For more of my reflections and works, visit my blogsite:
http://alalaongbaga.multiply.com. |
