Have you heard the news? I’m sure you have, after all it’s all anyone is talking about now-a-days. Normal feels so far away. Instead, all anyone can talk about or think are the recent events that have turned the world upside down, and in the process, shattering hopes and dreams for what could have been. It’s all anyone is talking about, now-a-days. People feel confused, scared, they are grieving and mourning, disoriented and in deep despair. Have you heard the news? How could this have happened?
These questions and these feelings may very well capture the zeitgeist of our current time amidst the COVID19 pandemic wrecking havoc on the world right now, but these questions and feelings also set the scene for the scripture reading today as we hear about two grieving disciples walking away from Jerusalem, lamenting the hopes and dreams they left behind.
You see, these disciples, these two people had been following Jesus, watching him perform miracles, listening to him teach and preach, sharing meals with him and the other disciples. But then the events of the past few days, shattered their way of life, turned their world upside down, left with nothing but dashed hopes, they decide to leave Jerusalem—what’s left for them there now anyways?
Along their journey, a stranger approaches them. It was Jesus, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. Jesus asks what they are talking about, to which they respond something to the effect of, “What? Have you been living under a rock?” But as they journey on the road together, the disciples share with new travel companion.
They continue talking and share the trauma experienced during the recent events—How Jesus of Nazareth was arrested, put on trial, beaten, mocked and whipped, how he hung on a cross, crowned with thorns, how he hung in shame and pain until finally, in agony, he breathed his last. They tell how he was then buried in a tomb before the evening of Sabbath, but then, three days later, earlier this morning, some women in their group had gone to Jesus’ tomb, which was empty, and then they saw a vision of angels declaring that Jesus was alive. These travelers knew the details of the events that took place, but that data does not add up to belief in and hope for the resurrection. Faith is not self-generated, so with nothing left for them in Jerusalem, they decided to leave.
Their new companion listens as these disciples share of their grief and loss—“But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel” they told him. But now, hopes dashed, they wander away from Jerusalem and all that could have been…
What are the dashed hopes in your life? What are you grieving? Our whole world is experiencing the trauma of the coronavirus pandemic and I know that this was not what any of us had anticipated for our lives in 2020. What are the dashed hopes in your life right now?
Perhaps you are missing school and seeing your friends. Perhaps you’ve been looking forward to you graduation from High School, College, or Seminary. Perhaps a birthday, anniversary, or travel adventure has been postponed. Perhaps you’ve lost your job or you’ve been furloughed, or your hours have been cut, or you don’t know how much longer your business will be able to stay afloat. Perhaps you’re overwhelmed by the mounting bills or the dwindling food in the pantry. Perhaps “home” is not a safe or happy place to be, perhaps you have nowhere to call home. Perhaps you are in addiction recovery or struggling with mental illness and the isolation is causing old demons and temptations to pop-up again. Perhaps you or a family member is sick, and you worry if treatment will be available. Perhaps the task of getting though each day has become insurmountable.
“But we had hoped,” the disciples shared to the veiled-Jesus. Jesus listened to their grief and continued to walk with them on their journey.
Jesus hears your grief, too. He walks with you even when you can’t recognize him and He accompanies you on your journey even if you don’t know he’s there.
As the three travelers approached the village of Emmaus they invited their traveling companion to, “stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over”(v.29). And so Jesus, his identity still hidden from them, stayed with them for the evening. When he sat down at the table, he took bread, blessed it and broke it and gave it to them (v. 30). Immediately, their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus—Here in the flesh, here in their midst! Their eyes were opened and with exhilarating recognition they saw their Risen Lord, transforming their dashed hopes to burning hearts.
In times of grief and mourning, when hopes have been lost and the future is a frightening—in these times, it can be hard to recognize when Christ is among us. These travelers knew the whole story of Jesus, and indeed had personally witnessed the events of Holy Week, they knew the tomb was empty, and yet, their eyes remained closed to the Risen Christ. They lacked faith. This is not due to any fault of their own, because faith is not self-generated. You can have all the stories, all the data and still it wouldn’t add up to belief. Faith is a gift. It is created and given by God. Their eyes were opened when God showed up where God has promised to be—in the breaking of the bread, in the sacraments and the Word.
Faith is a gift that comes through a direct encounter with the Risen Christ himself. This faith, and this resurrection to faith comes through the action and presence of the Living Christ himself. That’s the most exhilarating and disorienting message of Easter—that there is no resurrection of faith unless Christ is really alive and continues to be active in our lives—showing up in unexpected and surprising ways.
In their hopelessness, grief, and doubt the Risen Christ showed up, walked with and listened to the travelers to Emmaus. He stayed with them, ate with them, and when he broke the bread their eyes were opened because here was the tangible sign of Christ’s presence where Christ has promised to be---in the bread and wine, water and Word.
Later on this morning, On April 26, 2020—the Risen Christ will again show up where he has promised to be, in the tangible sign of the Lord’s Supper—and it doesn’t matter if you are sharing this meal at the altar, on your doorstep, or via ZOOM—The Risen Christ’s presence is real, feeding and sustaining you with the gift of faith, opening your eyes to the gift of his presence.
And the Risen Christ continues to give this gift of faith again and again and again—
As he continues to meet people on the road.
As he continues to be present in Word and sacrament.
And as he continues to reveal himself in unexpected and surprising ways
So that your eyes may be opened to the gift of Christ’s presence, and that you may recognize the gift of life.
My dear brothers and sisters, Our Lord Jesus Christ is alive! He has been raised from the dead on your behalf and he continues to be with you, walking with you, giving you faith and food for the journey, continues to reveal himself in unexpected and surprising ways, again and again and again, as he turns our dashed hopes to hearts of burning joy. Amen.
The Walk to Emmaus
13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[f] from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, ‘What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?’ They stood still, looking sad.[g] 18 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?’ 19 He asked them, ‘What things?’ They replied, ‘The things about Jesus of Nazareth,[h] who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.[i] Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22 Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23 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. 24 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.’ 25 Then he said to them, ‘Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah[j] should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?’ 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29 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. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us[k] while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?’ 33 That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34 They were saying, ‘The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!’ 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.