***
Gospel: Luke 24: 35-48
he disciples of Jesus recounted what had taken place along the way,
and how they had come to recognize him in the breaking of bread.
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.
Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled?
And why do questions arise in your hearts?
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Touch me 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.
While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,
he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?”
They gave him a piece of baked fish;
he took it and ate it in front of them.
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.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
***
***
What is the first word that Jesus says after being raised from the dead?
“Peace.”
In Hebrew, “Shalom.”
“Shalom” means inner stillness; harmony; wholeness; prosperity.
These are the things the Risen Lord offers his disciples in today’s Gospel after appearing to them behind locked doors.
***
You can imagine the disciples hiding fearfully somewhere in Jerusalem. Outside their room, they can hear children running through the alley ways, locals bartering in the streets, people chattering back and forth.
Meanwhile, they must’ve been wondering, “Are those the same voices who shouted ‘Crucify him!’ on Good Friday? If we leave this space, will people recognize us? Will we be crucified next?”
***
Thankfully they’re discovered, not by an aggressor, but by the Lord.
“Peace,” he says. Shalom.
The Lord does for the disciples what no one else can; he stills their hearts.
***
At times, I’m sure we all feel like the disciples did, not necessarily fearing for our lives, but afraid of one thing or another. In those moments, the invitation remains the same: turn to the Lord, who offers what only he can, peace.
Shalom.
***
***
Image credits: (1) Minnesota Annual Conference (2) Doubting Thomas, Caravaggio (3) JosephPrince.com