Reflection -- Something Real

This gospel story recounts one of many appearances of Jesus between his Easter resurrection and his later ascension into heaven.  He conveys peace to the assembled Disciples and, to emphasize that he is no mere ghost, he invites them to see and touch him and he eats with them.  Jesus’ resurrection is real!

Next, Jesus wants to make it clear that his resurrection has world-changing significance.  It is not just an interesting phenomena, or something God accomplishes to bring comfort to the Disciples on the loss of their friend (although it may have been that too).  Jesus explains to them how the Old Testament had long ago foretold his death and resurrection and where these events would lead them -- proclamation of the gospel good news beginning in Jerusalem and spreading to everyone everywhere.

One of the truths in this passage has important implications for countering a body-denying “religion” that has too often led to persecution of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people and misery for heterosexual people as well.

Humans have long had to struggle with what it meant for Jesus to be both human and divine at the same time.  One of the ideas that Christians rejected early on was “docetism,” a notion that emphasized Jesus’ divinity to the exclusion of his humanity by teaching that he only “seemed” to be human and only “seemed” to suffer on the cross.  This idea was declared to be a “heresy” [false teaching] early in the life of the Christian community we know as the church.  Nevertheless, docetism still thrives.  As one commenter on this passage noted, "anyone who publicly presents a thoroughly human Jesus will find a sharp reaction.” 

This passage from Luke’s gospel makes it crystal clear that the risen Jesus was someone who could be seen and touched and who engaged in normal human activities like eating.  This point is important.  Jesus was not just an abstract spirit and God does not in any way diminish the worth of the human body.  God created them and God inhabited one!! 

A significant aspect of the way in which Jesus serves as our savior, the reconciling bridge between our human selves and God, is that Jesus can fully identify with what it means to be human.  Reverence, awe, and humility in the presence of God are completely appropriate, but a faith that does not also include an appreciation of Jesus’ “nitty-gritty” participation in our humanity misses out on an important part of what God has done for us.  God is neither shocked by, nor ashamed of, our humanity, including our bodies.

revclay

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Luke 24:36-48

While [the Disciples] were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."  They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost.  He said to them, "Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?  Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have."  And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.  While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?"  They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence. 

Then 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, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled."  Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.  You are witnesses of these things.

 [NRSV]