Third Sunday of Easter

 Lectionary: 47

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.

The Lord's Resurrection has always been hard to imagine, and harder to comprehend. Which is why we must continually return to the few stories we have of his appearances. The Evangelists Matthew and Mark reestablish his authority over the disciples, an authority that might have passed to Peter -- and then lost among his opponents. In Saint John's account, authority might settle on the more pious, like Mary Magdalene, the "mother of Jesus," or "the one whom Jesus loved," rather than the more practical Peter. 

But Saint Luke insists upon the continuing life, presence, and authority of his risen human body. He remains with us as a man and a Jew. We know him by his hands and feet. He is clearly, undeniably present, despite his miserable death -- which we saw! Not only is his tomb empty, he ate baked fish with us! Obviously, neither death, nor hell, nor the grave could contain him. 

The authority of a living man is something to be reckoned with. When Abimael Guzmán was arrested and tried for leading the terrorist organization, Sendero Luminoso, ("Shining Path") the Peruvian government sentenced him to life in prison. Had they executed him his followers might have agreed upon his successor. But since he was still in prison, some hoped he might be released while others argued over who should take his place. They were weakened by the division. 

Christians remain united around the Lord who remains physically present with us. We have seen him; we still "break bread" with him; there is no replacing him. 

In recent years, some have challenged his maleness. Couldn't the Savior be a female? What if he were a she? Would it make a difference? Was the only reason the Lord was male was in those days  no one would follow a woman? 

He was a man because he could not be both male and female. 

We are saved by a sexual human being as we all are, and one like us in all things but sin. We are saved by a person who lived in a particular place and time, as we all do. We know enough about his family and society to say he did not live "once upon a time," or "in a land far, far away." Saint Luke tells us of particular moments in his life, moments his older readers would remember. As when Augustus Caesar was the emperor, and King Herod the Great governed in Israel. Jesus of Nazareth is not a myth although his life, teachings, death, and resurrection have mythological significance. 

Nor should we say he is the ideal man. The Bible is not idealistic. By definition, an ideal is unattainable. When God spells out the laws of his covenant, he tells us how we must behave, and what we must not do. These are not goals to attain or ideals to strive for. They are directives of our behavior, standards we must keep, and limits we dare not exceed.

Because he lived in an identifiable place and time like every other human being, anyone can relate to him directly -- provided they are willing to go the extra mile with someone from a distant place and different culture. Jesus is not a fantasy who can be reimagined to fit anyone's personal tastes. His appearance, we can assume since the evangelists did not describe it, was unexceptional; it was typical of his time and place. 

But if we're unwilling to meet and engage with other human beings, we can have no encounter with Jesus. Some people say they love the Lord but no one else; they worship an idea which they call Jesus. 

As we struggle to discern how we should live as men and women in this 21st century, we turn to the man who lived and died twenty centuries ago; and who lives with us still. We ask him to teach us what to say and what to do, and the limits of both. We serve him like the astonished disciples who gave him something to eat. 

Finally, the Scriptures insist, because he was a human being, he can save us from our sins. And we love him for that. 

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help. Hebrews 4:15-16