The Gospel of Luke 24:13-35 Now on that same day two of Jesus’ disciples 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.
Let us Pray: O God, your Son makes himself known to all his disciples in the breaking of bread. Open the eyes of our faith, that we may see him in his redeeming work, who lives and reigns with You, and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
I am doing a reflection on this Gospel reading for the fourth time, as it is one of my favorites. And I am dedicating it to The Reverend Fred Stevenson,
As I look back at the reflection I have written three times before, I find it very appropriate for our situation in the world today. The first reflection I wrote on the scripture was right after the pandemic. We survived the isolation and challenges and now as we walk The Road to Emmaus it is continued to be filled with Prayer and Hope. The Road to Emmaus is one of Scripture’s most tender revelations of how the risen Christ meets people in confusion, disappointment, and longing, and transforms them through presence, and shared table.
The words we speak on the road to Emmaus are words of pain, disappointment, bewilderment, and yearning. They are the words we say when we’ve come to the end of our hopes, when our expectations have been dashed, our cherished dreams are dead, and there’s nothing left to do but leave, defeated and done. But we had hoped. Even though we have experienced shattered expectations, grief that clouds perception and the tendency to interpret God through our circumstances rather than the other way around, Christ walks with us even though we cannot yet see Him. We had hoped to experience God’s presence when we pray. We had hoped our faith would survive. As we walk the road with Jesus these days and know He is watching over us as he did back then. Our eyes may not see Jesus as the disciples did, but our minds hold him close as he holds us in his protective arms. We also must remember the walk on the road started out in disbelief and sadness. It ended in joy, excitement, and love. Today our world again is filled with many challenges from our neighbors being arrested to many in our communities facing dire financial crisis and to threats of eradicating complete civilizations. It makes us look to find that road so we can share our fears and concerns with Jesus and each other as we walk together. We open our prayers so that walk will end the same way with joy, excitement, and love for many of us but that road for some is filled with loss and despair, loss of loved ones to detention centers, and loss from war ravaged countries, but Jesus is there walking with each and every one of us. We just had to open our eyes to see Him. Open our arms to accept Him. If we think our world has been rocked and turned upside down think how the disciples felt with the death of Jesus. They were barely able to absorb His death when all of a sudden, they learn He has risen from the dead. The disciples were not ready for his death and definitely were not ready for his resurrection. Their lives were changed forever; they now didn’t have a normal to return to. Are we going to have a normal to return too, will our world be so changed from all the turmoil, will it ever be able to return to a quiet and safe place. Once Jesus and his companions are seated around the table, Jesus takes bread. He takes, blesses, breaks, and gives. So small a thing. So small a thing that changes everything. During these hard days of chaos and war, hearing horrific stories of death and suffering, and fearing for our futures as individuals, families, communities, and nations, it’s difficult to trust in the transformative power of small things. A bit of bread. A sip of wine. A common table. A shared meal. But the Emmaus story speaks to this power, the power of the small and the commonplace to reveal the divine. God shows up during a quiet evening walk on a backwater road or a quiet beach or just when we sit quietly. The Emmaus story speaks powerfully to modern disciples: Christ walks with us in confusion, even when we fail to perceive Him. Hospitality becomes sacramental, revealing Christ in the ordinary. Community restores courage, sending us back into the world with renewed hope. God is made known around our dinner tables. God reveals God’s self when we take, bless, break, and give. God is present in the rhythms and rituals of our seemingly ordinary days. In this story Emmaus is not just a place, it is a pattern of Christian life. So, keep walking. Keep telling the story. Keep honoring the stranger. Keep attending to your fears and concerns by sharing them in prayer. Remember: Christ is risen! He is no less risen on the road to Emmaus than he is anywhere else. So, look for him. Listen for him. And when he lingers at your door, honoring your freedom, but yearning to feed you, say what he longs to hear: Stay with me.
Let us Pray: Dear God, companion on the way, you walk behind, beside, beyond; you catch us unawares. Break through the disillusionment and despair clouding our vision, that, with wide-eyed wonder, we may find our way and journey on as messengers of your good news. This we pray in the name of your son Jesus Christ. Amen.
Reflections by Bob 