As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit 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. (Luke 24:36-40, ESV)
Why is it when a person or angel appears to someone in the Bible the first thing they say is “Peace be with you”?
Just think about it for a moment. You are one of the 12 disciples (yes there were 12 disciples, only 11 are pictured above because one did something unmentionable, but that is a post for another day…(suffice it to say I do not believe Judas is as bad as we, or the Bible, make him out to be)) and the person you followed for 3 years, and just watched get arrested and put on trail, and murdered is now standing on front of you talking to you… What would you reaction be? I would scream like a little girl (no offense to little girls) and run as fast as I could. It would scare me until I would probably have to go and change my robes…
He gives them peace so they do not freak out. But He still knew they thought He was a ghost. So he told them to see His hands and His feet and the holes there, and to touch him, and see. But did any of them actually touch Him? If you read the next few verses in Luke, they do not.
And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.
He eats some fish to prove that He is not a ghost. He told them to touch Him, and even after they have heard His teaching for 3 years and then seen the fruits of His teaching come back to life and stand before them they still do not hear Him or listen to Him…
Even Thomas in our readings tomorrow will get a bad rap for doubting. And Jesus told him to touch Him, but he didn’t either. (And Thomas is here in the Luke account of the story…)
So do we believe when we have not touched and seen? When the disciples could touch and see and didn’t and had a hard time believing Him when they were with Him.
This is where faith comes in, and Christ’s peace fills us and leads us to believe what He has told us is true, even when we can’t “see”.
Because “seeing isn’t believing, believing is seeing!” (Santa Clause 3)
aSacredRebel 