"What's wrong with our belief, when we believe that Christ, who is God, was
SERMON 229J 305
Christ has lost the whole fruit of his passion if there's no truth in his resurrection
2. When faced with these objections, though, they usually reply like this: "What's wrong with our belief, when we believe that Christ, who is God, was a spirit? We believe he was spirit, we don't believe he was flesh; spirit is better than flesh; we believe what's better, we decline to believe what's inferior about him. What are we doing wrong?" If there's nothing wrong with this little speech, let Jesus leave his disciples in this mistake. What's wrong with what they believed?4 Even the disciples believed Christ was a spirit; that is to say, they didn't think it was him, but a spirit. Let the Lord leave them alone, confirm that they did well to believe it. Finding them with a false opinion, let him refrain from teaching them the truth.
Listen to what's wrong with believing like that. Listen to the Lord. You think you're risking just a minor disease? Hear the doctor's judgment. The disciples thought they were seeing a spirit, and that's what you think too, my dear Manichee. The doctor visited the disciples then, and he discovered that they believed what you believe now. If he left them uncured, then by all means have no qualms about going astray; if, however, he was good enough to heal them, why do you so enjoy being ill? Listen to the Lord: Why are you troubled, and why are thoughts coming up into your hearts ? (Lk 24:38). What sort of thoughts, clearly, but false ones, morbid, pernicious ones? Christ, you see, has lost the fruit, the whole return on his passion, if there's no truth in his resurrection.
Why are you troubled, and why are thoughts coming up into your hearts? As though he were saying, like a good farmer, "Let me find what I planted there, not thistles which I didn't plant. Faith came down into your hearts, because it comes from above; these thoughts, though, haven't come down from above, but have come up into your hearts like bad weeds. " But he doesn't leave them there, he pulls out the misbegotten weeds, he cleans the field, sows good seed. After all, what does he mean by Why are you troubled? That they're troubled, not all in good order. Why are thoughts coming up into your hearts? See my hands and my feet. If "see" is not enough, feel; you don't believe your eyes, trust your hands. Feel, and see that a spirit does not have bones and flesh, as you can see that I have (Lk 24:39).
Christ proved the reality of his bodily resurrection by eating some baked fish—which represents the faith of the martyrs
3. And while they were still flustered for joy. They were both rejoicing and doubting at the same time; both seeing and touching, and scarcely believing. What a tremendous favor grace has done us! We have neither seen nor touched, and we have believed. But while they were still flustered for joy he said, Have you got here anything to eat? Surely you can believe that I'm alive and well, if
I join you in a meal.5 They offered him what they had, a portion of grilled fish (Lk 24:41-42). Grilled fish means martyrdoms, faith proved by fire. So why a portion? Because if I hand over my body, he says, so that I bum, but have no