Lk 24:13-36 (cont.)
Again, another thought or two to tack onto the end of yesterday's post.
but they constrained him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them. - (29)
Sometimes the circumstances of our lives present us with ample reason to let Jesus pass us by. On occasion, that happens even when those circumstances are the result of his intervention. Now, Jesus is always with us through the Holy Spirit, so it is even easier for us to fail to orient ourselves toward his presence, to fail to request to linger a while with him. When we make such choices, we are not robbed of the discussion and revelation we may have received along the way, but we do cheat ourselves of the deeper encounter that he desires (for our sake) to share with us. So for us, the plea is not so much "stay with us" as "our agenda beckons us; help us to stay with you."
When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them.
And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight. They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?" And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem- (30-33a)
Having share the scriptures with them, Jesus now breaks the bread. It is again the model for our Eucharistic celebrations to this day.
Why did he vanish out of their sight? I can think of several reasons. The first is that, now having had their eyes opened, they no longer needed to see him. Secondly, perhaps they needed to process between themselves the full picture of the events of the day. This is part of why group scripture study is so powerful: when we allow the Holy Spirit to bring our individual experiences into a group discussion, we obtain a clearer picture of what the Lord may want all of us to understand. A third reason is that, had he remained, they would certainly not have been so quick to return and share the news.
Occasionally, we also get a burning experience of God's presence with us. I can think of a number of times I have felt so blessed. One such time is when we experience the liberating power of Jesus' death and resurrection setting us free from some bondage we have always known. This is why I love both the charismatic renewal and the Unbound deliverance ministry; both bring this power to bear in the lives of those who have been knotted up.
They found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, who said, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. - (33b-36)
I'll have to look at the other gospels, but I believe that only Dr. Luke records Jesus' appearance to Simon apart from the other disciples. Don Francisco gives us a glimpse what that might have been like in He's Alive, although scriptures don't describe it; I believe, though, that Simon surely must have needed such a healing encounter with the risen Lord.
Sadly, too few of us recognize Jesus, either in his holy Eucharist or in his presence with those with whom we break bread every day.
No comments:
Post a Comment