A Reflection for Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Find today’s readings here.
Jesus said to his disciples:
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you;
Not as the world gives do I give it to you
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
At the Last Supper, Jesus shared more of his teachings with the disciples as he prepared them for his departure from this world and his return to the Father. The disciples peppered Jesus with questions. First Simon Peter, “Lord, where are you going?” Then Thomas, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we find the way?” Then Philip, “Lord, show us the Father and we shall be satisfied.”
Throughout the Gospels, the Twelve often appear uncertain and confused by Jesus’s teachings. Jesus’s words at the Last Supper were disquieting. For three years the disciples had walked with Jesus through Galilee and Judea supporting His ministry, sharing all the hardships. Now Jesus was leaving? Without them?
The disciples had no idea what trials were just ahead, for them and for Jesus. Over the next twenty-four hours, Jesus would be betrayed, arrested, tortured, unjustly condemned and brutally executed through the cruelty of crucifixion. He knew it was coming and accepted it willingly. His disciples, their hearts both troubled and afraid, scattered.
Palestine during the first century C.E. under Pax Romana was not a very peaceful place. The chief priests and scribes, jealous of and threatened by Jesus, knew exactly how to manipulate Pontius Pilate. Imperial Rome used violence to maintain public order. When the chief priests threatened to stir up the crowds and start a riot, Pilate was bullied into crucifying Jesus. It was unjust.
This story is two thousand years old, and it is as fresh as yesterday. In our modern world, politics are polarizing, wealth is unequally shared and injustice and violence seem ubiquitous. It is easy to feel powerless. Like the disciples during that first Easter weekend, it is also easy to feel lost, abandoned and uncertain about the way forward. Perhaps a loved one has passed away, or a good job has been lost. Perhaps a marriage is passing through some turbulence. Perhaps a jealous person has hurled an unjust accusation at you. Perhaps the pressures exerted by school, by work or by social media seem too heavy to bear. Just as Thomas did, we often find ourselves asking, “How can we find the way?”
We should pose that same question to Jesus. Each of us has an image of Jesus and each of us has a preferred way to pray. My favorite image of Jesus is as a companion, and my favorite form of prayer is conversation. Ignatian spirituality encourages us to imagine ourselves in a scene. On my daily walk through a Colorado forest, I imagine that Jesus is walking next to me, and we fall into conversation. In those moments walking with my friend, I am always at peace, and my heart is not troubled. That is the peace that Jesus Christ offers us—a spiritual peace that is enduring.
Our world might not give us peace but even without us asking, Jesus always says, “Peace I leave you; my peace I give you.” What a magnificent gift that is.
