Acts 2:14a, 36-41 • Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19 • 1 Peter 1:17-23 • Luke 24:13-35
Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, "What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?" They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?" He asked them, "What things?" They replied, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him." Then he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?" Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?" That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!" Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
Two friends were walking down a road. They were out of sorts. Their lives had been turned upside down. They were not yet able to comprehend what they had been told. Jesus had been their teacher, their Rabbi. He had been crucified. But they had heard that morning from some women they knew that they had seen angels at Jesus’ tomb. And the angels told them, “He’s alive!” No one had seen him, though. The two people could not yet believe that God had changed Jesus’ fate. Not even the words of angels could pull them from their disillusionment that their master was missing. “Where is he?” they said. “What are we to do?”
A man approached the two on the road, and without even hesitating, he walked up alongside them. The two men were astonished that he had the audacity to come to them, but something about his eyes said he truly wanted to talk to them. So they let him walk with them a while. He said to them, “What are you so frantically talking about?” They replied, “don’t you know, don’t you understand?!” And they told the stranger what had happened to Jesus, their Rabbi. “Our friend is gone!”
However reluctant or unwilling we are, Jesus is here today to walk with us. Jesus is here to be with us no matter where we are at, wherever we may be on life’s journey. Maybe you’re at that point today where God feels distant and dry. You just want Jesus to become real again. Maybe you’re super excited to be here, and think, “I get to hear God’s Word today! I get to be transformed by God. Yay!” Maybe you are just fed up with all pain and suffering in the world, and are saying, “Why God, why don’t you do something?
For some, we find it easy to believe Jesus knows where we're at today. And for others, we might be saying to him, “you don’t understand! It’s so hard! I’d rather not be here! Where are you?” All are acceptable, neither is better or worse than the other—they are different. They are where... we are at… today. And Jesus walks with us wherever we are at.
The man who had asked the two what they were talking about walked with them for a little while on the road they were traveling on. And while they were walking he interpreted the Scriptures to them. As they walked together, this man taught them that Scripture revealed a God who was a God of love who loved all: healthy, sick; rich, poor; women, men; the in, the out. Their spirits were lifted. During this stretch of their journey, the stranger had welcomed them. For no reason, he had taken time to be with them. He made them realize the God of Scripture cared for them.
And as they came closer to their destination, the man started to walk ahead of them. They said, “wait, wait! Don’t go!” Night was coming. They didn’t want this man whose companionship had brought them comfort to leave them. They they couldn’t face another night alone. “Please, come stay with us, for the day is almost over. Night will be here soon. Come and stay with us.” So the man went with the two.
Jesus is here today, and every time two gather in his name. We gather, and hear, speak and sing and pray words that all point to Jesus. In the Scriptures we read, Jesus reveals that he dwelt among us mortals. God is not a far off God who is “out of touch” with our experience. In Scripture, we hear that God reveals who God is in human form. God has walked on the Earth “in our shoes”. In Scripture, we hear that Jesus walks right beside us because Jesus experiences our condition—our fear, anger, sadness or gladness.
Not only has Jesus walked in our shoes, Scripture promises us a liberating Jesus. They proclaim to us a risen Christ. In Christ, God forgives us and renews our brokenness with his Word of transforming love.
As the resurrected Jesus walks with us, and interprets his promises to us in Scripture—our hearts get set on fire! We are not alone! The burning fire of a real, alive loving relationship with God burns within us. We don’t want this to end! “God, why can’t it be like this all the time? Please don’t let the light of your love leave us! Don’t leave us to our perils by ourselves! Don’t ever let us go!”
When the stranger and the two friends came to one of the friends’ homes, they were tired from their journey. So one of the two friends—the one whose home it was—offered them something to eat, and something to drink. So he brought before them a simple meal, which included bread. As they were about to start eating, the stranger took a loaf of the bread, and offered a blessing:“This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” It was only four days earlier that they had heard these exact same words spoken by this man. And instantly they realized who it was. Before they could even utter a word, or even touch him, Jesus—a stranger no more—rushed out of the house.
“HELLO! Were we blind? How did we not recognize him?” the friends thought. “Were not our hearts burning within us when he walked with us on the road, while he opened up the Scriptures to us?” Jesus had been with them only a short while, but he had liberated them from their fear, from the ambiguity they had been feeling during their journey. He was alive! Would they ever see him again? They couldn’t be sure. But what mattered was that they had seen their master, the one for whom death was not an obstacle. Jesus had set their hearts aflame. What would they do now? All they wanted to do was go and share this good news to everyone they knew. They could not contain this burning in their hearts. They had to share this all-encompassing love with everyone. And so they went back home, and did just that.
In Holy Communion today, Jesus invites us to his meal. Although we might still wonder if we’re worthy, Jesus welcomes us. Today, at this table, Jesus gives us a tangible, earthly form of himself. He feeds us. This is not an “untouchable” Jesus. Jesus touches us, and lets us experience him, so that our faith is not “out there” but right on our lips ad in our bellies...and it feeds us with resurrection.
Gathering, Word, Meal, Sending. This is the arc of the Road to Emmaus story. It is the story that shaped the way of life for the Gospel of Luke's community. It is the same four-part story we the church proclaim, in our weekly worship and in our way of life. As we complete that four-fold arc of worship today and every Sunday, we leave empowered to walk with all who long to experience a heart burning with the promise of the gospel. As the two were Gathered by Jesus, who met them where they were at and who fed them, in Word and Meal, Jesus then Sent them to share the good news. Today, Jesus today has Gathered us where we are at, formed us in Word and Meal, and he Sends us out, nourishing us the burning hearts we need to walk with others, and to feed one another with the good news of God's resurrecting love! Amen.
0 comments:
Post a Comment