In the Acts of the Apostles, Peter is remembering Jesus, but his death, “The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob… has brought to fulfillment… that his son would suffer.” Peter uses Jesus’ death to encourage change, “Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away.” Peter is not relating to Jesus from his life nor from his Resurrection. After the Resurrection, two travelers to Emmaus are also remembering Jesus, but his death too, “rulers condemned Jesus to death and crucified him.” They also are not relating to Jesus from his life nor from his Resurrection. While they “were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.”
Being focused on death keeps us from being changed, certainly from being resurrected into new life. We cling to what is old, like the Old Testament. It is like clinging to an old favorite doll. If ever we feel uncomfortable and unsafe, we can pick it up, hold it close, and know our place. Theologically, we pick up the old, comfortable, and safe story that we are sinners but personally saved from God’s wrath through Jesus’ suffering and death. The story of Jesus’ death is a lie but it is told and retold to divert us from being the challenging person Jesus was – that’s how he died – the rulers he challenged murdered him. We too are meant to be changed and to change the world. We are meant to live as an adventure bring new life into the world. Such a life would likely have us asking questions and feeling uncomfortable, unsafe. We might ask how we can change this world of rulers who want to dominate us and coerce us to worship them? We can live as Jesus did – in communion, perhaps uncomfortable though, unsafe. We might ask how to change all the inflicted suffering targeting us as if we deserve it. We can live as Jesus did – loving each other, caring for each other. We might ask how we can change the violence rulers do to us and keep telling us saves us while it is killing us off. We can live as Jesus did – acting as a healing power. Communion, love, and healing are a challenge. We will not be picking up an old doll that makes us comfortable, feeling safe. We will be living a new life, resurrected. We will be living an adventurous life. We will be changed. We will change the world.
“It was said that, one year before his death, Franz Kafka was walking through Steglitz Park, in Berlin (where) he found a little girl crying heartbroken. She had lost her doll. To calm her down Franz first helped look for the doll. Eventually, realizing they would not find it, Franz told the little girl that the doll was probably away on a trip but that she should not worry, as he was a postman and the doll would have sent her a letter. He arranged to meet her the next day at the same spot, to deliver the letter. (He) read it to her when they met the next day, “Please do not mourn me, I have gone on a trip to see the world. I will write you of my adventures.” This was the beginning of many letters… he read her… (of) the imagined adventures of the beloved doll… When their meetings came to an end, Kafka presented her with a doll. She obviously looked different from the old doll, but an attached letter explained: ‘my travels have changed me.’” (Kafka and the Traveling Doll – Jordi Sierra I Fabra)
Prayer: Spirit, surprise me !
Question: How has my openness to resurrection changed me; how have we changed the world?
April 18, 2021 Gospel Luke 24:35-48 Third Sunday of Easter