1030am Sunday 4-26-20

Thank you praise team for leading us and not wonderful song. We are grateful for your presence here today of the message. I invite you wherever you are being on an app or a physical Bible. Like I have only invite you to grab your scripture because we are a people of the book people who wrote ourselves in the the good news of the gospels and of God Story 2 and 4 us the love letter of Our Lord as you enter into your Bibles into the Gospel of Luke. We're going to begin at chapter 24 beginning at the 13th first so I can write you now to follow along as you have the ability of the time. This is the good news according to the Gospel of Luke the 24th chapter the 24th chapter.

No, I'm not same day. Two of them were going to the Village called Emmaus about 7 miles from Jerusalem and talking with each other. About all the things that happened while they were talking in discussing. Jesus himself came here and went with them but their eyes were kept from recognizing him and Jesus said to them, what are you discussing with each other while you walk along they stood still looking and looking sad? Then one of them whose name is clopas. I can never pronounce that name cleopas answered him.

Are you the only Stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place?

In these days, he asked them what things they replied the things about Jesus of Nazareth who was a prophet Mighty and deed and word before God and all the people and how are chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucify him, but we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this is now the third day since all these things took place more over some women of our group astounded us they were out the tomb early this morning and they did not find his body there. They came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive some of those who are with us went to the tomb and found it just as the woman had said, but they did not see him. Then he said to them. Oh how foolish you are and how slow of heart to believe all of the profits have declared was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory then beginning with Moses and all the prophets Jesus interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures as they came near the village to which they were going. He called he walk Jesus walk to head as if he was going on but they urged Jesus strongly sang stay with us because it is almost evening and the day is nearly over. So Jesus went in to stay with them when he was at the table with them. He took bread blessed and broke it and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him and he banished from their site. They said to each other. We're not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road while he was opening the scriptures to us. Saying our they got up and returned to Jerusalem and they found the 11:00 and their companions gathered together. And then they were saying the Lord has risen indeed and he has appeared to Simon then they told what happened on the road and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread. This is the gospel of Our Lord.

I invite you wherever you are to set your scriptures aside as you have the ability and the the the frankly the room in the space. I depending on your your situation with children. So please join with me as we enter into this time. I invite you to pray with me wherever you are chains be broken lives be healed In This Moment Christ be revealed in the name of father and the son and the holy spirit. Amen.

A road takes Mary and Joseph to Egypt and then to Bethlehem. Add Road brings Wiseman to the manger. The Good Samaritan begum become so when given the opportunity to help a stranger on the side of a road. Road leads the prodigal son back home to his father and family. Jesus enters Jerusalem on a road while riding a donkey and later. He will walk along another road to Calvary and his crucifixion. Paul and many others encounter Christ Paul himself finding Jesus along the road to Damascus.

There's something about roads with your VOC our imaginations and certainly the gospel writers imagination. The way roads can bring us together the way Road can tear us apart. The way roads can be mysterious or dangerous. The rain way roads can be symbols of Our Lives. For the church roads are also opportunities to experience faith on the move. Play the author of Luke takes us on the road with these two disciples. One of them named Cleo pass as they Journey to the town of Emmaus. Now, this journey is filled with irony misunderstanding drama and eventual revelation. The story of the road to Emmaus has provided the church to the sun trees with hope and guidance for how to navigate the roads which are sometimes long and difficult to walk. The scene is set three days after Jesus's crucifixion the day of Christ's Resurrection. We learned that these two disciples had heard reports of the Resurrection, but they didn't quite know what to make of it. They are discussing these new occurrences and reports on their 7 Mile journey to Emmaus. Maybe they're leaving because they don't live there. Maybe they lived in the mail and the demands of life and family called him back. Maybe they're afraid to remain in Jerusalem for your fault. They would suffer the same fate as their teacher and master had on the cross. All that Luke tells us is that they are grieved about their recent experience. They are talking to one another hoping to make sense of this seeming nonsensical situation Jesus a blameless upright person was killed and crucified by an unjust system. We all know that feeling of trying to make sense of the nonsensical. Jesus in the midst of their musings and wonderings in conversation. He walks up to them and joins their Journey. But Luke explains that their eyes were kept from recognizing him. Why were their eyes kept from recognizing Jesus?

Where were they so grieved after having watched Jesus's crucifixion and disappointed by his seeming unfulfilled Resurrection promise that they hadn't seen yet. They do they won't be able to see past that point of disappointment. Maybe they simply didn't expect to see Jesus. Did the resurrected Jesus just look different than they expected?

