Lk 24:13-35
Today’s reading is loaded with grief and hurtful episode.
The state has just killed a man who was tagged as a criminal and enemy. He suffered the brutal killing. The soldiers shamelessly exposed his body to the public to make a statement: here is the enemy, the subversive and a troublemaker! The conspiracy of the Roman Empire with the local government was a success. They used the law and made “judicial” killing work. It was an act of terror by the state itself. But the story did not end by “ legally “murdering Jesus.
The people had a notion who this Jesus was.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.” (Luke 24:19-21).
As long as there is exploitation, oppression, abuse, and violent acts by the state against the people, there would be person, individual, and collective actions, or organizations that would not rest until the much sought-after FREEDOM is at hand. The Roman state and the ensuing states arrogantly deny this. Instead of addressing the desire of people for justice and equitable abundant life for everyone, the empire /state suppresses the people by imposing rules that will only benefit the ruling class who take advantage of the unjust order.
There was no peace. Even the Roman Empire was not at peace with its power, even as it devised a murderous project of killing a dissident like Jesus. The ever-growing desire of people has become a movement that it will not rest until FREEDOM is attained.
Killing a prophet, a dissenter, a subversive, and a Jesus is not the final victory of the state.
They will live. They will always be present in the movement of “breaking bread sharing of bread” as Luke tells us (Luke 24:30). The radical breaking of bread signifies the pursuit of systemic socioeconomic reform that would eradicate unjust order, and build a program that will make substantial food available on every table. This cannot be done without radical love manifested in restructuring the society where there would be an eradication of the gap between the greedy who accumulates ill-gotten wealth and amongst those who were robbed. Hence the poor and the anawim.
Then and now, the history of resistance, revolution through armed struggle, protests, and subversions are reflections of the contradictions between the poor and the ruling class, the colonizers, and their puppets and the people . The cry for Freedom from slavery and modern-day- slavery, Freedom from feudal bondage, Freedom from tyranny, and Freedom from hunger and disease – all these are just and right. Persecuting and killing those who resist injustice, be it judicial or extrajudicial, are acts of terror. And such acts could never be justified or right.
Imagine yourself walking in Emmaus, loaded with grief and pain. Remember those who were killed and sacrificed – the Peace activists and Peace Consultants, those who spent the fruitful years of their lives serving the poor and the masses. Remember those who have tagged a terrorist to justify their murderous acts. Remember the fascist hands who schemed evil devices to arrests, abduct, torture , kill the activists then make a cover-up to escape accountability, because they fear the TRUTH.
The walk to Emmaus was a lonely path- with anxiety in your heart. Will the killing of Jesus discourage the next disciples? The beautiful assurance is: this Jesus whom they killed always be with the people, in breaking bread and sharing with them. Just like our heroes and martyrs— they will always be alive in our breaking and sharing of bread. It is like a movement that will never die.
#HindiMagagapi
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