RESURRECTION: A PRESENCE BEYOND THE HISTORICAL EVENT.

THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER. YEAR A.
April 6, 2008.
(First reading: Acts 2:14, 22-28) (Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-11)
(Second reading: 1 Peter 1:17-21) (Gospel reading: Luke 24:13-35).


RESURRECTION: A PRESENCE
BEYOND THE HISTORICAL EVENT.

The resurrection of Christ Jesus is not merely a historical event, it is above all a presence: The presence of the living Jesus in all human beings.

In the minds of the Emaus disciples, the entire life of Jesus had been only a sequence of historical events of "things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word... [who was] handed over to a sentence of death and crucified" (Luke 24:19-20). In the minds of the disciples the event of Jesus' death had been the final event; for that reason they said: "We were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel" (Luke 24:21)

Today, as we walk along the path of life, Jesus continues to approach us in order to allow us to see that his life and resurrection are more than just historical events, for historical events are temporary and subject to the dictates of the dominant powers of the world.

The readings of this Sunday identify the forces of the world which seek to destroy the presence of Jesus, to destroy the goodness, justice and peace of God (These forces still exist today):
- The gospel identifies the "chief priest and rulers [as the ones who] handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him" (Luke 24:20). As it turned out, the ruling powers of society killed Jesus.

- In the Book of the Acts of the Apostles Peter denounces those who "killed [Jesus] using lawless men to crucify him" (Acts 2:23). Peter denounces the conniving skills of the rulers to enlist an entire society to perpetrate their conspiracies.

- The First Letter of Peter identifies "The futile conduct, handed on by your ancestors" (1 Peter 1:18) who reduce the goodness and justice of God to mere temporary, historical events.

Jesus is beyond history and beyond the forces of injustice and oppression, forces against which Jesus comes out victorious through his resurrection. With his resurrection, Jesus demonstrates that the forces of the world can no longer dictate the meaning and course of history.

With the resurrection of Jesus the powers of the world lose their privilege to "write" history.
With his resurrection Jesus takes away the powerful's ability to disguise death as if it were life, war as if it were a means to achieve peace, injustice as if it were justice, lies as if they were truth.

By his resurrection, Jesus moves on from a historical event to a presence in the life of all human beings.
Jesus tells the disciples on the road to Emmaus that his historical background takes meaning only in as far as it leads to an eternal presence. Jesus tells them "Oh, how foolish you are, how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke... Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures" (Luke 24:27).

By his resurrection Jesus is no longer another historical event to be manipulated by the powers of the world.

The readings of this Sunday tell us that Jesus is present in our lives:
- The First Letter of Peter declares that it is the presence of Jesus in us which allows us to "invoke as Father him who judges impartially according to each one's work" (1 Peter 1:17). It is the presence of the Lord Jesus in us which makes us acknowledge that our "faith and hope are in God" (1 Peter 1:21).

- Psalm 16:11 also stresses Jesus' presence in our life: "You will show me the path of life, abounding joy in your presence". That is the joy of life Jesus shows his disciples on the path to Emmaus.

- The gospel, finally, tells us that Jesus fully revealed his presence at the breaking of the bread at which time the disciples' "eyes were opened and they recognized him" (Luke 24:31).

May our world be able to partake at the breaking of the bread (the bread which belong to all human beings) so that we all may be able to experience the presence of the living Jesus in our lives.