You are witnesses of these
things.
Words from Jesus to his
disciples.
Words from The Room Where it
Happened.
Words passed on to us by St Luke,
the Evangelist.
A group of Jesus’ closest disciples
are hiding in a locked room.
It must be quite a large room,
because many disciples are there.
Ten of the eleven Apostles are
there.
Including two more
Evangelists—Matthew and John.
(Judas is dead and Thomas is away
somewhere.)
Maybe Mary and Mary Magdalene and
other women are there.
Other disciples, like the two
from the road to Emmaus, are there.
Maybe even another
Evangelist—Mark.
Jesus has just been killed—within
the past few days.
Some thought that would never
happen—but it did.
Now, they’re afraid for their own
lives.
A mob had turned against Jesus
and had him killed.
His closest disciples could be
next.
Luke states it all rather calmly
and briefly.
If we don’t pause to think about
it,
We can miss the deep despair and intensity
of that moment.
But by now they’ve all heard that
Jesus has Risen from the dead.
Whatever that means.
Peter and John had seen the empty
tomb—and believed.
Mary Magdalene had actually seen
him and spoken with him.
Those two disciples who met him
on the road
Had spent the day with him, received
revelations from him,
And started a meal with him.
But could others really rely on
any of those fantastic reports?
Or were those stressed-out reporters
imagining things?
Confused, seeing what they wanted
to see, accepting the unbelievable.
The two who had headed for Emmaus
had turned back
And rejoined the group in the
locked room.
They were just finishing their
story, when suddenly—
There stood Jesus himself.
He’d somehow entered that locked
room
And was standing there among
them.
The disciples were terrified; did
being risen mean he was a ghost?
But Jesus proved to them that he
was real and that he was alive.
He showed them his wounds.
He let them touch him, see that
he was flesh and bone.
He ate some fish—evidently everybody
knows ghosts don’t eat fish.
He was a fully living, Glorified-bodied,
Resurrected, Jesus.
The disciples’ fear and terror
turned to joy and amazement.
Now they all believed; but
they still didn’t understand.
Then, as he had with the two on
the road,
He opened all of their minds to understand
the Scriptures.
He explained what the Scripture
had foretold about him.
How he was the fulfillment of the
Scriptures.
He told them that they are
his witnesses.
They were with him through his
teaching, his miracles,
His Passion, and his death.
And now they had proof of his
Resurrection.
They were his witnesses to all
these things.
And as privileged witnesses, they
were now called to give witness.
To testify throughout the
world.
To spread the Good News.
Soon, perhaps that very day, they
would receive the Holy Spirit.
To give them greater courage,
power, and ability in testifying.
Others too, would witness Jesus’
appearances
During his remaining days on
earth.
And, as his final earthly event,
some would witness his Ascension.
Those witnesses from the locked
room did as Jesus asked.
They carried his words, his story,
his Truth, to all the nations.
They preached, they taught, they gave
example by their holy lives.
They passed-along and preserved
what they had witnessed.
John and Matthew and Mark presented
their own Gospel accounts.
John and Peter and James wrote letters
to their Churches.
We know of many witness responses
because of Luke.
He recorded them in the second
volume of his great writings.
After his Gospel, we have his
aptly named, Acts of the Apostles.
Vividly recounting the actions
of Peter and James and others.
Including others who may not have
been in that room
But who were witnesses because of
what they’d actually seen.
Or because of what they’d heard
and believed.
Like Paul, and maybe Steven and
Barnabas and Apollos.
Our first reading today came to
us from the Acts of the Apostles.
That
story of Peter’s fearless and effective preaching.
Our second reading was from John’s
letters.
And there are more witnesses.
Not first-hand witnesses present
in that locked room.
Witnesses not yet born at that
time.
But witnesses who have had
the Scriptures revealed to them.
Interpreted for them.
Explained and made understandable
to them.
Witnesses who have received the
Holy Spirit...
Witnesses called to carry the
word not only throughout the world,
But also, throughout time.
Us.
Witnesses to what we’ve received
and learned and believed.
Witnesses who, like those before
us, are called to give witness.
Prophets—made prophets by our
Baptism.
And called to spread the Good News.
Called to act in kindness and
honesty and love of God and neighbor.
To live like we truly believe
what we say we believe.
Every act we do in that spirit is
the act of a true witness and prophet.
Actions drawing others to God,
and earning a prophets reward.
3rd Sunday of Easter
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