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The Resurrection changes everything – week 4
April 26th - Emmaus
Reading: Luke 24 v.13-35
For something a little different – there are a number of videos on YOUTUBE which tell the story. For example, “Road to Emmaus” (David Helling) – just over 6 minutes.
Icebreaker
Have you ever been caught in the middle of someone else’s argument and not known what to do? What action did you take?
Possible options – intervene; walk away; change the subject; say nothing.
Jesus had no such problems as he met with two of his followers as they were having a deep discussion (Greek actually means they were having a full-blown row!)
Study
In Luke’s Gospel the first appearance of Jesus after his resurrection is not at the tomb but on the Emmaus road. Peter runs to the tomb and finds it empty, except for the grave clothes. However it is only in the iconic story of two travellers on the way to Emmaus that Jesus is revealed.
Please read Luke 24:13-17
As so often with the Gospel writers, we are left with lots of questions; we have to fill in the gaps.
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What do you think they were arguing about? If they had heard rumours of Jesus’ resurrection why leave Jerusalem?
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Why not stay and find out more? Who were these two people?
It seems reasonable to assume they were a married couple in the midst of a marital “discussion”. They lived in the same house in Emmaus. We know one was called Cleopas, possibly the Greek version of the Hebrew “Clopas”. In John’s Gospel we read that one of the women near the cross was Mary, wife of Clopas (19.25). So do we have a married couple, Clopas and Mary on their way home to Emmaus from Jerusalem arguing about what has happened to Jesus?
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The identity of this couple is not really important – what is the main issue?
When Jesus asked what they were arguing about they looked gloomy.
Please read Luke 24:18-28
Try to put yourself in the shoes of these two people. The Passover Festival is over, the sun is beginning to set and it is time to make the 7 mile journey back home to Emmaus.
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Why do you think they failed to recognize Jesus (19)?
You have a heavy heart. A week ago you came to Jerusalem with high hopes – all now dashed. Perhaps you need to shade your head and shade your eyes as you argue with your companion.
Listen as the events of the past week are described: we had hoped … death … empty tomb … they did not see him.
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What do these words suggest about the way they are feeling?
Now listen to the stranger: foolish … slow of heart … necessary … Moses and the prophets … listen to the Scriptures. After an hour’s Bible study (what a bible study!!)
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what do you think they are feeling now?
A few other thoughts … Could they have thought the stranger was a Jewish spy? It would have been a brave thing to reveal they were followers of Jesus and that they had hoped Jesus was the one who would liberate Israel once for all from pagan rule, free to serve God in peace and holiness. So for them Jesus’ crucifixion must have been devastating.
It was RESURRECTION that changed everything. “They crucified him – but we had hoped he would redeem Israel” changed to “They crucified him – and that was how he did redeem Israel”. It was through the suffering of The Messiah, on behalf of the nation (and the world) that redemption was to come.
It is a strange feature of the resurrection stories that people failed to recognize the risen Christ. His body had been transformed. It was the same – yet it was different! Perhaps this is a mystery that we will never fully come to understand in this life.
“This passage forms one of the most powerful encouragements to pray for his (Jesus’) presence, and sense of guidance, whenever we study the Bible, individually in pairs or in larger groups.” (Tom Wright)
Please read Luke 24:29-35
“One of life’s greatest pleasures is sharing a meal together.”
A time to relax; a time to be at ease; a time to open up.
AS YOU READ THESE NOTES YOU MAY BE ONE OF MANY WHO HAS BEEN ISOLATED FOR SOME WEEKS NOW – AND PERHAPS FOR SOME WEEKS STILL TO COME. RESOLVE TO SHARE A MEAL WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS AS SOON AS THE CORONAVIRUS THREAT IS OVER!
Throughout the world hospitality is seen as an essential part of relationships. The root of the word “hospitality” is related to the word for a STRANGER. In the first century the act of welcoming a stranger into your home was expected as part of being hospitable. And because two people offered hospitality to Jesus they had an amazing encounter as he broke bread in front of them. Now the full significance of what had happened on the road came to them.
Put yourself in the place of these two people as Jesus suddenly “vanished from their sight”.
Disappointed that you had not had the chance to ask some questions!
Wanting to sit and soak in the experience – or dash and share it with others.
Just an illusion – was it really Jesus?
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Have you ever experienced your heart burning within you as you read the Bible? Should we expect this to happen, or was it only because Jesus was actually there?
This story links the two ways in which most people experience Christ today – scriptures and sacrament. We need to study the scriptures to learn more about our faith; we need to experience the sacrament of the Eucharist (Holy Communion) to see the risen Christ.
Are the scriptures and the sacrament of equal importance to you?
Encourage people to give a reason for their answer. Some of our services are formal and weekly services where we share in bread and wine; others are more informal and we only share in bread and wine monthly.
And finally … there are at least 9 verbs in this story which describe movement – you might like to find them. As Christians we are ON THE MOVE, but our movement has a purpose: to tell the story of Jesus; to interpret the story to make it meaningful for us today; to share the story with others.
Prayer
These notes are being written at the end of March so the whole situation re Coronavirus will no doubt have changed – listen out for where we are up to and what as a church are our priorities for prayer.
Note the change in the two people – they were tellers of a sad story; conversation partners; spoke of the hopes they had; but ending with their hearts burning. And why? THEY HAD MET WITH THE RISEN CHRIST! Have a time of praise (even if you are on your own) that you, too, have met with the Risen Christ!
Malcolm Raby
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Malcolm Raby, 27/03/2020
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