Reading Scripture and the five senses
When I reflect on the five senses in gospel passages, the text becomes alive for me.
After Easter, my reading has been in the post-resurrection accounts in the gospels.
While reading Luke 24:36-48 I was struck by how Jesus used the five senses as he communicated truth to his disciples. Two of the disciples had just spent time walking with Jesus on the road to Emmaus and now they are gathered with the other 11 in Jerusalem.
Jesus appears and reassures them that He is Jesus in the flesh. He wants them to look at him, at his hands and his feet that have been nailed to the cross. Not only does he want them to see, he wants them to touch his body to see that he is no ghost. Of course, they listen to his words and to one another! They also smell freshly cooked fish and Jesus eats this fish before and presumably with them. Without a doubt, there was a smell of the fish along. I wonder what odor they smelled from Jesus—a body that had been in the grave for many hours. Somehow, I like to think that the resurrection brought a new life smell rather than a death smell.
Another scene vivid with the five senses is found in the post-resurrection appearing of Jesus to Peter and the other disciples in John 21:1-14. I again consider all the senses involved and imagine the scene.
Jesus appears to the deeply fatigued and frustrated disciples who have fished most of the night without catching any fish. He calls out to them from the shore and they neither recognize his voice nor his appearance. They follow his instructions about where to cast their nets and are shocked by the catch that overflowed their nets so that now could not even draw in their nets. Imagine the senses engaged in all of their fishing activities.
At this point, John becomes aware that this stranger on the shore is none other than Jesus and tells Peter. Peter quickly casts off his outer clothes and dives into the water to swim to Jesus quickly. Can you feel the heaviness of his clothes that he throws down and the shocking and yet refreshing cold waters as his body plunges through the sea to Jesus. I can imagine the sand squishing beneath his toes as he arrives before Jesus. What awaits him is fish grilling over a fire—the smell of cooking fish to this weary fisherman must have been overwhelming. And then, he likely stares with a mixture of fear, awe and wonder. John does not tell us that he touches Jesus—I would have wanted to embrace Jesus but maybe that would not have been appropriate in his wet and dirty underclothes.
He responds to Jesus command to bring some fish by swimming or wading back out to the boat and selecting fish for their shared breakfast. Smelly, flopping fish, gnarled nets. Amazement that the nets had not torn from the weight of the fish. Disciples fighting with fish, boats and each other to join the party with Jesus.
And fear? Doubt? Hearing the invitation of Jesus to come have breakfast must have been surreal. Ravenously hungry, they must have had so many questions. But John tells us that no one asked him who he was because they knew. While they waited for the fish to cook, did they overwhelm Jesus with questions or loudly discuss with one another all that was happening? John finishes his narrative saying simply that Jesus starts handing out bread and fish to the disciples. Memories return to the feeding of the 5000 not long ago.
Somehow, as I imagine the various senses involved in this and other passages, my reading is transformed. This becomes a story for me. I can identify more easily with the disciples and I find myself attracted to Jesus. I want to spend time with him just as the Peter and the other disciples did. This seems to be the beginning of a series of posts about imagination, emotions and the five senses. I would love to hear from others how you use imagination in your reading of scripture or how you engage all of your senses as you connect with God. More on that next week.