Sermon for Third Sunday of Easter

Acts 2:14a, 36-41
Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19 (Ps. 116:13)
1 Peter 1:17-23
Luke 24:13-35

The Road to Emmaus – how many times have we heard this story? It is one of those stories that we have heard so often that most of us can probably recite the major points from memory. The question is, have you heard it so many times that you don’t even think about it any more?

We have all heard the various explanations of the story, as well. We know that the location of Emmaus is not known. There are two or three possible locations, but not much proof to make it the town in the story. We know that this story is unique to the Gospel of Luke, and that Cleopas appears nowhere else – only here. We also know that Luke often uses food, and events surrounding meals to make his points. We also know that this story is very similar to Old Testament stories where strangers are entertained, only to later find out that they were angels! So what is new to tell about this story, here and now?

How about this - have you ever put yourself in to the story? Tried to get a new feel for one of the characters in the story? I would guess that the unnamed companion of Cleopas would be our place. We are not given this companion’s name, nor are we told if it is a man or woman! In fact, it has been speculated that this person’s name is not given precisely so that we can insert ourselves into the story!

Now - Imagine – you are the unnamed companion – you have just experienced what you feel has been the worst 48 hours of you life. After celebrating the Passover with your teacher and friends, you go out for a walk, and you are suddenly surrounded by soldiers as Jesus is arrested. Then, there is the trial, and the beating, and everyone is crying out for him to be crucified! Finally, Pilate gives in and Jesus is sent to the cross. Tensions are high, and anyone who was associated with Jesus is hiding in fear that they might be next. From a distance, you watch him die. He is taken down from the cross and put in the tomb just before the start of Shabbot – the Sabbath. From sundown to sundown, you hide, you try to pray – as a good Jew should, but you do so with a heavy heart. Your friend – the teacher, the prophet, who you thought was going to redeem Israel, is dead. Finally, Shabbot is over, but now it is dark and there is nothing you can do. Some of the women begin preparing spices and wrappings and other things so they can go to tomb first thing in the morning – to finish preparing the body, which they were prevented from doing during the Sabbath. Everyone else is still hiding, waiting till morning when they might be able to slip away without being noticed – or arrested.

Then, it is morning. Some of the women have already gone to the tomb. You and Cleopas decide that it is time to head for home, back to the life you gave up to follow this prophet, sure that things were about to change. Then suddenly – the women burst back into the room – “He is gone” they shout. “An angel told us that He is alive!”

Simon Peter – the one who had denied Jesus – ran to the tomb with some of the others, but came back to report that it was empty, and that he had seen no one. Now, you are going back home, not quite sure what to make of things but absolutely certain that the events of the last few days are not what you expected. Your hearts are heavy, and puzzled. As you walk along with Cleopas, a stranger begins asking questions, and you wonder, “How on earth can you have missed the biggest thing to have happened around here since the Romans took over Jerusalem?”

Then you begin telling your new companion about all the things that Jesus had done – his mighty deeds and profound words - and about your great expectations of what he was going to do – how he was going to save Israel! But now, he is dead, and his body is missing, and the women are talking about angels, and you are just tired and confused and on your way home to sort things out.

Then, this stranger begins to tell you – you who were there – about Jesus, and his ministry, and what the scriptures said about him and why he had to suffer and die. For someone who did not seem to know what had happened, he sure seems to know a lot of scripture to explain it! Then, just as you get home, the stranger heads on down the road, but you – being the good host that you are – call him back and suggest that he come home for supper. As you lay out supper, the stranger takes his place at the table and as soon as everything is ready, he takes the bread, he blesses it, and he then breaks it and gives you a piece. Suddenly - you realize that you have seen him do this before! This is Jesus – just as he was the last time you saw him, when he blessed bread, and broke it, and gave it to everyone to eat. Just as you realize who it is, He disappears! But you and Cleopas have shared this vision, this conversation, this revelation – Jesus is alive!!!

What a story! You have just been part of one the most told and re-told resurrection stories that we have. Just like the disciples – whom we are told “just didn’t get it” – we don’t get it either, until our eyes are opened. Jesus explains, very patiently and in great detail how all the scriptures foretell that Jesus will come to live among us, will teach us, and do mighty deeds, and then he must suffer and die. Jesus, and later Martin Luther, explains that all that we read in scripture is part of God’s plan for us, and that the key to the plan is that Christ, the Messiah, would come, and be rejected, and be put to death as were many of the great prophets of Israel. Christ leads us from the garden in Genesis to the Cross in Jerusalem; Christ leads us from the cross to meet the Holy Spirit which the Father has sent; Christ prepares us for the coming of the kingdom.

Now, imagine yourself in your daily lives. Imagine that a stranger comes up and ask, “what are you talking about?” We know the story; we can even place ourselves in the story and make it personal. How do we share it with others?

One of the commentary writers, in talking about this story, speaks of us as Easter people. We are just like Cleopas and his companion – and the rest of the disciples – we are “foolish” and “slow of heart to believe” but we keep trying. We may not fully understand this kingdom of God stuff, but we understand enough that we offer hospitality to the stranger – who turns out to be Jesus. We may not understand all that the prophets wrote about Jesus and why he must suffer and die – but we are here every week to learn more. We don’t understand the words of Jesus when he gave thanks, broke the bread, and gave it to his disciples and said “Take and Eat,” but we do it every week anyway. We know, as Easter people, that Jesus came and lived among us, that he suffered and died, that he was raised from the dead – so that somehow – through some miraculous work of God - we might have eternal life.

Now the question is, what do you do? A couple of weeks ago, we heard about Mary, who after seeing Jesus, ran to tell the others. Here, in this story, you and Cleopas do the same thing – you run to tell the others what you have seen. You run, because the news is so great. You run, because you can’t hold it in any longer – you have to tell someone! Anyone! Everyone! And so, you run back to Jerusalem – that place where it all started – and ended – and you tell the story. As Luke describes it – you tell the story of the mighty deeds and words of Jesus. You recount all that He has done – in your life, in the lives of the disciples, in the lives of those you know. You tell the story, and you tell it again, and again, and again. You tell it till you don’t think you can tell it anymore, then you tell it again.

In this story, in this walk to Emmaus, we hear this story acted out. We hear Jesus recount God’s salvation story so that the disciples may understand how God’s salvation really works – not by the sword, but by God’s redemption of the world – through the cross.

Here - we hear the story of what it really means for God to have sent His only Son to die on the cross, so that we who believe may have eternal life.

Here - we hear the story – so that we can run and tell it to others.

Here – we come to the table – to meet Jesus in the bread and wine.

Here – we are redeemed.

Thanks be to God!

Amen.