How do you know?

Luke24:28–43

Although it is weeks from Easter, and several days from the story of Emmaus we read last Sunday, this passage is only “hours” later. Jesus is quite busy traveling around. Both this story and the one that precedes contain what one writer calls: “Jesus: Crucified. Died.Risen. Hungry.”

It does seem a little unusual that the risen Jesus needs to eat so much. Or maybe he is only eating for our sake.

Read the story. Read it slowly - as though you had never read or heard it before. Maybe you have not. What words or phrases catch your attention? What would you have felt or done if you had been one of the disciples. What word from God is present for you in these words from Luke?

Jesus keeps appearing to the disciples. So how do they know it is “really” him? Some people claim God has spoken or appeared to them. How do we know if they should be believed? If God speaks to you how do you know it is God and not the evil one?

William Stafford's Easter Morning raises the same question.

I do not think we should answer too quickly or let others convince us too quickly: God is indeed mysterious. But for me, my "tests" when I test the Spirit/spirits are always things like: Am I being asked to do or say what I really really want to do or say anyway? If so, probably not Jesus telling me to do it. Is the person who will pay the biggest price for this me or someone else? Someone else -then probably not. Am I being fed and then asked to feed others? Could be Jesus. Am I being consumed and then feeding on others? Probably some form of evil.

Fred Beuchner's line about the sin of anger is cautionary: [When feasting on anger] "The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you.”

Jesus asks for fish and bread to prove he is real and not a ghost. We are his people because we have been fed and nourished by him. It is really him when we have nourishment, not words or criticism or orders, but nourishment to give and share and eat ourselves.