Road to Emmaus
Just as St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland is our patron saint and we study her life hoping it will inspire our own witness; St. Luke’s account of the two disciples walking the road to Emmaus is our premiere story. We live and work and worship here in Emmaus. We are counted among those who know that buying a new car is not the only reason you take the road to Emmaus.
Certainly, the disciples long ago were not on a shopping expedition. Depending on the scholars you follow, they were either going home or going to work. Either way, it is clear that after the tumultuous days of Jesus’ betrayal, arrest, conviction and crucifixion, they were picking up their everyday life again. But the news of that first Easter—Christ is alive—had leaked into their awareness. And they were talking. Trying to make sense of all they had seen and heard.
They are engaged in theological reflection. They are sharing their experiences and putting them up against the culture and scripture and the teaching of their rabbi Jesus to see what that meant for them. What were they to think? What were they to do?
Jesus comes to them.
He breaks open all of their scriptures… the law and the prophets and the writings.
He takes, blesses, breaks and shares the bread.
And their eyes are opened to see him.
It is afterward that they understand who the risen Christ is and what he has done.
With hindsight, they say….
“Were not our hearts burning within us?”
Ah, the Holy Heartburn.
I will admit to you that I am jealous that the disciples experience was so clear for them.
Why didn’t they recognize him sooner?
What keeps us from recognizing Jesus in our own lives?
Some thoughts—
First, you don’t see what you don’t expect to see.
I remember a day when I was in second grade. We were dismissed and I ran to the coatroom and then toward the big front doors of the elementary school building. I wanted to get home. My aunt and uncle from California were visiting. In my eagerness and excitement, I ran right past my father and my uncle who were both waiting right inside the front doors. I saw them but didn’t see them. They had come to walk me home and now had to hustle to catch up with me.
You don’t see what you don’t expect to see.
For these two disciples all the action is behind them in Jerusalem and in the past tense: “we HAD hoped he was the one to redeem Israel”.
If you don’t understand that God is acting in this world, you won’t see it. You won’t see the ways people of faith encourage one another, bear one another’s burdens, love one another deeply from the heart.
Second, the disciples didn’t see Jesus sooner because they were walking downhill—remember the psalms of ascent. The worshippers coming for festivals went up to Jerusalem. The sun may even have been in their eyes—but even if it was a cloudy day, their eyes would have been lowered anyway. They were looking at their feet. Watching out for stones. They did not want to stumble.
We do this also. Sometimes we just get so self involved that we cannot see what’s happening around us. We’re putting one foot in front of the other and not looking down the road toward a destination.
It was one of the earliest and most important lessons I learned as a new driver. I started out with a death grip on the steering wheel and with my eyes fixed on the hood ornament. I feared running off the road or over something. You cannot drive safely unless you look well down the road and to your right and to your left and in the mirror to see behind you.
An important variation of watching your feet is called “navel gazing.” That self absorption that keeps us from seeing the needs and fears of others. Sometimes this plagues churches. People of faith get to squabbling over what color to paint a church nursery room and forget the world beyond their building.
A third reason, I think the disciples didn’t recognize Jesus sooner is that they were locked in a bad combination of asking the wrong questions and thinking they had the right answers. Let’s give them credit. These two, Cleopas and companion, are talking. And willing to include another voice in the conversation. They are not yet totally issue possessed - believing the world is all black and white with easy answers. They are walking and talking. They show us that the journey is important.
Finally, Jesus asks, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” And the two stood still, looking sad.
Sometimes we just can’t see the nearness of God because our pain is so great. Physical pain. Emotional pain. At those terrible times, all we know is raw, real pain.
Here at the center of this scripture story, we get a clue of what to do when we have that kind of overwhelming pain.
The two stood still and then one says, “Are you the only stranger who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?”
That disciple is saying, “Who are you? Get a clue.”
We too are allowed to call out to God, to question God. The experience of faith is that God will hear and heed and be moved to answer. But the answer most likely will not be one that we would have crafted.
God will take us to familiar places by new routes and to unfamiliar places on safe paths. God’s ways are surprising and awesome. And always home…
And we know it’s home because we are a people of word and sacrament. Informed by scripture. Formed by shared food.
I am reading Anne Lamott’s newest book: Plan B.
In it she tells this story:
A Hasidic rabbi who taught his people that if they studied the Torah, it would put scripture on their hearts. One asked, “Why on our hearts and not in them?”
The rabbi answered, “Only God can put Scripture inside. But reading sacred text can put it on your hearts, and then when your hearts break, the holy words will fall inside.”
The holy words will be seed within you and your life will bear fruit worthy of Christ. Do not be afraid. God is with us and for us.
This is our story.
On the road to Emmaus, the disciples and the risen Christ break open holy scripture…
In the home in Emmaus, Christ takes, blesses, breaks and shares the holy bread…
Later, in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke will summarize these actions, reminding us that they are the most essential actions for the community of faith:
Acts 2: 42 (just one verse beyond today’s reading)
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Today it is our joy and privilege to hear sacred story and share sacred bread.
Today we join ourselves anew with that great cloud of witnesses—all the men, women and children of faith who have gone before us serving and praising God.
Today we join ourselves again to God through Christ and with the Holy Spirit.
AMEN.
This page was updated on 4/10/2005
