Understanding the Word

By Dianne Bergant, C.S.A.

Peter stands as a witness to the Resurrection. His attitude toward his Jewish  compatriots is hardly a case of anti-Judaism. He is opposed to those who refuse  to accept Jesus as Messiah, not to the Jewish nation as a whole. His Christology  is rooted in the prophetic tradition of ancient Israel, employing language that is  reminiscent of the Suffering Servant tradition of Isaiah. He weaves various thematic threads together, reinterpreting earlier traditions, thus developing his own  Christian theology. The power of God to bring life out of death is the point of the  passage, not the assignment of blame for Jesus’ death. 

The major portion of the second reading goes beyond promotion of righteous  living. It offers encouragement for those times when believers stray from righteousness and do in fact sin. In these times, Jesus will be an advocate for them  before God. Jesus does not assume the role of comforter, a role traditionally  assigned to the Spirit. Rather, he is an intercessor, one who atones for the sins  of the world. The knowledge of God discussed here is experiential knowledge,  knowledge that results in a relationship with God. To know God is to love God.  Both knowledge and love of God manifest themselves in obedience to God’s  commandments. 

The risen Lord Jesus addresses a group of women and men with the customary  Jewish greeting: Peace be with you! They are terrified, for they think that they are  seeing a ghost. Jesus rebukes them for having doubts and then calls attention to  the marks of the nails in his hands and feet, demonstrating that it is really he. In a  final demonstration of his bodily reality, he eats a piece of cooked fish. Although  this is not the official ritual meal of the community, it may have eucharistic overtones. Having assured the disciples of his bodily resurrection, Jesus proceeds to  explain his suffering and death by turning to the scriptures. 

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