Easter Three, 04/30/2017

Sermon on Luke 24:13-35, by Carl A. Voges

The Passage

“That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, ‘What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?’ And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, ‘Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?’ And he said to them, ‘What things?’

And they said to him, ‘Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was t he one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.’

And he said to them, ‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.’ So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?’ And they rose that same h our and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, ‘The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!’ Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.”

[English Standard Version]

“Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” [1 Peter 1.18-19]

In the Name of Christ + Jesus our Lord

Being in the Great Fifty Days of Easter overwhelmingly fills the lives of the Lord’s people with meaning, energy and satisfaction. These over-powering Days also give us fresh perspectives and understandings as we discover what it means to be the Lord’s people making their through this world. While the point of this familiar passage from Luke is expressed clearly in its last sentence (the breaking of the bread), there is an intriguing reality that brings us to that point (non-recognition followed by recognition).

We know how sun glasses can prevent us from recognizing people that we usually know. Or how someone recognizes you at the gym in your workout clothes, but does not recognize you at the supermarket after a shower and change of clothes! Pushing into such reality a little further, we also know that we can be so wrapped up in ourselves, we don’t recognize who or what is crossing in front of or alongside us! As the Lord’s baptized people, we are aware that it appears to be easier to recognize the things in this world more than the things of the Lord’s crucified and resurrected Life. Such non-recognition and recognition is displayed into today’s Gospel as the Son’s Spirit exposes us to the breaking of his bread.

Today the Lord God turns us into the Sacrament that his Son gave his followers on the Thursday evening before Easter Day; he lets us see what it means to have the Son’s Bread and Body being broken in that holy Meal; he encourages us to understand how vital that Supper is – not only within the Church’s life, but also in the lives of his baptized people.

The world, though, has a skewed way of looking at things. It bores in on the only life it knows, its own! It tries to put a lid on the harsh side of its birth-given nature while attempting to elevate what it believes to be a higher, better nature. This skewed way, however, does not work out that easily. The higher, better natures are not always able to cover the harshness churning underneath and through them. The world’s way of looking at things leaves us bogged down in deep pretensions, unrelenting hurt and persistent exhaustion.

Thankfully, our crucified and resurrected Lord has a much clearer way of looking at things, but it takes a while for such clarity to emerge. Like the two disciples in today’s Gospel we often find ourselves reeling from events that are way beyond us. Even though such events are way beyond our attempts to manage them, we still find ourselves hunkering down and letting those events spin out, trusting that they will not hit us too hard and that we will somehow get through them. Isn’t that what we usually do – when we cannot explain the things that are happening; or when we are bewildered by what has occurred; or when we are too caught up with ourselves to even notice them?

That’s what was going on the evening of Easter Day as two of Jesus’ followers are making their way from Jerusalem to Emmaus (about a seven mile walk). They are discussing (the Greek word actually means “debating!”) everything that has happened over the last few days (the events in which we participated during Holy Week). While they are talking, Jesus comes up alongside them, but they are kept from recognizing him (notice that they are held back from that recognition). He asks them what matters they are discussing (their look is sad, the Greek word describes it as “sullen”) and they question him in a scolding way – Are you the only one who does not know what has happened in Jerusalem?

Our Lord encourages them to go on. They point out that Jesus was a prophet mighty in actions and words before the Lord God and all the people (they did not recognize that prophet to be the Lord’s Son!). They note how the chief priests and rulers handed Jesus over for condemnation and crucifixion. They had hoped he would be the One to redeem Israel (this comment shows they still did not understand what Jesus meant by the redemption he offers). They note it has been three days since his death has taken place.

They also note that some women in their group had astounded them. They went to the tomb early that morning, but they did not find Jesus’ body and said they had seen a vision of angels who stated that Jesus was alive! Some other people then went to the tomb and verified what the women had said!

Jesus finally responds, commenting on their foolishness and their slowness to believe all that the prophets had declared. He asks if it wasn’t necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and to enter into his glory? Jesus goes back to Moses and all the prophets, interpreting things about himself in all the Old Testament Scriptures. This suffering was described vividly in the four Servant Songs of Isaiah, the Psalms and other places in the Old Testament; this means that the faithful people waiting for the Messiah did have clues even if they did not catch them!

As they come near to a village, Jesus walks ahead as though he’s going on. But they strongly urge him to stay, noting that it is almost evening and the day is nearly over; so

he stays. When he’s at a table with them, he takes the bread and says a blessing, breaks the bread and hands it to them. This action opens their eyes and they recognize him, but he vanishes from their sight! They say to each other, Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the Old Testament Scriptures up to us?

They promptly get up and return to Jerusalem, finding the eleven disciples and their companions gathered together. That gathering reports that the Lord has risen / has appeared to Simon! Then these two followers relate what happened on the road that afternoon and how Jesus had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread!

Such breaking is best understood on four levels:

[1] It expresses Jesus’ suffering (that is, his Passion), his dying and his rising

[2] It is the central element in Jesus’ Supper for his followers (when larger hosts

are used in the consecration of the elements, the presider actually breaks it into two pieces)

[3] It alerts us to turn to our Lord when breakings occur in our lives

[4] Such breaking occurs in our lives on a continual basis (as we are exposed to

the Lord’s Word he breaks down the life given us by world and restores us by the Life given us at Baptism)

These four levels are powerful reminders of how Jesus’ Life was broken for us, to the point of him being killed and of how that Life re-emerged in his rising from the dead. These levels also remind us of where we are to turn when our own lives are breaking down – we turn to the Bread, the Life of the Father’s Son.

Yes, I realize this is not our instinctive reaction – that instinct is to first go to ourselves and then to someone or something else! We see this working out in our parish communities whenever some tough circumstances or situations rip into a person’s life – their first thought is that their participation in Lord’s holy places (including his Supper) is to be shut down, mistakenly thinking that he has let them down! But our Baptisms into the Father, Son and Holy Spirit have rescued us from such dead-end reactions and have fully imbedded us in the dying and rising of the Son’s Life! Such rescues have enormous implications for our lives and the lives of the world’s people.

When people drift from the only Lord God there is, when they are wrapped up in the gods of their own making, their lives get exhausted and broken down. At those points may they see the Lord bringing his Bread to them, breaking down the life given them at birth and re-setting them in the Life given at Baptism.

When people believe it is their own strength, their own ability or their own wisdom that is powering them through life, their lives will get stuck and break down. May they see the Lord bringing his Bread to them, breaking down the life given them at birth and re-setting them in the Life given at Baptism.

When people are so absorbed with themselves, doing wrong to themselves and others (even when they are not aware of the wrong), their lives will get hurt and break down.

May they see the Lord bringing his Bread to them, breaking down the life given them at birth and re-setting them in the Life given at Baptism.

Do we recognize the Lord in this breaking? We do when we are aware of the sin soaking through our lives, when we realize the need to repent and confess, when we fully see the rescue given us by the Lord in his crucifixion and resurrection. May the Lord God keep pushing into lives that are stuck, exhausted and hurt with his breaking Bread so we can grow in the recognition of the Bread he offers his people every week!

Now may the peace of the Lord God, which is beyond all understanding, keep our hearts

and minds through Christ + Jesus our Lord.

Pr. Carl A. Voges
Columbia, SC
E-Mail: carl.voges4@icloud.com

(top)