2023 Sun April 23

From Bishop Rob Wright, Diocese of Atlanta. Road to Emmaus Luke 24:13-35

“The news of the Resurrection of Jesus took some time to reach everyone. Some of his friends were so discouraged by his arrest and Crucifixion that they decided to head to a village called Emmaus, seven miles outside of Jerusalem. We understand why they wanted to run away. We understand the impulse to run away from the jagged edges of reality.

“What grabs me about this story is that Jesus was running towards them as they were running away! As Jesus walks and talks with them, they tell him the sad story. The partial story. (They hadn’t recognized him yet.).But, by the time they reach Emmaus, they see him. They get understanding. The good news of his life penetrates their sadness.

“You may not be up to walking seven miles today but go for a walk soon. Tell Jesus all your sorrow and your fears on the walk. And then just listen, open your ears, eyes and heart to him anew.”

I.Theme –   Now after the Resurrection what must we do ?

 "Road to Emmaus" , Tiffany (1912)

The lectionary readings are here  or individually:

First Lesson – Acts 2:14a,36-41
Psalm – Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17 Page 759, BCP
Epistle –1 Peter 1:17-23
Gospel – Luke 24:13-35

The answer to what we must do after the Resurrection comes in the various readings to this week’s lectionary.

In Acts,  Peter declares God had made the risen Jesus both Lord and Christ. The people respond, "What must we do?" "Repent and be baptized."  

The Epistle answers "live as the baptized"  in reverent fear of God, and with deep affection for one another from the heart.

The writer of the Psalms package was in a time illness, near death.Tthe answer is to love and praise God since God saved him from this affliction. He will worship the Lord, and praise the Lord  in the worshipping community in the temple.

The Gospel reading on the Road to Emmaus provides the fullest explanation.

The emphasis is on evangelism and mission. Two companions are on the road to Emmaus, some 7 miles from Jerusalem.  Jesus meets up with them but they didn’t recognize him.  He taught them the importance of sustaining their faith through scriptures. It wasn’t until they stopped for the night for a meal that they recognized Christ in the breaking of the bread. After the revelation of Jesus in the scriptures and in the Eucharist, the two individuals went back and shared their faith experience with the community, the Body of Christ in Jerusalem. 

What would sustain the community of faith was the Word of Jesus,  friends involved in community worship and participating with the sacraments.  They had to live out and experience Jesus through revelation.  The followers needed to open their minds and hearts to new possibilities as they fulfilled the mandate to preach repentance and forgiveness everywhere in the name of Jesus.  We need to expect Jesus outside our normal experience.

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