Luke 24:13-35
Stanly Lake in Idaho’s Sawtooth wilderness is my favorite place on earth. Look it up on google images when you have a moment. For me, McGown Peak towering over the placid lake water is a primal beauty that is unrivaled by anything we can create architecturally or cinematically. However, the beauty is only part of what draws me back to this place year after year.
No matter what I may be going through, Stanly Lake has a powerful way of grounding me. As I approach the mountain range on the road and see the first peak on the horizon, all of the mess of my life begins to be pulled from me. I begin to contemplate all that is my existence. As I set up camp, my mind struggles with all my frustrations, fears, sorrows, and heartbrokenness. All that I don’t understand, but desperately seek comes to the surface. That first night’s sleep is always a restless one.
Then I am awakened by the sun, the sound of trout rising on the lake, and the smell of pine mingled with the essence of last night’s campfire. The grandeur of God’s creation reminds me that I am more than my daily grind. Its splendor reminds me that my value is not defined by my failures or the rejection of others. How small I feel while getting lost in the immensity of the wilderness reminds me that I am part of something greater than my own story. As soon as I cast my first dry fly out on top of the water, I am eight years old again fishing with my dad, innocent, protected, free, wild, and filled with the wonder of possibilities. In its silence, the words of God can be heard. As I drive home and return to normal life, I am continually haunted by its grounding presence. My eyes well up even now as I tell you about these things. I am eager to return to that sacred space.
This haunting, this desire for grounding is much of what was in the two disciples’ hearts as they traveled those seven miles on the road between Jerusalem to Emmaus. Let me describe what I mean by this.
Last week we were looking at John’s post-resurrection account. It was the evening of the first Easter and the disciples were in a locked room filled with fear. We see a similar picture in Luke. This is also the evening of the first Easter. As the disciples traveled, they too were stunned and left in grief stricken confusion by all they had seen and heard that day, as well as the previous week. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other female apostles with them who told the news of the resurrected Lord to the rest of the apostles (v 10). But the rest of the apostles were only left disturbed by what seemed like a nonsensical message to them in light of such a horrifying crucifixion (v11). These events were the only thing on their minds and was the topic of discussion between the two disciples Luke shows us on the road to Emmaus. How will they be grounded once again? What is their sacred space?
As these two made their journey, a stranger joins them. As is a common theme in Luke, the disciples were kept from recognizing who this stranger was (v16). This stranger asks, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” This would be equivalent to asking people in New York on September 12, 2001, “What’s new?” Not only would it come off sounding clueless but it would sound absolutely insensitive. This is made obvious by the disciple’s response. They both stood still, their faces downcast and Cleopas asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” Then the insensitive stranger asks, “What things?” (vv 18-19). Perhaps we are hearing Jesus desire to actually be invited into the conversation of believers. For just like today and in the gospel of Luke, he rarely ever is invited.
This is an interesting situation for us, the readers of Luke. At this point of Luke’s gospel, we readers know all that has happened. We know everything there is to know while the disciples are still in the dark and “kept from seeing.” We long to have the disciples be as amazed and filled with joy over Christ’s resurrection as we are! We do not want them to be stuck in their grief and confusion! However, even knowing the past as we do, we as the readers are just as perplexed over why Jesus begins a conversation through covert questions rather than speaking “peace be with you” and revealing his identity (v36). As we read on, his loving purpose is made clear.
What we see unfold on the road to Emmaus within Jesus’ conversational approach with these two is his position on discipleship. Jesus enters into the discussion and deep contemplation between his disciples. He then asks his questions, prodding them to deeper contemplation and further discussion. The Greek word translated here as “converse” (ὁμιλέω) is homileó, which is where we draw the English word ‘homiletics.’ This conversation between the disciples and Jesus is not just shooting the breeze, but a diligent conversation in pursuit of the truth.
We who know the narrative of Luke well will be astounded at this conversation! This is the fist time in Luke’s gospel that the disciples move from simply being confused, bewildered, and unbelieving individuals to apprentices who actually think and engage in intelligent conversation over the meaning and implications of Jesus’ life, death, and the ramifications of a possible resurrection. This is Jesus’ paradigm of discipleship!
Disciples must be a people who contemplate who they are and what they must do in light of who Jesus is and how he lived. They must think and converse with each other over the meaning of Jesus’ life and how it impacts their own. The most important element in Jesus’ paradigm of discipleship is the role of Jesus as the one who reveals truth within the deliberate contemplation of his apprentices. While the disciples have the responsibility of wrestling until the meaning of Christ’s life is revealed to them, Christ takes the responsibility of revealing the truth as they journey in discipleship together.
David Neale writes in his exceptional commentary that “disciples discuss and ruminate, even argue about what they have seen in Jesus’ life. The disciples are doing what post resurrection disciples must do-seek understanding of the crucifixion and a resurrection. In Luke 11:9-10, Jesus taught that to find truth one must seek truth. This is the prominent theme throughout the Emmaus narrative.”[1] In verses 11-24, Luke tells us all about the disciples confusion over who Jesus was, their misunderstanding about what Jesus came to do, and their subsequent disregard over the news of his resurrection. In verses 25-31, we see a dramatic turn! Jesus explained the scriptures to them, their closed eyes were opened, and they recognized Jesus as he broke the bread. This changed them so dramatically that they ran the seven miles back to Jerusalem to tell the others about how they recognized Jesus as he broke the bread. Jesus grounded his disciples in a sacred space.
What we see at the end of the road to Emmaus is something far more grounding than any mountain scene and something far more sacred than any wilderness lake. We see the table of Christ. Luke intentionally includes the details of how it was evening when Jesus broke bread with his disciples after their Emmaus journey, which parallels exactly the evening Jesus had his final meal with his disciples before his crucifixion. That was their last supper with Jesus before he died and this is the first supper they have with Jesus after he has been raised. It is through the breaking of bread that the disciples recognize and remember Jesus and it is through the breaking of bread that they proclaim Jesus resurrection to the rest of the disciples (v35). It is the table of Jesus’ body and blood that grounds the followers of a crucified messiah into the sacred space of the resurrection.
We who are disciples of Jesus are invited weekly to journey to the table of Jesus in the midst of continued contemplation, conversation with each other, and diligent scripture study, in order to have the meaning of Jesus’ life revealed to us. As we are grounded by the table into the sacred space of the resurrection, we are then sent out into the world to proclaim how we recognized Jesus in the breaking of bread. This is our invitation to others to join our conversation with Jesus. As we walk to and from supper with our Lord, we are haunted by the grace, the words, and the sanctifying work of God we encounter at his table. The truth he reveals to us of himself and of ourselves makes us ever eager to always return for more.
We, as disciples, are invited to the communion table together to remember and contemplate the mystery of our faith: Christ has died! Christ has risen! Christ will return! May Jesus always find us contemplating this mystery as we walk the road of discipleship together and may we recognize him in the breaking of bread around his table.
[1] Neale, David A. Luke 9-24. Kansas City: Beacon Hill of Kansas City, 2013. pg. 246.