Archpriest Viacheslav Reznikov (d. 2011) reflecting of the readings of the day: Luke 24:12–35; Acts 2:14–21
Christ is Risen!
But is it only Christ who has risen? Lazarus, the daughter of Jairus, and the son of the widow of Nain were resurrected. And it may even seem that they are the ones who have truly been resurrected. They were just lying lifeless, and then they got up, returned to the circle of the living, they don’t disappear anywhere, and everyone can see them.
But the Lord is not like that. No one saw Him rise from the grave. Behold His swaddling clothes lie; behold, the angels proclaim about Him. Finally, He Himself appears to the myrrh-bearers and disciples. But these phenomena are short-lived: He suddenly appears and suddenly disappears, and at first they either do not see Him or do not recognize Him. Mary Magdalene sees and thinks that it is the gardener; The apostles see and think that it is a ghost.
Today we are talking about one appearance of the Lord, which is described in especially detail in the Gospel.
Two students were walking and talking about recent events. Jesus approached, but “their eyes were kept, so that they did not recognize Him.” The Lord asked what they were talking about, and when he received the answer, he said: “O foolish ones and slow of heart to believe everything that the prophets have foretold!” He explained to them for a long time from Scripture that everything was exactly how it was supposed to happen. Then he pretended that he wanted to go His own way, but they begged Him to stay. And only in the house, during the meal, He revealed Himself. But he immediately became invisible.
So, at first the Lord allowed the disciples to go alone for some time, reason with their minds, and indulge in their feelings. When they spoke to each other, then, probably, as happens between their own, they spoke in half words, half hints. And the Lord, asking a question, forced them to gather their thoughts and present everything sequentially. It seems to be for Him, but in reality - for ourselves. And only when they expressed everything that they themselves knew and were perplexed about, the Lord Himself began to speak. He began to speak their language, answer their bewilderments, and continue exactly where they left off. They listen, and their hearts burn with unknown joy. Here the Lord pretends that he wants to part. And this is also no coincidence: the Lord prompted them to hold Him, to express a desire to listen to the words of truth again and again, to feel the burning of their hearts again and again. The Lord, at their request, entered the house with them. During the meal, He “took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him; but He became invisible.”
This is how the Lord prepared the souls of the disciples: he lit them with the fire of love, nourished them with truth, and awakened the will.
A guest is greeted with dignity only when they are waiting for him, thinking about him, loving him. Whoever thinks about the Lord, whose heart burns with love for Him, who desires for His Kingdom to come - for such a soul it is enough not only to see the risen Lord, but simply to hear the news of His Resurrection. And only to such a soul can the prophecy of Joel be applied: “And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” The name of the Lord can only be pulled out of the abyss and lifted to heaven when it embraces the entire soul, even to the last corner. That is why the Church prepares us for the day of the Resurrection of Christ through prayer, fasting, and reading the word of God.
Christ is Risen! Source:
Archpriest Viacheslav Reznikov, Polnyi krug propovedei, "Svetlaia sedmitza" |
