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The Road To
Emmaus Two friends are walking together. They are on a journey, chatting and sharing their thoughts and the burden of sadness at the death of a mutual friend. As they converse they become aware of another presence. A man buts in and joins them on the journey. Perhaps they feel a little resentful that their intimacy is broken. Whatever, their initial response is not particularly hospitable. The man tries to break into their conversation and his apparent ignorance about the breaking news of the crucifixion of Jesus over the weekend appears to irritate them. Nonetheless, they fill him in on the dramatic events of Easter and then find to their surprise that far from being ignorant, this stranger is able to flesh out the significance of these recent events and bring them to a new spiritual understanding of them which is life giving and invigorating for them and their wider circle of friends. They walk and talk with this stranger and all while they find what he says quickens their spirits and arouses their interest and as they put it “our hearts burned within us” as he spoke. As they reach the inn where they will be dining and staying the night, the stranger prepares to say farewell, but they have so come to enjoy his company that they invite him to join them for dinner. He agrees and when the meal arrives the man takes the bread and breaks it in a way that is all too familiar to these two friends. In the act of breaking the bread they recognise their friend and teacher whom they thought was dead, but now realise has been resurrected. They are energized by their discovery and return to Jerusalem to share with the other disciples of Jesus the good news that he is risen. Themes of friendship, hospitality, relationship and companionship abound in this story. In fact the word companion means someone with whom you break bread. Jesus as friend and companion is the focus of the narrative which teaches us much about Christian theology and revelation. These include that Jesus comes to us in unexpected ways. That Jesus journeys with us both literally and figuratively in our lives. That Jesus is the promised Messiah. That his death far from being tragic is a fulfillment of God’s plan for the reconciliation of the human race. That Jesus will remain with us if we invite him into our lives. That Jesus is revealed in the everyday circumstances of our lives. That Jesus’ presence in our lives and our relationships invigorates them. For me personally this story is a reminder that God is frequently to be found in the ordinary relationships we have in our lives and that he is revealed to us in our every day experiences. So often I am tempted to seek God in lofty esoteric places and in academic theology and yet this story teaches me that he is to be found right under my very nose as it were, buried in my relationships , my conversations and communions, my simple walks down the road with a friend or one of my daughters and in the the breaking of bread with my family or the sharing in a cup of coffee with a member of my church. Last year at this time, almost to the day, my very close friend Fiona was diagnosed with a grade 4 brain tumour. This was a dreadful event in all of our lives. Yet, it was a beautiful thing to see so many of her friends and family gather around her to minister to her in her time of need during the 8 months that preceded her death in December. Towards the end of the year we put out the Christmas edition of the parish magazine, the Messenger. A copy of the magazine was delivered to Fiona and her husband Graham. On the cover of the magazine was an ultra-sound image of a baby in utero with a photo-shopped halo. The caption read: “He is coming”. Graham drew my attention to the headline and challenged the statement. “It’s not true” he declared, “ Jesus is already here Charmaine, look around you at the love these people are pouring out on Fiona and her family. Jesus isn’t coming, he is already here.” Whether we know it or not, Jesus journeys with us. If we have eyes of faith to see him we will find him when we invite him into our relationships. We worship a Trinitarian God, a relational God that lives in community of Father, Son and Holy Spirit and hospitality is his hallmark. His divine community is an open one. There is infinite room for all who would be part of it. The bible if full of invitations from God for human beings like you and me to join him , to be part of his plan, to converse with him, to walk and talk with him in prayer, to live with him. Those two disciples walking together on their way to Emmaus discovered him on their journey and when they allowed him to break into their relationship, things became richer, circumstances were more comprehensible, life was so much more positive and exciting. Just so for us: when we invite Jesus into our relationships and friendships we too will discover that the one who was God’s love gift to humankind will enrich them and bring a dynamic and revelation of God through them into our lives. God is revealed in love. The scriptures come alive and gain meaning when they are read and interpreted in the context of the relationships we have with our church families and those with whom we share our lives . The story of the Road to Emmaus, teaches us something important about our relationships. The two disciples were grieving together as we so often do when we share our burdens in confidence with our friends. The sad events around Jesus death left them feeling downcast and deflated, just as the sad events in our lives can leave us broken and depressed. However, as Jesus joined them on the road he was able to reframe the cause of their grief, namely the circumstances around his own death. During the time he spent with them, their whole mental and emotional state was transformed. When they invited him in to dine with them their transformation was complete and the scales fell from their eyes. They saw God and God at work in the world, and it was good! Just so, when we invite Christ into our relationships, grief, sadness, trials and tribulations can be transformed into places of joy, peace and great love through the new understandings and insights His Gospel affords us. Today as we celebrate Mother’s Day let us be mindful and careful with the family relationships with which we have been blessed for God incarnate is revealed to us through these relationships. Today you have an opportunity to invite the Christ into your relationships with your mothers and grandmothers, your children and your siblings. Look and you will see his face revealed in the ones you love perhaps even as you break bread together over lunch. |
