The Appearance to the Disciples

Today's Reflections 

The Appearance to the Disciples 

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Mk 16:9-15

⁹When [Jesus] had risen, early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. ¹⁰She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping. ¹¹When they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

¹²After this he appeared in another form to two of them walking along on their way to the country. ¹³They returned and told the others; but they did not believe them either.

¹⁴[But] later, as the eleven were at table, he appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed those who saw him after he had been raised. ¹⁵He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.”

They did not believe. For us who can now follow in the gospels the turn of events from Jesus’ birth to his ministry, passion, death, and resurrection, it is so easy to judge Jesus’ disciples as so obstinate. We wonder how could they be so unbelieving! We forget that they staked everything on Jesus. And yet he died a criminal on the cross—shattering all their hopes and dreams.

Thus, the news about Jesus’ rising from the dead is not easily believed by his disciples. They just will not allow themselves to be “fooled” twice. But the good news of Jesus’ resurrection cannot be stopped from being proclaimed. The witnesses will soon come out, convinced, confident, and empowered.

Peter and John will later say, “It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). No wonder that “observing the boldness of Peter and John and perceiving them to be uneducated, ordinary men,” the leaders, elders, and scribes “were amazed, and they recognized them as the companions of Jesus” (Acts 4:13).

Go and proclaim the Good News! Paul declares,

“If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me

to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me,

and woe to me if I do not preach it” (1 Cor 9:16).