HOMILY FROM CANON STEPHEN BAILLIE
3rd Sunday of Easter B21
‘You are Witnesses of these things’
Today’s Gospel is one of the Resurrection accounts from St Luke’s Gospel. It begins with the disciples recalling their experience on the road to Emmaus and how they recognised Jesus in the breaking of the bread. The Gospel continues into another account of the Risen Jesus with his disciples. Jesus interrupts the disciple’s story and greets them with ‘Peace’ (Shalom) yet, in this account, they are terrified by this. Jesus shows them his wounds and Luke tells us that they are full of joy, but they still can’t believe it and think it is a ghost. Jesus shows them that he is no ghost as he asks for food and eats fish with them. Jesus then journeys with them back through the scriptures in order to open their minds. He speaks to them compassionately, trying to relieve their anxiety and fear.
Jesus tells the disciples that ‘you are witnesses of these things’. Luke wants to establish an important point, that these disciples are witnesses to the Resurrection, they ate with Jesus after his death and opened their minds. The Resurrection accounts in the Gospels are not fantasy, they are the actual experiences of Jesus’ disciples. So often in Luke’s Gospel Jesus conveys his message through food and banquets, moments of celebration. The Risen Christ brings compassion and joy into difficult spaces. Today let us share with Jesus the situations in our lives which need an injection of compassion and Easter joy.
