I recently spent time babysitting a darling two-year-old and was amazed at how many things she put into her mouth. It started with her toys. It was as if she had a ritual.

She began by noticing a new toy, looking at it first out of the corner of her eyes. Then she would focus on it with both of her eyes. Next she would touch it, then pick it up, and then stick it into her mouth. I watched as she did her little ritual with ten different toys. After she finished with the toys, she moved on to the corner of a table, then a book I had laid on the coffee table, and then she grabbed my cup. She would look, touch, and taste! Then she started her ritual with a small piece of dust she had found on the floor. Luckily, I knew the ritual by then and stopped her. Toddlers put everything in their mouths. That is how they learn about the world around them. They see, touch, and taste.

After Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples were like babies in a new world. They had never before seen a person risen from the dead. They had no concept of a “risen Christ,” much less how to relate to him. Jesus understood their confusion and knew that his disciples, like toddlers exploring their new world, would need time to understand this new reality. Jesus says, “Touch me and see.” In today’s story, Jesus does not judge their inability to understand; he gives himself completely to them.

Understanding the risen Christ and absorbing Christ’s love for us is a process. Like a toddler exploring the world, we must take time to explore, question, touch, and see.