Third Sunday of Easter
Sunday, May 8th, 2011click here for past entriesLoving God, even when we don’t recognize him, your Son Jesus walks with us and sustains us with his presence. Open our eyes and our hearts this day, that we might recognize Jesus in all the ways in which he comes to us; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
One of the approaches that we can take with any gospel is to try and find ourselves in the story. When we do this, each of us is quite likely to experience the story differently depending on what our life experience is and on what we might be going through at the time. Today, the gospel is an especially rich story, and I invite you to find yourself in it, and hopefully to encounter Jesus.
First and foremost, today’s gospel is for anybody who has ever been exhausted and discouraged (and perhaps there are some mothers who have been there?). Our gospel begins with Cleopas and his unnamed companion. All we really know about these disciples is that they know “the twelve” quite well and have heard all of the details about what the women experienced at the tomb. They had obviously spent a lot of time with Jesus, and saw him get condemned and crucified. They had hoped that Jesus was the one who would redeem Israel.
The time is Sunday afternoon. It is the third day since Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion. While they might have been aware of Jesus’ predictions that he would rise on the third day, to this point nobody has actually seen Jesus. They are sad. They are disappointed. They don’t see much hope for their little band of disciples. And so, they are going home – slowly and sadly, talking along the way.
As one commentator writes,
Cleopas and his companion are us. They know a lot. They care a lot. They think about things and are saddened by their diminished hopes. More important, they don’t even know that their eyes have been closed until suddenly they are opened. (Sarah Henrich, WorkingPreacher.org)
Cleopas and his companion are us, and it is right in the midst of their sadness and discouragement where Jesus meets them and walks with them.
Jesus walks with them in the midst of their pain, even though they don’t recognize him. He joins their conversation about everything that has happened and interprets to them everything that the Scriptures have to say about the Messiah. And then, not only does Jesus walk with them, but he comes in to stay with them and to eat with them. He comes as a stranger whom they do not recognize and opens their hearts and opens their eyes.
It is, indeed, a holy moment when Jesus takes the bread, and blesses it, and breaks it, and gives it to them, and in that moment their eyes are opened and they recognize him. As soon as they know that it is Jesus, he vanishes from their sight, and they realize that their hearts were burning within them the whole time they were with Jesus on the road, as he opened the Scriptures to them.
All of a sudden, they are renewed people, with energy and purpose. In spite of the dangers of the road at night and the late hour, they leave right away and hurry back to Jerusalem. They have seen Jesus, and they are not about to keep it to themselves. They reach Jerusalem, find the other disciples, and discover that Simon Peter, too, has seen Jesus. They give thanks and rejoice with the other disciples. “The Lord has risen indeed” (Lk. 24:34)!
It is quite a transformation that takes place from the beginning of the gospel to the end. It is the kind of transformation that only the risen Christ can bring. Some of you today might already be at the place of celebration and wonder that these disciples experience in the end. Others of you might be in the midst of the sadness and discouragement that they were feeling on the road. And still others might be somewhere in between.
Given that today is Mother’s Day, relationships are very much in the forefront for many people. It is a day to celebrate those things that are good, and also a day when many find it easy to despair. I recently saw something (perhaps in an e-mail) that talked about how strong mothers need to be because of the rejection from their children that often comes. It is a sad statement in many ways, but I can think of situations where this has happened. In fact, perhaps it is a bit of a commentary on our human condition that there are so many relationships that are broken.
Yet, just as it happens in today’s gospel, Jesus meets us where we are. When we are lonely and sad, Jesus is there with us. When we are mired in difficulties and fighting with one another, Jesus is there, waiting for us to turn to him and be healed. When we are celebrating and giving thanks for the blessings we have experienced, Jesus is there, giving thanks with us. When we are exhausted and despairing, Jesus is there, walking with us and renewing our hearts and our minds. And when we are feeling like we are left out, because maybe we don’t have any children of our own, Jesus welcomes us into God’s family, where we have many children and brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles and mothers and fathers.
Whatever we are feeling as we walk along the road, Jesus comes and walks with us, even when we don’t recognize him. Still, there is a very important piece of the story that happens after walking the road with Jesus. Whether it is their own home or a place where they are staying, the two disciples urge Jesus to stay with them. “Stay with us, Jesus. We need you in our home.” And every one of us here today needs Jesus in our homes.
Would you talk to the other people at the table in the same way if you knew that Jesus were there? Would you feel as lonely if you knew that Jesus were there with you? Would there be more love and respect for one another if you were aware of Jesus being there with you? “Stay with us, Jesus. We need you in our home.” And here, today: “Stay with us, Jesus. This is your church.”
As for the burning hearts and the breaking of the bread, may every one of us experience these things! To have your heart aglow with the Spirit and filled with the love of God is truly a gift that comes from God. And perhaps we could say that it is also a gift to recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread.
Today we will gather at God’s table, and the bread will be blessed and broken and given to us. As we participate in this heavenly meal, may our eyes and hearts be opened, so that we, too, might recognize Jesus. It is said that Jesus is host, and guest, and meal, and that he is in, with and under the bread and the wine. As we gather together today, may we know for a fact that Jesus is here with us, giving himself to us in love.
Whatever we might be experiencing these days, Jesus meets us where we are and walks with us. May we welcome his transforming and sustaining presence, and invite Jesus to stay with us, that we, too, might live with open eyes and hearts, renewed by the presence and power of the risen Christ. Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Amen.
Easter 3(A) Luke 24:13-35
May 8, 2011
St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison
© 2011 Lynne Hutchison All Rights Reserved
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