An act of worship at home
Reading Luke 24:36b-48
While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, ‘Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’ And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.
Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.
Reflection
The disciples were sitting sharing the news that Jesus had risen from the dead when suddenly Jesus was there, in their midst. Not surprisingly they were surprised, shocked, frightened. Other gospels tell us that the door of the room had been locked but still, here was Jesus seeming to appear from nowhere and their minds must have gone everywhere trying to make sense of it. How could it happen, was this real or a vision, was Jesus real, or perhaps a ghost that could walk through locked doors?
So to steady them down he said “Peace be with you” and showed them his hands and feet so that they could see the wounds. Then he asked for something to eat and he took a piece of fish and ate it. Jesus was showing the disciples that he wasn’t some kind of ghost.
But there was something different about Jesus. It’s telling the his friends and followers almost never instantly recognise him when he appears after the resurrection, but once recognised his friends have no doubt who he is.
Some say that the risen Jesus had a Spiritual Body, the problem is that we hear this today we can think that means the risen Jesus was a sort of ghost and didn’t have a real body at all. But our modern misunderstanding of spiritual is the complete opposite of what was understood at the time of Jesus. At that time ‘reality’ as we now think of it was just a poor reflection of true reality of the spiritual world. So if we understand ‘Spiritual’ the way the disciple and others of their time did, then we can understand that they meant the risen Jesus had a real proper physical body, but it was also so much more, more real than real, which is perhaps what the gospels are telling us too.
Which may explain why the risen Jesus looked slightly different, but then was enough the same for disciples to be sure after they had recognised him.
But Paul says more. In 1 Corinthians 15 v 20 Paul says that the resurrection of Jesus was the first fruits, the first instance, of a resurrection that will be for everyone.
However we understand that it really is something to look forward to.
Prayer
We now come to God with our prayers For others and for ourselves.
Let us pray.
Lord, answer us when we call; be gracious to us and hear our prayer.
We pray for our leaders; For those who make decisions for the whole country, and for those who make decisions for our own town. Help them to listen to advice, and to think about everybody’s needs.
We pray for the church everywhere; for churches in our own town, and for churches on the other side of the world. We pray for our own church, for all who are a part of it, and for all who lead our worship. May your Church be a family which welcomes everyone.
We pray for all who are sick today. We remember those who are ill at home, and those who are in hospital. We pray for those who are waiting for the results of tests; be with them, and bring them the healing they need.
We pray for our families; we thank you for them, and ask you to bless them. We also pray for ourselves. Help us to remember all that you have done for us in Jesus, and to put our trust in you wherever we go, and whatever we do.
Lord, answer us when we call; be gracious to us and hear our prayer.
Amen
Hymn
O for a thousand tongues to sing
my great Redeemer’s praise,
the glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of his grace!
Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
that bids our sorrows cease,
’tis music in the sinner’s ears,
’tis life and health and peace.
He speaks, and listening to his voice
new life the dead receive
the mournful, broken hearts rejoice
the humble poor believe.
My gracious Master and my God
assist me to proclaim
to spread through all the earth abroad
the honours of thy name.
Blessing
Jesus appeared to the disciples and said ‘Peace be with you.’ May we know your peace with us.
And may the Blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
rest upon us and remain with us always. Amen.
