Sunday 23 April 2023

Background

During this season of Easter, the lectionary readings for Sundays highlight some of the great stories of resurrection and new life in the gospels. Luke tells of two disciples leaving Jerusalem on the evening of the first Easter Sunday full of woe and returning later, filled with joy and new energy. It can be seen as a pilgrimage, following some of the classic steps of that ancient spiritual practice.

Departure: Two disciples, one named Cleopas, the other unnamed, but apparently from the same household as Cleopas, made their departure. Perhaps they felt nothing was left for them in Jerusalem now that Jesus is dead and perhaps they feared for their own safety. Luke tells us that the distance to Emmaus is about seven miles, so it was a walk of around a couple of hours.

The Pilgrim Path: The journey provided a comfortable environment for conversation – as journeys often do – and the disciples relived the hope and horrors of the recent days, pouring out the story to the stranger who draws alongside them. They didn’t recognise Jesus (v. 16); perhaps their grief and puzzlement blinded them or maybe they simply did not expect the company of a man they knew to be dead!

Encounter is a key pilgrimage theme: the sense of transience a journey brings often sensitises travellers to the meetings that occur and helps pilgrims be open to new truth, new perspectives, new understandings. These they received in full measure as Jesus "interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures" (v. 27). If only someone had recorded all of that! Just as John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, experienced his heart to be ‘strangely warmed’ in 1738, these two, like many since, had the same sense of inner burning as they listened (v. 32). 

The Sacred Centre: As the trio approached Emmaus, Jesus appeared to be going further, but the disciples wanted him to stay and invited him in.The heart of this pilgrim journey was a beautiful realisation that they were in the company of Jesus himself, recognised by his action in taking, blessing, breaking and giving bread – a moment of real Holy Communion (v. 30).  In that moment, Jesus was gone from their presence. 

Return, transformed: In pilgrimage, as in life, the end of every journey is the beginning of the next and these disciples made the return journey immediately (v. 33) to share their wonderful news with the other disciples. 

To Ponder:

• In v. 21 the disciples express their shattered hopes. What disappointments do you want to tell Jesus about today?  
• Jesus’ response (v. 25) is to call them foolish! Might some of the things you are worrying about seem less important when held in the light of Christ’s Resurrection?
• If you are someone who receives broken bread as part of your church life, what does it mean to you? Has it ever been a moment when you recognised the presence of the risen Christ?

Prayer

Stay with us, Jesus, through the business of this day and this week. May we recognise your presence and be transformed for the journey ahead. Amen.