Is that you, Jesus?
We’re looking for him everywhere. This morning, having just enjoyed the view of the Shenandoah Valley from the ridge of a community garden, I’m walking briskly back along the gravel path, heading home. I pass a few people a stone’s throw away, talking among themselves. I vaguely register something said, like “Is that Mark?” Then as I leave the property, I hear someone behind me call, “Hey, Mark!” I turn to see a man, one of the three people I passed, looking expectantly at me. I say, without thinking, “I’m not Mark.” “Oh, sorry,” he says. I do wonder, then, if I should have said yes. Maybe Mark is far more interesting than me. They seemed genuinely excited to see him. But then again, maybe he owes them money! There are two oddities about Jesus’s post-resurrection appearances. As I wrap up my long study of John, these strike me as curious. First, Jesus wasn’t readily recognized. We see this with Mary Magdalene, who confuses him with the gardener. Granted, tears coul...
