
Luke 24:35-48
Today’s Gospel invites us to stand with the disciples as Jesus appears among them. They are startled and Jesus reassures them with his greeting of ‘Peace be with you.’ Understandably they think he is a ghost and he reassures them again: ‘Touch me and see for yourselves.’
If I imagine myself among the disciples I think I probably would have held back a little and waited to see if one of the other disciples did actually move forward and touch him. This is an intimate moment. Jesus doesn’t say, ‘Don’t get too close. This is my glorified body. Be careful.’ No, he wants his disciples to be close enough to touch him.
I’ve often been asked about death and resurrection and what happens when we die. My answer is always the same: Jesus is our model. He appears in flesh and blood. His body still bears the scars of his death. He can eat. He can cook. But he isn’t recognisable at first. There is something different about him.
Imagine Jesus saying to you; ‘Touch me and see for yourself.’
How do you respond?