Readings: Acts 2:14,22-33, Ps. 16:1-2,5,7-11, 1 Peter 1:17-21, Luke 24:13-35
“While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognising him.” (Luke 24:15-16)
Perhaps like these two disciples who decided to walk away, some of us here have become so disappointed with God and are already on our way to Emmaus (that is, thinking of abandoning the Christian faith). Does this apply to you? Today’s Message is for you.
1. Even When We Walk Away from God, He Never Walks Away from Us
Last Sunday, we read about how Jesus appeared to the disciples not just once but twice. They were locked up in a room for fear of the Jews. Jesus could see how troubled they were at heart; hence, the first thing He said was, “Peace be with you.” What does this tell us? We serve a God who deeply cares for us; a God who understands how we feel; a God who comes to meet us right where we are.
Like the disciples who were locked in a room out of fear, these two disciples were not at peace because they felt Jesus had failed to live up to their expectations. By joining these two disciples on their way to Emmaus, Jesus once again shows the depth of His love for His flock. Jesus shows that He is the Good Shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine in search of the one lost. (Cf. Luke 15:4).
It is precisely at those moments when we think God has left us that He is closest to us. You may be going through a very rough path right now, and you wonder why God would allow so-and-so to happen. You may be thinking it is all over for you. Don’t worry, God is right there with you.
Once upon a time, Jesus was alone in prayer, and his disciples were on a boat crossing to the other side. The winds and waves rose, and they feared for their lives. From a distance, Jesus could see what they were going through, and He decided to go to them walking on water (Matthew 14:23-27, John 6:16-21). Jesus did this to pass a very important message: “No matter how rough life may be for you, know that you are never alone; I am right beside you.”
By walking with these two disciples, Jesus became the third person on the way to Emmaus, thereby symbolically completing them. Are you feeling down? Does it feel like something is lacking in your life? Picture God walking with you right now. Open up your heart to Him and listen to what He has to say.
2. Knowing about Jesus is Different from Knowing Jesus
Luke tells us that “their eyes were kept from recognising him.” What does this mean? These disciples knew about Jesus, but they didn’t know Jesus. If they knew Jesus, they would have known that He was not a political messiah and that He had not come to establish an earthly kingdom. They would have remembered that after feeding the multitudes and the people were about to make him a king, Jesus escaped from their midst. (Cf. John 6:15).
Like the two disciples, many of us become disappointed with God because we assume God’s kingdom is all about finding prosperity here on earth. The crowd met Jesus the next day and demanded another miracle of loaves and Jesus told them: “Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life.” (John 6:27) At the end of the day, just because Jesus was not willing to give them ordinary bread to eat again, “many of his disciples (like these two disciples) drew back and no longer went about with him.” (John 6:66)
On the other hand, like these two disciples, we may be very familiar with the Word of God, yet we do not know the Word. The two disciples were conversant with scriptural passages such as Jeremiah 23:6, “In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely.” They said to Jesus: “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.” (Luke 24:21) They failed to understand that this redemption was never a matter of overthrowing the Roman authorities.
It is not enough to quote the Bible from Genesis to Revelation; the big question is: “Do you know Jesus?” If you do, you will understand that He never fails. If you know Jesus, you will fix your gaze on him and not on what you lack. Let not your love for what this world has to offer become the shield preventing your eyes from recognising Jesus.
3. Don’t be Foolish: Suffering is Part of Life
One of the reasons the disciples were walking away was because they couldn’t understand why Jesus would allow himself to be handed over to the Roman authorities and be killed like a common criminal. They were asking themselves, “If truly Jesus is God, why did He suffer? Can God suffer?” These two disciples saw the Cross as a failure on God’s part because they didn’t understand that it was the sign of ultimate victory.
Jesus saw that even though they knew the scriptures, they lacked understanding. Jesus began by saying, “O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:25-26).
Beginning with Moses, Jesus interpreted the Scriptures to them, showing clearly that suffering was part of God’s plan. This is the same point Peter makes in today’s first reading. Jesus had to be delivered into the hands of lawless men and killed in fulfilment of the plan of God. Jesus was killed, but he couldn’t have been held bound by the power of death. In fact, Jesus had to suffer and die to defeat death forever.
Child of God, it is foolish to think that by being a Christian, you are automatically free from suffering. It is foolish to forget that, like a farmer who has to till the ground, we must first plant in tears before we harvest in joy. (Cf. Psalm 126:6). It is foolish to recite scriptures such as Philippians 4:19 which says: “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory” without taking note of scriptures such as Luke 14:26-27 which says: “If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”
The point is, suffering is just one part of the story. Whether we like it or not, there will be moments of suffering, tough times, confusion and disappointment in our lives. We may even find ourselves praying like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass me by.” There would be moments when our enemies would laugh at us or make a mockery of our faith. Suffering is part of life.
In your moments of darkness, when you find yourself walking alone in the valleys, activate your faith, remind yourself that Jesus told us to be glad and rejoice when we face persecution, tell yourself that God is a Father who will never give you a stone when He knows you need bread, gaze at the crucifix and tell yourself that Easter Sunday is coming. All suffering is good; it is part of the discipline we must endure to become like gold; to achieve our true potential, to get to our Promised Land. God has not failed; everything is working according to plan.
4. Jesus Walks with Us During Every Mass
Today’s Gospel passage can be likened to the Holy Mass. This Mass began the moment Jesus joined them on their way to Emmaus. By opening the scriptures to them and explaining all that was written about Himself, Jesus did the first part of the Mass, known as the Liturgy of the Word (which consists of the Introduction, Penitential Rites, Gloria, Opening Prayer, First Reading, Responsorial Psalm, Second Reading, Gospel Acclamation, Gospel Reading, Homily, Creed, and Prayer of the Faithful). If you pay attention to the liturgy of the word and listen to Jesus speaking through the readings and the homily, you cannot help but agree that, like these disciples, you would feel your heart burning within you.
Given that the disciples were paying attention to Jesus, they didn’t want Him to stop. They begged him, saying, “Stay with us.” This request of the two disciples can be likened to the prayer of the faithful, in which we beg God for various intentions, chief among them that Jesus should stay with us.
The second part of the Mass is the Liturgy of the Eucharist. This is what happened when Jesus took the bread and blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them. It was at this moment that their eyes were finally open. It was at the Eucharist that they recognised Jesus. Let us pray that our eyes would be open to see Jesus in the Holy Eucharist; to know that Holy Communion is truly the flesh and blood of Jesus offered to us for our spiritual sanctification.
Furthermore, every Mass ends with “in te Missa est”, meaning: “Go forth and proclaim the Good News.” Like these disciples who couldn’t wait till the following day but found their way back to Jerusalem that same hour, every time we attend Mass, we are called upon to go out and spread the message to the whole world joyfully.
Let us pray: May your people exult forever, O God, in renewed youthfulness of spirit, so that, rejoicing now in the restored glory of our adoption, we may look forward in confident hope to the rejoicing of the day of resurrection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (3rd Sunday of Easter, Liturgical Colour: White. Bible Study: Acts 2:14,22-33, Ps. 16:1-2,5,7-11, 1 Peter 1:17-21, Luke 24:13-35)
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu