Third Sunday of Easter
There is a scene in the Star Wars movie,
“The Force Awakens” where Rey and Finn are on board the old Millennium Falcon ship, gazing at a projected map of planets and stars as they press Han Solo to answer questions about Luke Skywalker’s disappearance long ago. Han Solo recounts the incomplete story from what he knows, then reflects on his journey from stubborn skepticism to believing in the Force. “I thought it was a bunch of mumbo jumbo…the crazy thing is, it’s true. The Force and the Jedi. All of it. It’s all true.”
Similarly, today’s Gospel echoes an awakening of faith that causes the disciples to say to each other and eventually to communities of people throughout the known world, “The prophecies are true. Christ and his resurrection. All of it. It’s all true.”
Somewhat like Han Solo, Leia and the rest of the resistance, the disciples had found themselves in a dark place that they hadn’t expected – their best friend and leader – the one who they expected to lead them into this great movement against the oppressive forces of their time, was gone. But unlike Luke Skywalker, Jesus had actually been killed – and there could be no doubt about it, because it was a public execution via crucifixion. They thought it was all over and the hope they had begun to believe in was lost. Not knowing what else to do, two of the disciples decided to head home and go back to the lives they had lived before. On the road, a stranger catches up with them and they begin talking with him for quite some time. They enjoy speaking with this stranger so much that they invite him to eat dinner with them. During the breaking of the bread, their eyes are suddenly opened and they recognize the stranger as Jesus. No sooner than they have this realization, Jesus disappears from their midst.
They run back to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples what they saw, and as they are trying to explain that their dead friend was alive again (probably to some pretty skeptical and maybe even angry faces) Jesus appears to them again and says “Peace be with you.” The disciples’ reaction is very realistic (imagine if a person you knew was dead suddenly appeared next to you and started nonchalantly talking.) They were “startled and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost.” I wonder if Jesus was teasing them when he said, “Why are you troubled?” But he then goes on to prove to them that he is not a ghost – that he has actually resurrected like he said he would. He shows them his wounds from the crucifixion, and because spirits like bodiless souls and angels can’t eat physical food, he even eats a piece of fish in front of them to prove that he’s the real deal.
Imagine if you were one of the disciples there that day. How would you have handled witnessing this scene? I’m a jumpy person, I know I would have let out a pretty impressive scream at “Peace be with you.” But after getting over the pure shock, the disciples were “incredulous for joy and were amazed.” And beyond their feelings of relief, excitement, happiness, etc…something else clicked for them. Jesus began to open their minds to the scriptures and help them connect the dots between the hundreds of Old Testament prophecies and how they were all fulfilled through Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.
That is when they had their Han Solo moment. “The crazy thing is, it’s all true. All of it.” They witness the most amazing moment in Salvation History with their own eyes (the “clicking moment,” if you will, because without it, nothing else would make sense) and then it became their mission to tell the whole world. Which is exactly what they did, and it’s why you’re reading this today!
Photo Credit: Bago Games – Flickr
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