The Risen Christ and the Journey - Luke 24.13-35
We are all at this time experiencing so much loss and grief. This is the case for the whole world in dealing with the corona virus – but even more so for us here in Victoria with the tragic deaths of four police officers this past week and then as a nation yesterday with the different but equally important commemoration of Anzac Day and all the sacrifice, loss and grief as a result of war. It feels like we are all on a very heavy and profoundly sad journey.
But it is to this journey that I think our gospel reading speaks and give us as followers of the risen Christ a good deal of reassurance and hope.
Perhaps at this time more than ever we can identify with those two disciples on the road to Emmaus, for they too are sad, grief stricken, fearful, puzzled over the womens’ claims about Jesus’ body and no doubt wondering what the future might hold.
This gospel story has much in it especially with all its allusions to the Eucharist – with a meal and the breaking of the bread, invitation, sharing of hospitality, listening to the scriptures and their exposition from Jesus himself.
Yet I have to admit that it is challenging hearing this at a time when we are all physically separated and our experience of the Eucharist be it through zoom or Youtube is just so different and strange. To this very challenging context what stands out in this account of the disciples travelling to Emmaus is the fact that the risen Christ came and walked with them. Christ came to them in the midst of their sadness and fear – whether they realized it or not [and of course we know they did not until later when Jesus broke bread with them]. The message here is that they were not alone and the risen Christ is very much present. And it was a gentle presence – a presence that listened carefully and then responded to their sadness as well as bewilderment as to the events of recent days. It was a presence that surprised, taught and gave reassurance. In fact, it was a journey of revelation for the disciples even if they did not fully understand it all and its implications until later, but that culminated in a profound moment of recognition of what they had experienced when Jesus broke bread. 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?
All this in turn propelled and empowered them to continue the journey and share with others their experience and joy of the risen Christ.
This story speaks to us here and now. The risen Christ is with us on this very difficult, different and at points profoundly sad journey for all people around the world. But as followers of the risen Christ we are surely to take heart that this is a journey where we are not alone and that the risen Christ is with us [whether we feel it or not at the time]. It is an objective reality that we are called to hold on to especially when our established ways of living and expressing our faith – as in celebrating the Eucharist and offering ministry is just so different [with all its limitations and gifts]. Yes – Jesus is present in the breaking of the bread – and while the sharing of that bread in the Eucharist cannot take place in the way we are used to – it is still very much happening in the contact we make with each other through email, phone calls, facebook etc – through the work of the Lazarus Centre, our Social Enterprise and catering staff at Parliament who are feeding those in need – and of course through our prayers – and no doubt in many other ways as well.
Christ is risen indeed. Christ is with us on this journey. But like those two disciples on the road to Emmaus, the challenge is not to become overwhelmed or too self-absorbed in our loss and struggle but to remain open and alert to the risen Christ’s presence – not in the usual ways we might expect but more than likely in the unexpected and surprizing events and people that surround us.
Yes – Christ is present in the breaking of the bread and dare I say also through zoom and Youtube!!