Sunday Sermon 26th April 2020
LUKE 24: 31-48
THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER 2020
The Gospel we have just read is known as “on the road to Emmaus”, and it’s a reading with which we are all familiar. The story is found only in Luke’s Gospel and we believe that Emmaus was about 5 miles from Jerusalem.
Following the crucifixion, two of Jesus followers are walking on the road to Emmaus. I wonder if they are walking to their homes in Emmaus because they have no idea what else to do? They are grief-stricken, they are bereft and I would suggest, a little afraid as well. There is no mention of retaliation on their part, no assumption that they will take revenge on those who executed Jesus.
And as they are walking, a stranger appears and engages them in conversation. They tell him the story of Jesus, their hopes for the future and how those hopes ended in Jesus death. And more than that, some of their community have insisted that Jesus was alive, when they know that Jesus is dead.
For the next few hours, this strange man walked Cleopas and his friend through the entire Hebrew Scriptures and explained all the references to the Christ. Who was this man who so beautifully made sense of everything that had happened, and yet at first had seemed unaware of recent events?
Perhaps there was something familiar about him. The stranger gave every indication that he intended to continue on the road, but the disciples pleaded with him to stay at least for the night. And at dinner, the man took some bread, pulled it apart, and gave them each a piece. As soon as the bread touched their hands, they recognized Jesus. They knew it was Jesus. And then he left them alone.
I have always been puzzled why these men didn’t recognize Jesus – they were his followers and yet they failed to see who was walking with them. Did they understand only when he broke the bread for them, or did Jesus reveal himself because of their invitation to stay with them?
We have no idea. When they realize that it is Jesus, they rush back to their friends in Jerusalem to share their news: they have seen Jesus. Good news travels fast, and news of the resurrection was no exception. Jesus has, in effect, been everywhere. It is becoming clear to all in the community that the women who first went to the empty tomb were right after all. Jesus is alive.
Whilst they were sharing the incredible story with the disciples, Jesus appears in their midst. In “The Message” version of the Bible, Eugene Petersen writes “they thought they were seeing a ghost and were scared half to death”. Jesus asks for something to eat, and they watched him intently waiting to see what happens. I can imagine them all sitting round holding their breath.
Jesus showed them the scars on his hands and his feet so they knew it was him. He was resurrected, he was alive and in the room with them, but he still had his scars, they were not airbrushed out or forgotten. And that is how it is for us – everything we experience, both good and bad, leaves its mark on us.
We cannot airbrush anything away from our lives, we are not models in a magazine whose blemishes can be erased or who can look slimmer by the magic of technology. We carry scars as did Jesus, but it is up to us if we share our personal scars with people.
Jesus opened their minds so that they could understand. And then he commissioned them not to hold this experience amongst themselves, but to go out and tell others what they knew and what they had seen. They were not to shut themselves up in their rooms and enjoy the experience, they had to go out and share it. And if they had not, then we would not be here.
But what about us? I think that there must be times in everyone’s faith journey when we search for Jesus and can’t see him anywhere. When we look but cannot see. Do you ever wish that Jesus would suddenly appear in the room and hold your hand and tell you all will be well? I know in my own journey that is what I would have liked on more than one occasion.
Sometimes we can be so aware of Jesus Christ beside us, and faith seems so easy. Then Jesus seems to disappear, to fade into the background and leave us alone. Then, when we might have given up, right after a particularly empty night, we are aware of something coming to comfort us. Jesus has promised that he will never leave us, and we can trust his promises. In the times when we cannot feel him with us, we need to remember the men on the Emmaus road.
They thought they were left alone, but Jesus reminded them of how much faith they already had and he drew them back to the scriptures. In the times when we are on that Emmaus road, that is what we must do.
We go back to our faith journey, remembering the times when our faith was strong. We go back to the word of God and remind ourselves of his promises. We look forward to when we can come to the table of the Lord and we break bread together. And we can again see the face of Christ in each other.
