Today’s Gospel passage is a continuation of the Road to Emmaus account, in which Jesus met two disciples traveling out of Jerusalem back to their hometown on Easter Sunday afternoon. The two disciples have just rushed back to Jerusalem to let the others know that they have seen Jesus, and he appears to all the disciples gathered there. Luke wants to underscore the fact that Jesus is risen from the dead. He has not been resuscitated but is truly resurrected. His appearance is different, yet familiar. He is neither a ghost nor an apparition; instead, he is truly human, albeit in a glorified, resurrected state.
However, Luke wants to emphasize another reality: Jesus was and is a known entity. His presence and activity were foretold in scripture. The prophets knew of his coming. They knew of his suffering and death. Moreover, they knew about the resurrection. Now, what was spoken of has come to pass. What was merely a thought has materialized. The Messiah was and is real.
The last line of today’s Gospel, “You are witnesses of these things,” is spoken not just to the disciples but to us, as well. We are witnesses to the resurrection, to the scriptures, and to the disciples who are called to preach the Good News.
Therefore, we are called to keep his commandments and avoid sin. We are to repent and be converted into faithful witnesses to the Gospel. As we heard in last week’s Gospel, “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Our faith compels us to put into practice all that we have seen and heard from Christ. May we have the courage of the disciples of old to go and proclaim the Gospel with our lives.
– Msgr. John