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Week Twenty-Five, Day Two

Luke 24:1-53

Luke begins his Gospel with birth stories about John the Baptist and Jesus that are unique to him. He ends the life of Jesus with two stories that are also uniquely his, though the first clearly draws on Mark’s version of the resurrection.

In Luke, the same women who had helped take Jesus’ body from the cross arose at “early dawn” to go and give the body of Jesus a proper treatment. Four women are named specifically, but Luke notes that there were others. In Mark’s Gospel there are only three women who go to the tomb. In Matthew and John Mary Magdalene goes alone. In each of these, women—who in that day were not allowed to testify in court—were the ones who would bear witness to the central miracle of Christianity. Throughout his Gospel, Luke has given special attention to the role of women in the life and ministry of Jesus. They clearly played a powerful role in the life of the early Church, which was the context for Luke’s writing.

The other resurrection story found only in Luke is the risen Christ appearing to two disciples as they walked along the road to a village called Emmaus about seven miles away. For some reason, these two don’t recognize the risen Christ, though he proceeds to teach them about the prophetic context for the events that had just transpired. At the end of the journey, they invite Jesus to stay with them, and only recognize him as he takes the bread, blesses it and breaks it.

This long and involved story is clearly Luke’s effort to explain to his audience how the Eucharist transcended the Last Supper of Jesus. Here we have a resurrection meal at which disciples are taught, and enlightened, and Jesus’ presence is recognized in the breaking of bread. Then the two who have been with Jesus run into the night and all the way back to Jerusalem to tell the good news. Thus we have the pattern of Christian worship that has survived in various forms for centuries.

If resurrection has any meaning for modern disciples of Jesus it is in that rhythm of learning, communing, experiencing the risen Christ, and being renewed with such vitality that we cannot help but run to tell the good news. Running to tell good news is the core identity of people of resurrection. Otherwise, who will offer the world the hope of life?

Blessings,

Michael Piazza
President, Hope for Peace & Justice

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