Acts 2:14a, 36-41 May 4, 2014
1 Peter 1:17-23
Psalm 116
Luke 24:13-35
Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, we ask you to open our eyes as you did with the blind man,
so that we may really see.We ask you to tune our ears as you did with the man who was deaf and dumb,so that we may really hear what you are saying to us.
May the many experiences of our senses remind us of all that is around us.
May all that we experience lead us closer to you and we ask this in your holy name. Amen.
Good morning.
The story that we’ve just heard from Luke’s gospel is one of my favorites in all of the New Testament. I was happy when I realized that I would have today to reflect upon its significance and the important messages that are embedded within. Only Luke’s gospel contains this unique Easter story that tells the tale of two of Jesus’ friends who are trying to come to grips with what has transpired over the past three days. This compelling story is a well-crafted drama that includes the emotions of sorrow, suspense, puzzlement, the dawning of a new light, an astonished recognition, and finally the flurry of excited activity. Like the stories of creation in Genesis and the story of the New Creation of Jesus’ resurrection, this Easter Emmaus story also begins in the chaos of dark and bitter grief but ends with the creative light of Jesus’ resurrectionandreal presence. For me, the story of the road to Emmaus is particularly meaningful because I’ve been on that road myself. I know I’ve walked my own Emmaus road throughout the journey of my life and I’ve recognized that Jesus has been walking with me….not necessarily at the time….but more than likely after I’ve looked back in remembrance and recognition.
To me, the significance of the Emmaus story in Luke’s gospel is meant to remind us that Jesus meets us wherever we are on our own journeys of faith. And we are also reminded through this story that God through Christ also meets us in the simplest aspects of life such as in nature, through other people, in the Spirit inspired Word of God, and even in the sharing of a meal and in the breaking of bread.These are the places where God meets us individually and collectively. Through this story, we are reminded that God and Christ are not overt and boisterous when they reveal themselves to us, but instead, God, Christ and the Holy Spirit are often quiet and subtle – almost invitational – quietly tapping us on the shoulder for us to become consciously awarethat the spiritual presence of God is constant and constantly living within us. It’s just up to us to tune in and become aware of that divinely spiritual gift.
As today’s Emmaus Easter story unfolds, two of Jesus’ friends were travelling a long seven-mile journey on foot from Jerusalem to Emmaus. One of Jesus’ friends was named Cleopas and the other person in the story was left unnamed. Perhaps it was his wife, Mary? Perhaps someone else? Through the years, some scholars have suggested that the unnamed friend walking with Cleopaswas meant to be leftunnamed so that he/she might represent you or me in order that we might place ourselves in this story and on that journey to Emmaus. When you think about that possibility, can you imagine yourself in this story, walking along that road with a close friend trying together to hash out a problem that seemed incomprehensible? It seems that was what Cleopas and his unnamed companion were doing just prior to meeting the wise stranger who greeted them along the way.
As they continued on their journey, these two friends were met by a stranger who wanted to engage them in conversation. But, I suspect these two friends must have felt a little nervous talking with this stranger, who appeared out of the blue and began asking some probing questions. Eventually, they threw caution to the wind and described to this stranger the events of the past three days. And through this conversation, they also conveyed their grief and disappointment, not only in the death of their friend Jesus, butin the death of their dreams; their dream that their friend Jesus would ultimately have liberated the people of Israel from Roman oppression and domination.
And as they engaged this stranger in conversation, this unknown person shifted the conversation and enlightened these two people about the deep messages embedded within Hebrew scripture. Apparently, these two friends were impressed with this stranger’s knowledge and they invited him to stay for awhile and to share a meal. When they sat down to table together and the stranger offered a blessing to God in thanksgiving for the food they were about to receive, it was at that moment when the two friends had their eyes opened and they recognized Jesus for who he really was.
Through the telling of this Emmaus story, Luke points out for us some important messages about the ways in which God and Christ work together and are revealed in our lives. First, Luke links both the interpretation of Scripture and the fellowship of breaking bread together as of primary significance. For to Luke, when we invite Jesus to help us discern the meaning of scripture in contemporary and relevant ways, God’s Spirit will be present and new insight may offer fresh perspectives to ancient scriptural texts…just like Jesus did as he traveled the Emmaus road. Secondly, Luke also suggests that community fellowship and the celebration Eucharist are key moments when the resurrected Jesus is especially present in our lives. Luke points to this truth when in the story the two friends are at table with Jesus. As he broke bread and gave thanks, they recognized Jesus for who he truly was, and yet at that moment of cognitive recognition, he vanished from their sight.
But there is a third point embedded within today’s passage that isn’t explicitly addressed but it’s worth noting and that point is this: God often meets us in the most common places of our lives; revealing God’s self to us in simple and ordinary ways. The Rev Dr. Carlos Wilton calls this phenomenon “The Lord of the commonplace.” I’d like to quote you something that the Rev. Wilton has to say about his understanding of the Lord of the commonplace, “Why do Cleopas and his friend fail to see (the risen Lord)? They fail to see because they are looking for the wrong Lord. If the rumors of resurrection are true, they reason, Jesus will surely come in with a company of angels, prince regent of the new kingdom of God. The last thingCleopas and his friend expect to see is a lord who overtakes them on the road, walking briskly. They are not prepared for a Lord of the commonplace.”[1]
I wonder if perhaps we too sometimes fall into that same category of blindness and sometimes look for the risen Lord in all the wrong places? A friend once said to me that he believed God did not bother getting into the minutiae of our lives, but since I’ve heard that statement and since I’ve looked back at some of my own Emmaus journeys, I strongly disagree. I do believe that God is in the minutiae of my life and while sometimes I’d rather not believe that God knows every little thing about my messy little life, I’m usually grateful that God does know all about me. When we remember that God came into the world as a commoner himself – to get to know what the human condition was all about – why wouldn’t God be able to get into the minutiae of our lives and help us to detangle all the messes we seem to get ourselves into? Most of the time, I’m grateful that the resurrected Christ is there for me when I fall, by extending His hand out to me and helping me back up when I’ve fallen down on my own personal road to Emmaus. Yes, I’m usually grateful, but in those moments when God feels so close that it’s almost uncomfortable, God through Christ also vanishes from my sight, probably realizing that my brain could short circuit if God stuck around for too much longer.
In his book, Bread for the Journey, Henri Nouwen spoke about why Jesus vanishes from our sight and I’d like to close this reflection with Nouwen’s insight and I quote: “When the two disciples recognized Jesus as he broke the bread for them in their house in Emmaus, he vanished from their sight. The recognition and the disappearance of Jesus are one and the same event. Why? Because the disciples recognized that their Lord Jesus, the Christ, now lives in them…that they have become Christ-bearers. Therefore, Jesus no longer sits across the table from them as the stranger, the guest, the friend with whom they can speak and from whom they can receive good counsel. He has become one with them and He has given them his own Spirit of Love. Their companion on the journey has become the companion of their souls. They are alive, yet it is no longer them, but Christ living in them.”[2]
Christ is alive, everyone. And he lives in you and in me. And we are invited to share that good news with others. Amen!
[1]Lectionary Preaching Workbook, Wilton, The Rev. Dr. Carlos, (CSS Publishing, Lima, OH, 2010) p 173.
[2]Bread for the Journey, Nouwen, Henri J. M. (New York: Harper Collins, 1997)