And when we have been fed, then we go and feed others.
AMEN
THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER 2020
The Gospel we have just read is known as “on the road to Emmaus”, and it’s a reading with which we are all familiar. The story is found only in Luke’s Gospel and we believe that Emmaus was about 5 miles from Jerusalem.
Following the crucifixion, two of Jesus followers are walking on the road to Emmaus. I wonder if they are walking to their homes in Emmaus because they have no idea what else to do? They are grief-stricken, they are bereft and I would suggest, a little afraid as well. There is no mention of retaliation on their part, no assumption that they will take revenge on those who executed Jesus.
And as they are walking, a stranger appears and engages them in conversation. They tell him the story of Jesus, their hopes for the future and how those hopes ended in Jesus death. And more than that, some of their community have insisted that Jesus was alive, when they know that Jesus is dead.
For the next few hours, this strange man walked Cleopas and his friend through the entire Hebrew Scriptures and explained all the references to the Christ. Who was this man who so beautifully made sense of everything that had happened, and yet at first had seemed unaware of recent events?
Perhaps there was something familiar about him. The stranger gave every indication that he intended to continue on the road, but the disciples pleaded with him to stay at least for the night. And at dinner, the man took some bread, pulled it apart, and gave them each a piece. As soon as the bread touched their hands, they recognized Jesus. They knew it was Jesus. And then he left them alone.
I have always been puzzled why these men didn’t recognize Jesus – they were his followers and yet they failed to see who was walking with them. Did they understand only when he broke the bread for them, or did Jesus reveal himself because of their invitation to stay with them?
We have no idea. When they realize that it is Jesus, they rush back to their friends in Jerusalem to share their news: they have seen Jesus. Good news travels fast, and news of the resurrection was no exception. Jesus has, in effect, been everywhere. It is becoming clear to all in the community that the women who first went to the empty tomb were right after all. Jesus is alive.
Whilst they were sharing the incredible story with the disciples, Jesus appears in their midst. In “The Message” version of the Bible, Eugene Petersen writes “they thought they were seeing a ghost and were scared half to death”. Jesus asks for something to eat, and they watched him intently waiting to see what happens. I can imagine them all sitting round holding their breath.
Jesus showed them the scars on his hands and his feet so they knew it was him. He was resurrected, he was alive and in the room with them, but he still had his scars, they were not airbrushed out or forgotten. And that is how it is for us – everything we experience, both good and bad, leaves its mark on us.
We cannot airbrush anything away from our lives, we are not models in a magazine whose blemishes can be erased or who can look slimmer by the magic of technology. We carry scars as did Jesus, but it is up to us if we share our personal scars with people.
Jesus opened their minds so that they could understand. And then he commissioned them not to hold this experience amongst themselves, but to go out and tell others what they knew and what they had seen. They were not to shut themselves up in their rooms and enjoy the experience, they had to go out and share it. And if they had not, then we would not be here.
But what about us? I think that there must be times in everyone’s faith journey when we search for Jesus and can’t see him anywhere. When we look but cannot see. Do you ever wish that Jesus would suddenly appear in the room and hold your hand and tell you all will be well? I know in my own journey that is what I would have liked on more than one occasion.
Sometimes we can be so aware of Jesus Christ beside us, and faith seems so easy. Then Jesus seems to disappear, to fade into the background and leave us alone. Then, when we might have given up, right after a particularly empty night, we are aware of something coming to comfort us. Jesus has promised that he will never leave us, and we can trust his promises. In the times when we cannot feel him with us, we need to remember the men on the Emmaus road.
They thought they were left alone, but Jesus reminded them of how much faith they already had and he drew them back to the scriptures. In the times when we are on that Emmaus road, that is what we must do.
We go back to our faith journey, remembering the times when our faith was strong. We go back to the word of God and remind ourselves of his promises. We look forward to when we can come to the table of the Lord and we break bread together. And we can again see the face of Christ in each other.
And when we have been fed, then we go and feed others.
AMEN
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