Dear companions in the Lord!
Let us put ourselves in the disciples’ situation immediately before their encounter with the risen Lord – they are deeply unsettled, talking among themselves about what they have experienced or heard, but perhaps unable to believe what is beyond their comprehension.
Where there should be exuberant joy, confusion and perplexity prevail. And then suddenly the risen Lord appears in their midst – the one they have been talking about all along, but they do not recognise Him.
When Jesus appears to the disciples, his appearance initially triggers bewilderment and fear, despite the message of the resurrection they had heard before, the testimony of the disciples who had encountered Him. It is simply too wonderful, beyond all comprehension. They were not prepared for this encounter, and it takes Jesus’ patient pedagogy to convince them that it is indeed Him, that He is alive, that He is turning to them. It takes time for the soul to catch up. …
