Monday in the Octave of Easter
(Acts 2:14.22-23; Matthew 28:8-15)
Today’s gospel juxtaposes two accounts of what happened
after Jesus’ crucifixion. The first is
given by Jesus himself who is obviously risen from the dead. He asks that the good news of the
resurrection be conveyed to his disciples, whom he now calls “brothers.”
The second account involves an accusation against Jesus’
disciples. The chief priests say that
the disciples stole Jesus’ body and, presumably, announced falsely the
resurrection.
Certainly, the evangelist Matthew leaves no doubt which
account is true. Nevertheless, readers
must choose between the two as the second account has been handed down through
the centuries as well as the first. It
can be said that the second account is more credible because the resurrection
from the dead into eternal life is a unique event in history. But we hold to the first for several
reasons. First, the disciples had little
to gain by proclaiming the resurrection.
Indeed, they were to suffer martyrdom for telling the story. This fact gives us added confidence that the
Jesus’ account is true. Finally, the
first account confirms what we know of Jesus.
He preached not only the resurrection of the dead but also the goodness
that life offers and the necessity of telling the truth.
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