As I reflected on this passage from Luke’s gospel, I thought about the disciples and the whole range of feelings they must have been experiencing after the events that led to Jesus’s crucifixion and death. Disbelief. Grief. Sorrow. Fear. Adrift in all of those feelings. Suddenly, there he is, Jesus. And yet a different Jesus. Not a ghost. The Jesus who had been human is now resurrected, risen from the dead. He demonstrated all of that to the disciples by showing them the wounds in his hands and by eating fish.
Even though Jesus spoke about this, called on the words of the prophets, fulfilled the words of the prophets, the disciples had a hard time figuring all of that out. They were incredulous with joy. It’s understandable in that fog of grief and fear. Jesus offers comfort and allays their fears from the very start. His first words: Peace be with you.
Now that we have celebrated Easter, a different kind of work begins after the days of Lent. How do I share the love and joy and peace of Christ in my life? How do I live out the Easter joy? What prayers, good works, and peace can I bring to those near to me and to the world? How can I overcome my fear and hesitancy and be fueled instead by the joy of the resurrection? I know I can start in small ways to find God in all things, to love my neighbor as myself, to forgive others as I hope to be forgiven.
Jesus understands my hesitancy and my fear. I pray for the courage and the strength to find, feel, and live out the joy of Easter. I pray for peace.
Carol Zuegner
Writing and reading the Daily Reflections helps me connect with my faith.
