Our Emmaus Journey of Faith

Cheddington St Giles – Easter 3 – 8 May 2011

First Reading Acts 2.14a,36-41

Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd:

“Let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptised, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Gospel Luke 24.13-35

Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the first and the last, says the Lord, and the living one;
I was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore.
All Alleluia.

When the Gospel is announced the reader says
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to N.

All Glory to you, O Lord.

That same day two of the disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognising him.

He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

“What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going further. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognised him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognised by them when he broke the bread.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
All Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

Acts – written by Luke – both about surety and conviction. Acts starts

¹ In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach ² until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

Luke wasn’t there – not eye witness. His gospel begins:

I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, ⁴ so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

That you may know the certainty... Peter – denied Christ 3 times – after crucifixion has no doubt. What we heard is end of his Pentecost sermon. States boldly what he saw. “Brothers, I can tell you confidently...” “Therefore let all be assured...” “We are all witnesses to the facts...”

How did apostles who denied, hid, and betrayed in such a short time come to this conviction of certainty? It was by faith, bestowed on them through Holy Spirit.

Peter’s outspoken conviction confronts the crowd who plotted Jesus’ death. They themselves are convicted. Blood on their hands. Complicit in their guilt. They were cut to the heart, and asked ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ Repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

Greek verb for repentance is metanoeo. Combination of meta meaning with or after, and noeo meaning perceive or think. Repent is having second thoughts. Changing your thinking. Criticising yourself, then coming to a new conviction. This follows from inspiration of Holy Spirit in our lives and hearts.

It was a very different picture during and immediately after crucifixion. Road to Emmaus – many people’s favourite story. And mine. Like a road movie – disciples meet a stranger – turns out not to be what he seems – has a profound effect by what he says and does – brings about a turning around, metanoeo, repentance, thinking again, new conviction – whatever – but profound and complete.

It was the same day when Mary Magdalene found the tomb empty. First day of week. Two men in gleaming clothes like lightning meet the women. ‘Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen! Remember what he told you in Galilee?’

The way Peter and apostles acted could not, I think, be down to faith. Not so profound a change. Not so soon. That’s not my experience. Faith ebbs and flows. Takes time, prayer, hard work. Pitfalls. Setbacks. Revelations. Ups and downs.

Two frightened fugitives escaping. They know something of what Mary found. But 3 days have passed, and Jesus has not reappeared. They are full of despair, shattered dreams, forlorn, all hope lost.

Walking a couple of hours out of Jerusalem. Lying low. Going home. Away from the heat of retribution. Outlaws going into hiding.

Who is Cleopas? We have no idea. Except he is probably in outer circle of followers of Jesus. His companion isn’t even named. Odd. But they had close knowledge of events, and were welcomed back when returned from Emmaus with their news. So must be more than observers.

The story is full of movement. They go. They walk. They go in and eat. They turn back. Why? Because, like us each week, they have recognised Jesus in the breaking of the bread.

You see, it’s not just a road movie, an account of what happened in real time, a turning again – back to Jerusalem where the Messiah was meant to appear. No – it’s more than that. It’s a parallel of what happens in our lives. It’s symbolic of our journey of faith.

How often do we doubt? Faith grows cold. We question. The hope of redemption grows cold. We slowly walk away, back to reality as we see it? We endlessly talk. Try to make sense of it all.

But then a chance encounter. No one special. Just passing the time on the road, waiting for a plane, on a ferry, just hanging out. The stranger has to be almost forced to stay for dinner. He is keen to be getting on, but it’s night and the road is dangerous. It almost seems like the revelation is unplanned. But something makes them insistent, and he stays to break bread with them.

It wasn’t his place to break bread. That was for the host. But Jesus naturally takes the role of Good Shepherd, providing for them, feeding them, caring for his own, the lost ones who were bereft after all that had not come to pass as they had hoped.

In Luke, Jesus spends a lot of time feeding others, eating with them, spending time with people who would not be given house room by the respectable. Us, in other words. Us, in our sin.

Or you might say that Cleopas and his friend are also us. Frightened. Hiding. Weak in faith. Saddened by our diminished hope. But suddenly, our eyes can be opened. We can’t control the Holy Spirit, who opens eyes when we least expect it. And sometimes, alas, closes them.

But from this story, today, as we are about to break bread together, we may find that Jesus walks with us, and reveals himself to us. We might have a glimpse of the Lord, as we reflect on the Road to Emmaus – our road – our journey of faith. Amen