Breaking the Word

Now that very day two of them were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. He asked them, "What are you discussing as you walk along?" They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?" …

As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. But they urged him, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them. And it happened 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, but he vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning (within us) while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?" So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them who were saying, "The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!" Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread. (Lk 24:13-35)

The two disciples were on their way back home. Peter did the very same thing when he said “I am going fishing”. After the death of Jesus the disciples were disillusioned, disappointed, discouraged and some of them were even desperate and they wanted to go back to their old ways of living. As they walked along they were also sharing their disappointments only.

Jesus as he walked along with them was trying to enter into their feelings, their mentality and captured their situation fully. Then he also discussed the same topic but with support of the scriptures. He was trying to make them realize that the scriptures were fulfilled in all what they had experienced. Jesus was trying to make them read life in scripture perspective.

While they were walking they communicated to each other and to Jesus what the other disciples and the women were saying. Resurrection experiences were narrated from the very beginning. Narration of their experiences was the primary factor to communicate resurrection. Even these two rushed back to Jerusalem to narrate to the others what had happened to them on their way.   

But Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken my Lord, and I don't know where they laid him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" She thought it was the gardener and said to him, "Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him."  Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni,"  which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, "Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"  Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and what he told her.  (Jn 20:11-18)

Belief in the resurrection is a gift from above. Until and unless it is given from above the individual sees only the material, human, social and cultural things around. Mary sees only the empty tomb and she weeps over it. She sees only a gardener in the person standing behind her. And the communication between them is also of earthy. They speak of taking the body (death) only.

When Jesus addressed her as woman, her response also was of the same line. She considered him to be a gardener. The talking between them also would be of human interest and importance. Jesus talked to her in common language and general terms and hence the communication is also of general nature.

Jesus called her Mary. He called her by her name that is Jesus was personal. Immediately Mary based her response in a personal manner. She addressed her Rabbouni. Then the communication becomes personal. He tells her not to hold on to her and communicates to her that she has to be in relationship with the father etc. Personal approach, personal revelation, and personal communication makes the person accept resurrection and she is able to proclaim “I have seen the Lord”.