Third Sunday in Easter: Gospel, Luke 24:36-49                           

Luke 24:36-49

Jesus was busy on the evening of His resurrection. A walk with friends on the road to Emmaus. And if that wasn’t enough for newly resurrected feet, He appeared to others as they were hiding in fear of the authorities. Startled they were to see Him as He most likely appeared in their midst without the use of a door for entrance. I think I would have been a bit spooked myself. But he challenges his companions to believe and to do so based on the fact that they could see and feel his wounds. This was no ghost as they thought at first.

But what was it that Jesus used to finally convince His friends? Ghosts don’t need to eat and spirit stomachs probably don’t do a good job of holding food. But Jesus, the newly risen, says to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 

Now I don’t want to jump too far afield here, but I think I’m safe in my meditation. In this particular instance Jesus warrants His reality with His ability to take in food. Right in front of them He eats. The Savior’s reality is grounded in having something to eat. It is so with us. As we come to the table He has set for us we also have both pledge and proof of His reality. His new life is indestructible and His body is real. “This is my body,” says our Savior. Take and eat and the next time you receive the treasure of Holy Communion, be assured that it is Jesus. The very same One who ate in the presence of His disciples to convince them of His reality commands us to eat of Him believing the same truth. The proof is in the eating.