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GOSPEL COMMENTARIES


 

 

THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD (LUKE 24:13-35)

They recognized Christ in the breaking of the bread. Christ had walked and talked and eaten with His disciples; now He walked with them and they did not recognize Him. Christ stayed so many years with the Israelites, who knew and even memorized the Scriptures, but they did not recognize Him. The Scribes knew every prophecy about Christ but when the prophecies were fulfilled, they did not recognize Him. Why? Because Christ can only be recognized through the breaking of the bread.

Their eyes were opened and they knew Him when He broke the bread. Christ broke the bread. Breaking is understood to mean He underwent grave humiliations through His obedience to God's will. Breaking of the bread means breaking one's own will to do God's will. It is the emptying or the diminishing of oneself. And to break bread with Christ is, for us, like the disciples, to diminish ourselves by a life of humility through obedience to Christ's commands. . .this way our eyes will be opened and we shall know Him and His teachings. 

There is a part in the Sacrifice of the Mass wherein the priest breaks the host into three parts; that symbolizes the breaking of the bread and an invitation to all Christians to break bread with Christ by themselves breaking their pride by denying their will and doing God's will instead. 

Balaam heard the words of God and saw visions of the Almighty. And so with the Israelites who saw the wonders of God in the desert. But they remained ignorant of God and His commands. Why?  Because they did not know Him through the breaking of the bread. God and Christ can only be known through the breaking of the bread.

It is the same today: Christ and His teachings cannot be known through books, lectures, seminars. . . not even through a theological school or seminary, neither here nor abroad. We can only know Him through the breaking of the bread, i.e., through a life wherewith we completely deny our own desires in favor of what pleases God.

In fact, it is obvious that many who study Scriptures, or teach in Cathedrals or preach in churches DO NOT KNOW what they are talking about. They do not know Christ through the breaking of the bread; they know Him only through reading or research. And Christ is not known this way. Such preachers have to pretend or fake their knowledge by showing they had memorized the chapter and the verses of Scriptures. This is how they show knowledge of Scriptures. . .the chapter, verse and page. . .without having to break bread. One who truly knows Christ does not quote chapters and verses; he gives the correct explanation of Christ's teachings as Christ, Himself, would teach it. No wonder they have to put up a stage show and add drama and an occasional epileptic seizure to get across a message they know nothing about. 

To know Christ and recognize His teachings, we must break bread with Christ; we must walk as Christ did. And Christ never did His own will; He always did the will of the Father in heaven. Knowledge of Christ and His teachings lies not in words; it is seen in our way of life.

Breaking of the bread with Christ means aiming to imitate Christ's humility through the labor of obedience. It means suffering, not for doing something evil but, for doing good, like Christ. For Christ suffered, not for doing evil but for doing good. It  means being a servant; and not a superior. When you have emptied yourself of all your personal desires then you are ready to break bread with Christ. The breaking of the bread teaches us that we are nothing. And having only contempt for ourselves, we begin to know Christ. 

And having broken bread with Christ, Scriptures was opened to them. They began to understand Scriptures in a manner they had never done before. Having understood Scriptures, they can now explain it well to others. . .because they have broken bread with Christ.

Unlike the disciples on their way to Emmaus, the apostles previously broke bread with Christ during the last supper. So they easily saw the risen Christ merely through the linen and napkin. They also easily recognized Christ when at last He appeared to them.

It is said that we must know God, love God, and serve God. We come to know Christ through the breaking of the bread. And it is no easy task to break bread. It is commonly described as the narrow way that many try to live but very few are able to. To break bread with Christ is always a small affair for a few. . .just like in the upper room. . .just like on the road to Emmaus. 

 

 

 

 

 

(01-25-03)

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