Inbox Inspiration: April 26, 2020: Special - 12 Third Sunday of Easter

Special – 12
Third Sunday of Easter 
Gospel: Luke 24:13-35   

The two disciples who are at the center of today’s gospel end up telling the other disciples about their experience with the risen Jesus.
They say: “The Lord has truly been raised.”
Sometimes it strikes me as strange that these two disciples express it in this way: “The Lord has truly been raised.”
Usually I speak of Jesus as “rising from the dead” – the active voice.
This way of describing the resurrection shows Jesus as in control of the situation and rising by his own power.
After all, we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and so he could rise by his own power.
So, why the expression: “The Lord has truly been raised.”
One of our Catholic commentators offers this insight.
If we speak of Jesus as “rising from the dead,” we in effect set Jesus’ suffering and passion apart from our own pain, suffering, and death.
We posit Jesus as completely in control.
Whereas, in our pain, suffering, and death, we are powerless and not in control.
So, when the Scriptures carefully speak of Jesus being “raised” by the Father, they are not denying Jesus’ divinity or his real power.
Instead, they are conveying that Jesus assumed our humanity so completely that even he felt powerless and afraid when he was confronting pain and suffering.
Even Jesus, instead of relying on his own inner resources, trusted in the power of the Father to be with him through it all and to raise him up.
So, this expression – “The Lord has truly been raised” – conveys Jesus’ invitation to us to do what he did:
to entrust ourselves to the power of God to sustain us and raise us up to life eternal.

Father Michael Schleupner

In addition to the usual Wednesday edition, I began these Special Inbox Inspirations on Fridays and Sundays when the Coronavirus Crisis began. On Fridays, there is a prayer related to the crisis and on Sundays, a reflection on the Sunday gospel. I hope these are helpful.