Resurrection: It Takes a Second Look
Seeing things as they truly are usually takes time. How else can we explain that no one—no one!—noticed the resurrected Jesus right away? Seeing the resurrection requires a second look, another glance. It takes a while for our eyes to adjust to the light of the resurrection, and then everything in life looks radically different… Seeing God’s “new thing” is about perceiving an old thing in a new way through a new lens.
Such is the miracle of Gospel sight—to see what has always been there in a completely new way that makes it feel like something new. This is always a work of grace, and we can only handle so much of it at one time.—Kris Rocke and Joel Van Dyke in Geography of Grace, Doing Theology from Below from Daily Quote, InwardOutward/ Church of the Saviour, InwardOutward.org, April 30, 2019.
When friends ask what life must be like in the resurrection, I remind them that our only stories are about the resurrected Jesus. After the resurrection, the disciples on the road to Emmaus did not recognize Him. Mary Magdalene did not recognize Him. The disciples meeting Jesus on the beach were unsure of His identity. Jesus came and went through closed doors. The resurrected Jesus gave fishing tips, cooked meals, and ate dinner with His friends.
The Easter season is the perfect time to read and meditate on the resurrected Jesus’ appearances on Easter Day and throughout the following forty days (Acts 1:3-8).
We are most familiar with several Easter Day accounts of Jesus’ appearances: Mary Magdalene in John, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary in Matthew, Mary Magdalene and the Galilean women in Luke, two disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke, and disciples in the upper room when Thomas is absent and then present in John.
Caravaggio national gallery London
The resurrected Jesus appears at least 12 times. This Easter Season is an excellent time to practice Ignatian meditative practices, imagining ourselves in more unfamiliar scenes.
Jesus appeared to the disciples eight days after the resurrection (John 20:24-29), with Thomas present in the upper room. He also appeared to seven disciples at the Sea of Galilee, asking Peter to feed His sheep (John 21). Additionally, Jesus appeared on a hillside in Galilee (Matthew 28:16-20), possibly to over 500 people, as referenced by Paul (1 Corinthians 15:6). Jesus was later seen by His brother James (1 Corinthians 15:7). His final appearance was the Great Commission, after the disciples returned to Jerusalem and were led out to Bethany at the Mount of Olives (Luke 24:50-52, Acts 1:9-11). We also know that Paul encountered Jesus a few years later on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:5, 1 Corinthians 15:8).
The fact that people struggle to recognize Jesus reveals at least two things. First, the resurrection is so powerful that it's almost impossible to believe at first. Second, Jesus looks different after the resurrection.
May we, in turn, learn from these stories about the different resurrection life in this life and the next.
1Msgr. Charles Pope, Blog, April 9, 2012, blog.adw.org
From his Native American heritage, Bishop Steven Charleston often reminds us that we got through the pandemic and social and racial unrest with the help of those who love us in the resurrection in the next life. Through them, God prays, walks beside us, and nudges us to care for ourselves and others.
Joanna. joannaseibert.com https://www.joannaseibert.com/