It's not always easy to recognize Jesus at first. When we encounter him in a new and unexpected way we risk missing him, just as many do when they first see him after he is risen. Just as Saul does on the road to Damascus.
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him,
"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"
He said, "Who are you, sir?"
The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
We need to have our eyes opened in order to recognize him.
Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes
and he regained his sight.
This is especially true when it comes to the most important way in which Jesus is present to us today: the Eucharist.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood,
you do not have life within you.
Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood
has eternal life,
and I will raise him on the last day.
The Church wants everyone to see Jesus. From the Church people are sent to pray for and deliver those who do not yet know Jesus.
The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight
and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul.
Note that while the individual is concerned that Saul is a bad person and probably not a good candidate to be a Christian at all, let alone a disciple, the LORD is not concerned about this. We are often like Ananias, arguing with the LORD about his plans, thinking we have better (and likely safer) ones. But it is difficult to even imagine Christianity without Paul. So we should assume the LORD knows what he is doing.
Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
In the story of Saul and Ananias we see that Saul is prayed over, recovers his sight, and is baptized. But only once he has eaten does he recover his strength. We need to eat the Eucharist with eyes of faith in order to become and remain strong. It is the source of life for us.
Just as the living Father sent me
and I have life because of the Father,
so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.
Again, it's hard to see. But God wants to open our eyes to it this morning.
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