The two disciples who had returned from Emmaus were telling the others how they had recognised Jesus in the breaking of the bread. While they were still speaking, Jesus Himself stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Yet their first reaction was not peace; they were startled and terrified because they thought they were seeing a ghost (Luke 24:35-48).
What is striking is that Jesus was standing in front of people who had lived with Him and followed Him, yet in the middle of everything they had been through they could not recognise the goodness that had come into their midst. They had left so much to follow Him, they had seen Him die, and now the future looked uncertain, leaving them with fear, emptiness, confusion and the feeling of being stuck with nowhere to go. In the middle of all those negative emotions, even the presence of Jesus looked frightening.
When Pain Makes Goodness Look Negative
This can happen to us as well. When we are passing through something difficult or painful, perhaps in our family, our marriage, our finances or our health, the struggle can begin to colour everything we see. During the lockdown there was so much anxiety about the virus, people becoming sick, financial pressure and the frustration of being confined at home, and some people told me they were tired of listening to the news because everything seemed negative.
The danger is that when our mind and heart become filled with negativity, even the good that comes to us can be interpreted negatively. The goodness may genuinely be there, but we no longer have the eyes to recognise it. That is what happened to the disciples when Christ came into their midst: because of what was already happening inside them, they looked at Him and thought they were seeing a ghost.
A person once told me about losing his job with immediate effect. He was deeply hurt and bitter, and as he collected his things and walked out of the office, colleagues he had known for a long time came to comfort him. Instead of receiving that goodness, he became nasty with them and cut off those relationships, something he later regretted because, in that moment of pain, he had pushed away people who were dear to him and who were trying to stand beside him.
The same can happen to us in the middle of our own battles. Goodness can come in front of us through a person, a relationship, an unexpected kindness or a situation, yet our pain can make us unable to recognise it. We may even become bitter towards the very people through whom God is trying to bring consolation.
"My Peace I Give You"
That is why the first words Jesus speaks when He comes among the frightened disciples are so significant: "Peace be with you." He does not pretend that nothing has happened, remove the wounds from His hands and feet or erase everything the disciples have been through. He stands in the middle of their fear and gives them His peace.
This is the peace Jesus speaks about in John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives." The peace of Christ is not dependent upon everything around us suddenly becoming easy; it is the peace He gives while we are still facing uncertainty, frustration and struggle. That is why His words remain important when our future is unclear: "Peace be with you. My peace I give you."
During the lockdown I noticed a family living opposite the church. They were not Christians, but over those weeks I often saw their garage door open, their car parked outside and the father, mother and little child spending time together. They played together, and even the husband and wife seemed to be enjoying one another's company, so in the middle of restrictions and all the difficulties around us there was also something good happening before my eyes.
There is always goodness that the Lord can bring into our midst, sometimes through His own presence and sometimes through people or situations around us. We must not allow frustration and anxiety to get the better of us so completely that we become blind to that goodness. The difficult situation may still be real, but it must not become the only thing we are capable of seeing.
Recognise Him in the Eucharist
I love Luke 24 because there is so much of the Eucharist in it. The Gospel begins by recalling how the disciples from Emmaus recognised Jesus in the breaking of the bread, and then, when Jesus appears to the gathered disciples and they are afraid, He shows them His hands and His feet. He brings their attention to the wounds, to the sacrifice and to the reality that it is truly He who stands among them.
For us, the Eucharist continually brings us back to the sacrifice of Jesus and to His living presence among us. During that period when people could not come freely to church and were joining the Eucharistic celebration from their homes, the circumstances were painful and frustrating. Yet the Eucharist still proclaimed the same truth: Christ is present, Christ has given Himself for us, and His word to His people is still, "Peace be with you."
When you feel stuck, frustrated or anxious, do not let those feelings convince you that Christ has disappeared or that there is no goodness left to recognise. Let the grace of the Eucharist remind you of His sacrifice and His presence, and let His words ring in your ears: "Peace be with you. My peace I give you."
Open My Eyes to the Goodness Around Me
The disciples were terrified because they could not initially recognise what was standing before them, but Jesus did not abandon them in that fear. He came closer, spoke peace, showed them His wounds, ate in front of them and opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. Their fear was real, but it did not have the final word.
Do not let anxiety, frustration or the darkness of a difficult season make you blind to every sign of goodness. There may still be people who love you, moments of grace you did not expect, opportunities to draw closer to those around you, and above all the presence of Christ who continues to come into the middle of your struggle.
Let us pray: Lord Jesus, You appeared to Your apostles in the midst of their fear and showed them Your wounded hands and feet. You reminded them of Your sacrifice and said, "Peace be with you." In the midst of my own struggles, when I feel lost, frustrated or uncertain, let those words ring in my ears throughout this day.
Open my eyes so that I may recognise the goodness that has come into my midst, even when there is darkness around me. Do not let pain or anxiety make me blind to Your presence or to the people and blessings You place before me. Let me see Your goodness in the land of the living, and let the grace of the Eucharist fill my heart with Your peace. Amen.