Jesus, The Pioneer and Perfecter of Our Faith, Part II

By Fr. Christopher Foeckler, MJ • Phoenix, AZ

We meditated during Lent on the theme of “Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our Faith” while on His way to Jerusalem and the suffering that awaited Him. Now in the month of the Resurrection, celebrating the joy of Easter, we can take up the same theme considering a new path that we find the Lord on – the Road to Emmaus. It is a familiar episode from St. Luke’s gospel (24: 13 – 35) recounting that on the very Sunday of the Resurrection two of Jesus’ disciples who, because of His Crucifixion, were giving up and going home along the Road to Emmaus. The resurrected Lord caught up and walked along with them while hiding His identity from them.

“Jesus asked them, ‘What are you discussing as you walk along?’ They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, said to Him in reply, ‘Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?’ And He replied to them, ‘What sort of things?’

To their sad accounting of the events of these days, Jesus chides them gently saying: “‘Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into His glory?’ Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He interpreted to them what referred to Him in all the scriptures”.

Again, Jesus takes the role of “the pioneer and perfecter of our faith”, having endured the shame of the cross for the joy that lay ahead of Him in the Resurrection, “in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart!” (Heb 12: 3). Jesus not only goes ahead of the disciples on the way to Jerusalem and the Cross, but now we see how He also walks along with two of them, listens to them and leads them to consider the Scriptures so that their hearts were burning as He spoke to them along the way. Again, the lesson of Hebrews 12 is for us to focus on the Lord in our reflections, on His words and actions in the Scriptures.

Jesus “gave the impression that He was going on farther. But they urged Him, “Stay with us…” “I will be with always, even to the end of the age” promised the Lord. His Victory over the grave is the assurance of our faith in His promises! 

May the joy of the Lord’s Glorious Resurrection strengthen your hearts and fill you with joyful hope!