Our reading today describes an incident where a couple of people were walking home to the village of Emmaus. The Crucifixion was a few days ago. We don’t know if it was two men or a man and his son or perhaps a man and wife. We know they were followers of Jesus, but not how closely they were involved – they were not counted in the disciples. We do know one was named Cleopas, a man’s name.
They had left the dispirited and confused band of disciples with the events of Good Friday fresh in their memories. They can only just have heard the news that the body was missing. We can sympathize with their bewilderment. They had left without even waiting to find out what had happened to the body.
The reading tells us they were discussing all that happened, when Jesus joins them. It adds that they were kept from recognizing Jesus.
Why were they kept from recognizing him? Why wouldn't Jesus want them to know who he was? Perhaps we guess that it was to be a teaching experience. He wanted to teach the scriptures and not have them distracted by that amazing fact that he was alive.
Jesus asked, “What are you discussing?” That question surprised them. They stop and look depressed and ask Jesus if he is just passing through and not heard all the news…
What news?
They tell him about Jesus of Nazareth, how he was a great a prophet, and how the authorities had arranged his death. They had thought he was to be the one who would redeemed Israel. Then they shared how the women found an empty tomb and others verified it. They did not have any idea what was going on. They have finished with it all. Jesus was a prophet, we expected great things of him, but now he's dead. Time to go home. Time to put that behind us and move on.
Jesus calls them foolish because they don’t understand or expect the descriptions of the messiah to come true. How slow they are to believe. And then over the next few miles he explains from Moses through all the prophets and how they relate to Jesus the Christ.
Jesus reminds them about the scripture related to the prophecies of the messiah. If Jesus was recognized or had revealed who he was he would have been explaining scriptures with his personal authority. He would have been speaking as the son of God, which would be pretty powerful, but his identity would carry weight in their eyes, and that is not His purpose. So He could not let them know who he was.
When he reminds them of the scriptures He is allowing the scriptures to speak with their own authority. His identity does not influence the hearers; in fact how they see him now may even be a negative influence since he seems to be a person that is out of touch with what has happened.
This reading is an important illustration of the relevance and authority of scripture and how we should weight it’s use in our relationship with God. Scripture contains the information we all need to understand God and his purposes. If we have trouble reading and understanding the bible we need to continue to read and pray that the Holy Spirit will aid our understanding like Jesus did for the travellers that day.
The scripture that Jesus is talking about would have been much better known to travellers than they are to us. Each of the stories that he told them they would recognise, they'd heard them hundreds of times before. Most of them they could re-tell from memory, but here they had a new twist. They all lead to Jesus. They all relate in some way to His mission and ministry.
These would not be just the familiar prophesies,
Isaiah 53:3-7 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. By oppression and judgement he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
or the verses that Jesus spoke from the cross
Ps 22:1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?
Ps 22:16-18 Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.
This would cover the whole story, from Moses onward. Let me read you a short paper which gives some of the flavour of the things that Jesus might have been talking about.
Read: Jesus: The new Moses.
After Jesus has expounded the scriptures for a while they come to the end of their journey.
The travellers have not had enough though, they invite him to stay with them. Have they perhaps started to recognise him through all that he has been saying. Certainly something has gone in, something of what he has been saying has stuck. Their hearts are burning, they have seen some truths that they had missed before. They cannot leave it at this. They must hear more. This is no polite request for an encore, although it is issued politely.
Jesus agrees to stay and eat with them. The food is brought, and Jesus does a remarkable thing. He takes the bread and breaks it. In that action they suddenly realise who it is.
That's because it is time for Jesus to reveal Himself. He has performed at least part of the last supper ceremony that He has passed on to them. Their eyes are opened.
Its the same ceremony that we are here to celebrate today.
Do you remember the first time you took part in the Holy Communion ritual? For me it was at Spring Harvest. I had been coming to church for a while by then, and was already on the list of those due to be confirmed. I had so far refused to say the words “Though we are many we are one body because we all share in one bread”. How can you say those words when you cannot share in the one bread? - I don't know, and I couldn't.
At Spring Harvest they welcomed all to communion who were regular members in good standing with their churches – no mention of needing to be confirmed. I decided that I would receive the elements when it was my turn. So when the bread was offered, I accepted, and likewise with the wine. After the service someone said “That meant a lot to you didn't it Pete”. I could only agree. Through partaking in the ritual I had met Jesus in a way that I had not met him before. There was something new in our relationship. I had a new experience of the presence of God. We were closer, because I had obey this command. I could see Jesus more clearly.
There have been other times when communion has been special – but none have yet been like the first time. Perhaps you have similar recollections of particular services where you found that communion meant something extra special. Perhaps it was your first communion that was special.
Tonight as we approach the table, try to recall, or if there have not been any special times, consider that through this act you will meet with Jesus, perhaps more closely than you do on a daily basis, perhaps more closely than you ever have before. At least be prepared for it to happen.
Through the word, and through the meal we meet with Jesus.
Through the word, and through the meal we meet with the Risen Christ.
Meeting with Jesus is a good thing to do, but it is not enough. When the two travellers realised who it was he immediately disappeared from their sight.
Why did Jesus have to leave at that point?
He left because the lesson that he is trying to teach is the same lesson that was spoken to Thomas.
Jn 20:24-29
Jn 20:24 Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.
Jn 20:25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”
Jn 20:26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”
Jn 20:27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
Jn 20:28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jn 20:29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
The disciples have got to learn the lesson that Jesus is not going to be with them physically any more. It's a lesson that He has tried to teach before “Jn 16:7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”
Now, of course the lesson is a practical one, rather than simply a spoken one. He has shown them that they do not need him there. At last they believe! At last they have started to understand.
When I spoke about meeting with Jesus earlier, I was not expecting him to be there in the flesh, saying “The peace of the Lord be with you”, but I knew nonetheless that I had met with him.
Theses two followers who were so caught up in his words as he walked along have finally got it.
Their reaction is to return to Jerusalem, to tell the disciples what they have seen, what they have experienced. The journey back is a lot quicker than the journey out had been, but I bet it seemed longer. When they arrive back, they find that their exciting story is old news. Jesus has appeared to Peter.
In reality, of course, the appearance to the two travellers is a very important event. There are two of them, and as such this is a valid testimony in Jewish eyes. There must be two witnesses for the testimony to be up-held – and here they are. They are telling their story to the disciples, who will later pass it on to others and eventually to us.
Their story, their witness, because that's what they have become – witnesses, will help to convince many that Jesus has indeed risen from the dead. The report of their journey will be written down, and will become part of the scriptures for us. Part of the amazing story of the God's plan to redeem the whole world, not just the city of Jerusalem, the home of the Jews.
For us this is now an important part of scripture as we seek to obey the Lords final command
Mt 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Mt 28:20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
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