Sacramental Completeness [and the struggle to keep it]
It's barely a couple of hours after the Emmaus episode, Luke 24:35. The scene: 10 Upper Room Avenue, Jerusalem. Enter stage right nearly a dozen disoriented disciples. Jesus appears and the reaction is most definitely not the joyful recognition culminating from an experience of hearing the Word of God like Cleopas and his pal just did. Rather, upon seeing him, the Eleven "were startled and terrified." Not least because the one they abandoned, betrayed and left for dead is back—likely for revenge. And all this after they admitted He had appeared to Peter. Once again the Gospel looks like a poorly concocted story - there's negative progress happening with this resurrection thing. The apostles are getting worse. Somebody help. Why the setback? I mean, how'd a couple of second-tier disciples get faith that dwarfs the faith of Jesus' favorites? I'd say because the framework of their encounter with the risen Christ was different. Can I get bold? The structure ...