Gospel recounts two disciples encountering Jesus on Easter Sunday as they were
leaving Jerusalem and going to Emmaus. They were sad as most people in the world
feel today under coronavirus pandemic, hopes and plans crushed. The pandemic
destabilized our mental and physical order; how can this disorder be reordered!
Disciples say, we saw power and grace in Jesus and thought he was the Promised
Messiah, then the worst kind of death happened-crucifixion; we don’t understand; we
put our hope in him. The two disciples’ experience shows that Jesus accompanies us
in our suffering, fear and frustrations. Theologian Hans Balthazar wrote in his book
‘Anxiety and Christians’: ‘God took special interest in human anxiety and the Word
became flesh [God became man]. Anxiety is part of human existence that we may
evaluate life in relation to God, that creation is like clay in the hands of God who is
creator and redeemer’. Jesus explains the prophets that Christ had to suffer and
become one with the suffering humanity; no suffering is now without deep meaning
and death is about reclaiming life with God.
Life is a journey, church is on a pilgrim journey and Jesus accompanies us. Jerusalem
represents challenges of life we confront on the journey, what needs to be lost and
what has to be regained. We go through crucifixion many times in life; the presence of
Christ in our suffering, we may not recognize first; faith, hope gradually moves us to an
Easter experience and we recognize Jesus who has always been with us! Christ does
not leave us alone in despair. Prophet Habakkuk 3:16: God breaks into our weariness!
In the breaking of the bread/Eucharist, the disciples recognized Jesus. Bread and wine
are transformed in the Eucharist; same way lives can be transformed and made healthy
and we enjoy friendship with God; the world around us would be changed too,
because Eucharist/breaking the bread is Christ’s living and accompanying presence
with us, breaking his love and sharing with us. Like the disciples we need to listen to
Jesus, learn from him and accept the truth about happenings in life and be open to
new ways of journeying!
The disciples could not make sense of Jesus’ crucifixion and death; they were grief
stricken. Listening to Jesus they felt their hearts burning! In Psalm 39 we read: ‘I was
silent and dumb, I remained speechless, filled with distress. Then my grief was stirred
up, my heart burned within me. In my sighing, a fire blazed up’. Happenings like
coronavirus don’t make sense to us, but we can turn them into a spiritual encounter
with Jesus when we allow the word of God to shed light on such events! Life’s journey
is encounter with Jesus, not letting him walk away, then recognizing him in the
Eucharist and in our fellowship with each other and continue the journey. In breaking of
bread, Jesus accepts the woundedness of his disciples. It is not our weakness or sin
Jesus sees in us; in our helplessness he directs us to the good into which we can
grow! 1Jn 3:20 assures us: ‘your heart may condemn you but God is greater than your
heart’!