(Painting done by John Watton)

Third Sunday of Easter, April 19th,
The Road to Emmaus

Luke 24:13-35

The story of the two on the road to Emmaus as told in Luke’s gospel is perhaps one of the most favoured of the post resurrection stories, not simply because Jesus steps In and walks with the two on the road but because the story is one in which we can all find ourselves;  like the two leaving Jerusalem feeling despair, desolation, dejection, perhaps no longer having answers for what they were to do, or where they were to go; we have all been there, we know too that feeling of being at our wits end, as such, when nothing makes sense to us anymore, or not knowing what to think. 

These two trying to make some sense out of all that have happened over the last days with Jesus crucifixion and death, and now the reports of his resurrection discuss this amongst themselves as they walk on the road. It is in company with others that we too often find comfort in the sharing of our stories.

It is here that Jesus steps in along side them on the road and walks with them; they however do not recognize him; why that is we don’t know exactly, but very likely it is because of the place of despondency they were in themselves, so consumed by their grief, and the tradegy of their experience, they were unable to notice, take in anything else; but also likely because they had no concept of, or thought to the risen Lord showing up to them because in their realty Jesus had been crucified, died and his body laid in a tomb.  Everything had ended at the tomb, there was no more story to tell.

When Jesus asks them what were they discussing, Cleopas says as much, “are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who do not know the things that have taken place there these days? (18). Like the tragic events that happen in our own lives, or in the community, we can’t imagine anyone not knowing about it because of the effect it has on us all, and so Cleopas is wondering how can this person not feel affected by the tragic events of the last days as they were. 

“what things”, Jesus asks, and they tell him ….”about Jesus of Nazareth, he was a great prophet mighty in works and deeds before God and the people,”and then go on to tell Jesus  about how he was arrested, crucified, and laid in the tomb… “but we had hoped,’ they say, ‘he  would redeem Israel and now it is the third day”…and they tell him how the women had gone to the tomb and Jesus body was not thee. 

For these two all hoped was now loss, all dreams they may have had as Jesus followers or what they thought was possible with Jesus was over,  there was nothing more for them there only to go and leave that tragic place behind. 

It would almost be amusing when we think that Jesus was right there while they were saying all this, if it weren’t so tragic,….loss, grief, despair as they were feeling, and as we know can be tragic, devastating for those going through it; 

Jesus wasn’t however just blindly leading these two along not telling them it is he; we know there is a real purpose for it. It is in the retelling of our stories with others, that we are often too, able to see things sometimes in a new light; because of what they can add to what one might already think they know, and Jesus was doing that for these two.

“Oh How foolish you are”, Jesus says, ( I can imagine he was smiling when he said this because he understands what distress, grief and perhaps fear does and they are unable to see further then their own reality)… “and how slow of heart to believe what the prophets have declared to you”… Jesus fills in the blanks for them… interpreting all that the scriptures had to say about himself, …he gives them what they need to help them find their way again.

Coming near the village to where they were going and Jesus is about to go on, they say to him, “stay with us for it is almost evening and the day is almost over”; perhaps they weren’t yet ready for Jesus to go on. In being hospitable however, it opens the way for Jesus to be revealed to them as the risen Lord.

When Jesus, took bread, blessed, broke, and gave it to them, it was then that their eyes were opened and they recognize Jesus as the risen Lord. “Were not our hearts burning within us on the road, when he was opening the scriptures to us.” 

Having the final piece of the puzzle they now  see things as they really are; and isn’t that the same for us, until we open our lives, our hearts to Jesus, can we truly know him in the way that we should, or would hope to know him. 

Jesus comes to us as he did the two on the road, not forceful or intrusive in our lives, but simply joining us on the road, opening the way for us to know him more fully, if we would invite him in, …into our lives, …into our hearts.  

May we have eyes to see our Lord present with us on the road of life, trusting him always to be with us. 

Amen, God Bless

Hannah+