The Day is Long

3EasterA, Sullivan Park Care Center, May 4, 2014 by Sr Annette Fricke, OP

            There is a common thread that runs throughout the gospel stories.  Crowds of people flock to hear Jesus throughout his entire ministry.  The gospel of Luke is no exception.  We are told as early as this gospel’s chapter 5 that the crowds were pressing in on Jesus so much that he got into a boat to speak to them.  People were hungry for his words, sometimes so hungry that they would not even think to bring food with them, but would listen intently to him for hours.

            As Jesus nears the cross, the crowds disappear and one by one, almost all of his followers leave his presence.  They leave because they still have the idea stuck in their heads that Jesus would be an earthly king to replace Caesar, to overturn Roman rule. The people are keenly aware of the bondage they feel, but the solution Jesus presents just doesn’t make any sense.  In fact, it is nonsense. Their sentiment is that, “Jesus led us down the road and now he is abandoning us.” And with the resurrection appearances, the trend continues.  It is no longer the crowds coming and seeking Jesus.  Not only do the crowds abandon him, but even those most loyal and close to him.  They still do not really comprehend what has happened. So Jesus goes about seeking his disciples.  He wants them to know that he is alive. He comes to them individually, by pairs, in small groups. 

This gospel text is one of those stories.  The day is long.  The resurrection appearances of Jesus are told in such a way that we are given the impression that it is one very long, stretched out day, like a day that lasts forever.  The Passover is over, and the Jewish observers of this most important feast on their religious calendar are returning to their private residences and lives.  The high, celebratory feast is over, but even more of a letdown is that Jesus guy, the one we thought to be the Messiah, who we thought would save Israel isn’t here.  He even talked about saving the whole world. It was a great feast and it was great to see all the relatives and catch up on what’s been going on in their lives, but now it’s time to get back to our ordinary, mundane lives. We know he told us several times that he would suffer and die and return, but it’s been three days and the women who went to the tomb told the apostles that he was raised, but where is the proof?  Where is Jesus? The disciples were shocked, sorrowing, profoundly discouraged and downright disappointed. In one word, they felt betrayed. The witness of the women was simply not enough.  You may or may not understand a lot about sports, but I think you can understand this.  One of the most important things to remember in a sport like football or baseball is to not drop the ball.  Why?  Because then it goes to the other team.  Possession is supremely important.  If you don’t believe me, watch at the emotional reaction from parents and fellow students when a player does this in an actual game, especially a final tournament match for first place.  The disciples dropped the ball.  The disciples’ whole identity was bound up with Jesus.  What are they to do if what he told them is not true?  What if Jesus did not rise from the grave?  What if what the women said really was an idle tale? Jesus turned their lives upside down into a whole new way of thinking, and believing in God.  If Jesus did not rise from the tomb, the disciples have a huge identity crisis.  I cannot speak for you, but I think most of us living in the post-resurrection era really don’t grasp the full impact of that first day of resurrection. And further, I don’t think we give enough credit to the gospel writers.  If there is any section of any gospel that includes the emotions of what happened, the resurrection appearances are them.  Luke says they were amazed.  Mark says that terror and amazement seized them and they were afraid. Matthew says that even the women left the tomb with fear. 

So here we are in the midst of our own ordinary lives.  We have our times of struggle, foibles, and misunderstandings.  We sometimes live as though Jesus is not risen, as though he is still dead in the tomb.  We react with anger or depression and sometimes really wishing things had been different.  A first cousin dies as a teen in a car crash.  An aunt gives birth to a baby that only lives a couple of days.  A mother has a couple of miscarriages.  A sister’s marriage ends in divorce.  A son or daughter does not come back from the war.  A spouse, son or daughter dies before you do.  A family is disappointed about the care received in a nursing facility or hospital.  The Malaysian plane that may never be found and all the lives lost in that crash. People in our own state die from a mud slide. People are fearful when they see in the news that scientists have predicted another eruption of Mt St Helens. The list goes on.  There are times when we also want to ask Jesus, “Why have you abandoned us?” “Why are you so far from helping us?” The people of today also ask the same questions as the disciples.  We also want to know, “Where is Jesus?”  Even those who profess belief in Jesus sometimes sense his absence more than his presence.

The story on the road to Emmaus is the story of our life’s journey as Christians.  It is a continual re-reading of the scriptures, participating in the sacrament of Jesus’ body and blood, both of which are a renewing of our faith by doing this.   Both of these things are tools by which Jesus is summoned to live with us and in us. Where is Jesus?  Jesus is in the scriptures and the sacraments.  Where does the gospel of John say the disciples actually recognized Jesus?  It is in the breaking of the bread, the sacrament of Holy Communion.  Verse 30 reads quite plainly, “When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.  Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.”  Jesus wants us to have a continuing relationship with him, to continue to walk with him down our entire life’s journey.  Jesus invites himself into our lives in all our joys and all of our sorrows, especially when we are suffering through any life event that may be happening to us or others.  Jesus himself endured the ultimate suffering by dying on the cross.  His presence is always there, even though we don’t always recognize it.

Jesus explained to his disciples back then so many years ago and explains it again to us just who he is and what he came to do.  He explains the whole story of Moses and the prophets, what they said, and how Jesus is God’s answer who brings wholeness between God and all of creation.

We all come before God as broken people, but if left as just broken people, we will have no hope; just like the disciples on the road to Emmaus.  Our sorrows in life cause us to be blind to Jesus who is always before us, even in the fellowship as we gather together in worship. The day is long.  The resurrection appearances of Jesus are told in such a way that we are given the impression that it is one very long, stretched out day, like a day that lasts forever.