FROM THE SERVANT GENERAL
THE WAY FORWARD IN CHRIST
(Part 195)
WITNESSES OF JESUS – 3
April 7, 2021
Today’s gospel:
Acts 3:1-10
Psalm 105:1-9
Luke 24:13-35
Mary Magdalene witnessed to Jesus. Peter witnessed to Jesus. Now Jesus witnesses to himself. On the road to Emmaus, Jesus appears to two disciples and tells them about himself. “Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures.” (Lk 24:27). Because of their encounter, their lives were totally changed, from dejection at the death of Jesus to exultation in his being alive. And it turned them around, literally, from leaving Jerusalem to going back. “So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them.” (Lk 24:33). They had been witnessed to; now they would witness to others. “Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way” (Lk 24:35a).
To witness is to basically tell the story of Jesus, whatever we know of him and however he has affected our lives. “Make known among the peoples his deeds! …. proclaim all his wondrous deeds!” …. Recall the wondrous deeds he has done, his wonders and words of judgment.” (Ps 105:1b,2b,5). Jesus is Savior and Lord. He did wonders such as healing the sick and driving out demons. Today he still does wondrous deeds for people. And it is through us, his people, that such wonders are done.
And so it was that Peter healed the crippled beggar. “In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk.” (Acts 3:6b). The crippled beggar is much like many people in the world today. We live lives far short of the intent of God. We are sick and in need of healing. We are dejected at how life has turned out. We are helpless and needing to be carried by others. We have nothing much to look forward to, except the same travail from day to day. We would be content with crumbs, and so beg for alms.
But there is a Savior, and he is Jesus. And Jesus acts in and through his disciples. “Then Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles grew strong.” (Acts 3:7). We may be down, but we can be raised up. We may be weak and helpless, but we can be made strong. Like the beggar, we may be outside just “at the gate of the temple” looking at “the people who entered the temple” (Acts 3:2), but we too can enter. “He leaped up, stood, and walked around, and went into the temple with them, walking and jumping and praising God.” (Acts 3:8). What a transformation! What a turnabout! From being crippled to leaping and standing and walking. This is what Jesus does.
It all begins with our witnessing. We tell the story of Jesus. Yes we were not actually there with him. But we know him. We know him first through the Bible. Jesus spoke to the two disciples about what the scriptures said about him, beginning with Moses and all the prophets. But we have the story of Jesus himself. We have both the Old Testament and the New Testament of the Bible. So this means that we need to know the Bible, because it is all about Jesus and salvation history. The words of the Bible have power to convince and to transform. “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?” (Lk 24:32).
Then as people meet and know Christ, and their transformation has started, they will begin to live Christ. Their knowledge of Jesus will deepen. And here we have a second important aspect. It is the Eucharist. For the two disciples, Jesus “was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.” (Lk 24:35b). In the Eucharist, we hear the word of God, we commemorate the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, and we celebrate his victory. “The Lord has truly been raised” (Lk 24:34a). And we receive Jesus himself in Holy Communion. It would be as it was with the two disciples, “that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him” (Lk 24:30-31a).
We witness to Jesus, that is, we share Christ, then people will meet Christ and start to live Christ. “Seek out the Lord and his might; constantly seek his face.” (Ps 105:4).
