Disbelieving from Joy

While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” And they gave him a piece of grilled fish. (Luke 24:41-42)

What’s the very best thing that could happen right now? Go on. Name it. Someone rings and tells you that your favourite film star has asked for you, personally, to be the love interest in their next film. You’ve won a competition you don’t remember entering and there’s a brand-new Porsche sitting outside your house with a bow round it. That exam? You didn’t just pass it, you aced it and got a first! Your boss wants to give you a massive pay rise, Fridays off and access to the executive biscuit tin.

Or how about: a call from the hospital – no sign of cancer. The papers come through and you can stay. The police say they’ve found her and she’s safe and well.

Whether it is an unexpected joy or the removal of numbing dread, there are times when we cannot believe our good fortune. Things have turned out far better than we ever dared hope and we stand like a rabbit caught in the headlights of a recently-crashed carrot lorry, not quite able to take in how gob-smackingly good things are.

This was the disciples on meeting Jesus. Cleopas and friend have just hot-footed it back from Emmaus and told everyone that they’d seen Jesus and then, suddenly, there he is. “Hi!” he says. (‘Peace be with you’ is the standard greeting in many middle Eastern countries even today. I rather like it.)

Then the next bit is great. First they think he’s a ghost (not unreasonable given that they’d not had time to develop a coherent theology of resurrection) but Jesus said, “Look, I’m flesh and bone. Touch me and see.” I can imagine a lot of hugging at this point and then (translating literally) “disbelieving from joy and marvelling,” they gave him a fish finger sandwich. Awesome!

(BTW the picture is a still from The Chosen. If you have not seen that yet you really must.)

‘Disbelieving from joy’ captures perfectly that sense of bewildered euphoria when you realise that the too-good-to-be-true is actually happening.

Sometime the brokenness of our world turns our lives upside down. Sometimes sin (our own or someone else’s) catches up with us. Sometimes plain bad luck smacks us round the head with a 2×4. But sometimes God’s shining providence breaks through the clouds. Sometimes God’s strong right arm grabs sin by the ankles and flings it into outer space. Sometimes God’s blessing is far more than we could ask or imagine, overflowing and spilling out and we stand, lost in wonder, love and praise, ‘disbelieving from joy’.

Liturgy Resources for the Third Sunday in Easter

Acts 3:12-19, 1 John 3:1-7, Luke 24:36b-48

Confession and Absolution

Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.
Let us turn to God that our sins may be wiped out.

No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
Let us turn to God that our sins may be wiped out.

All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
Let us turn to God that our sins may be wiped out.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us,
that we should be called children of God!
And that is what we are!
May repentance and forgiveness of sins
be proclaimed in his name to all nations,
and may that begin with me.
Amen.

Blessing and Dismissal

Beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we will be has not yet been revealed.
But this we know: when he is revealed, we will be like him,
for we will see him as he is.
Peace be with you this day
and the blessing …

Go as witnesses of these things you have heard
and tell the waiting world.
Amen.