We all have those moments. Where we didn't recognize the things that we should have while we don't know why these disciples eyes were kept from recognizing Jesus. We all understand that there are times in our lives when we two like they aren't able to see Jesus and people who are very different from us and people who don't share our values politically philosophically religiously that's easy for us in those types of people people who are different from us financially culturally historically sexually to see them as somehow other than that Jesus somehow isn't within them to The Jesus somehow when we are in the midst of broken and sad times that Jesus couldn't possibly be here in this moment in this hospital room in this doctor's office in this financial travesty that Jesus isn't here. How little we believe in his power to be among us and with us even in those times and even in those people. Looking back on the times when we couldn't recognize Jesus. We were often afraid or frantic or angry or sad. Whatever our emotional state we certainly weren't looking for Jesus. But we can now but we can see now on the other side that he was looking for us. A Jesus comes alongside these two disciples. He ironically I love that. Jesus just isn't afraid to go there. He's ironically asks, what are we talking about? Like I just love that image of Jesus Baca. Be like hate what what's going on? I'm curious. The disciples are really incredulous. They're kind of upset with him who doesn't know what's been going on did Jerusalem man? It was all over the news.

What's a trending topic on Twitter and then come on get with it?

They're dashed hopes are voice invoice in verse 21. They say to Jesus as explaining to them to him what they've seen and what they've heard. They say we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Hide, hope as in not happening. We walked the road. We walked the road with him. We invited him into our lives. We invested our hopes and him but he was not the one in whom we had hoped. He was not the one to fulfill the promise that he made. Not Jesus in the irony of this moment does not become angry. By his blinded disciples nor does he scold them for their failed site? Dead Jesus does what all of the best people in history do he teaches? It begins to teach to remind them of the one in whom they had placed their hopes and why they had placed their hopes in him to start with the story takes one more twist as they approach their destination the two disciples eggs or Jesus to stay with them for the night. Jesus is walking along and they asked Jesus to return to stay with them for the night is near and the day is almost over. They offer him Hospitality important custom in the ancient world and still today in many places around the Middle East.

They offered to host this traveling companion who has quickly become their friend and teacher. As they sit to begin the evening meal Jesus breaks and breath blesses the bread and it is then that their eyes are opened on Jesus's power and presence is made clear to them. In the gospels eating in the gospels eating is a radical act because it breaks down barriers.

And and the things would keep us from seeing people as important and a full and whole if you want to make amends with someone or you want to get a deeper relationship you share a meal with them because eating is the most human basic needs that we all have we all share the need for food in common. Jesus was hated by many because he chose to eat with all of the wrong people. Or Jesus the road always seems to end at a table with others because our lives find their wholeness when we share them with others. It is at the table the Jesus opens the disciples eyes and opens our eyes helping us to see that he was with us the whole time. And in the Glorious Revolution that this table meal that this table hope brings. The Spirit of Hope is turned on I'm going to Staples are sent back from that place to make more. Joyful and quick journey of the Seven Mile than their Journey away from Jerusalem had B. They run back to Jerusalem. I see them is moving away from the old normal and moving in to this new kingdom normal that Jesus is bringing. It is one of the most important stories in the Christian church the road to Emmaus because it invites you and I wherever we are to stop and take a moment to consider the people the places the occurrences around us and ask ourselves a question. Where is God in all of this? Where is God in all of this we got is what I often say Wiggy. Where is God in all of this is difficult. For we who are enduring this time to look around and see hope and peace and Resurrection at new life. But it is there even in the midst of their Journey back to their old life back to oppression back to Poverty back to all of the things that they were freed up to begin with and their Journey back to that it is then that Christ comes and eats and sits among them it is when we recognize Christ in the most basic of things that we begin to view everything with a new lens of sacredness wheat we need to put on our spiritual bifocals to be able to see the things that are happening before us the way the children are growing up the way people are helping one another the way that I can be of support and I am receiving support from people who maybe I hadn't expected to in times like this is more now is now more important than ever to recognize that Jesus is Among Us in our neighbors is Among Us in our Spirits. He is among us because he is alive and he is living honey invites us to live into the New Kingdom normal that she is bringing about through his resurrection. So I love how the story begins on a road and how it is. Apex is at a rest point a moment. I'm eating and breaking bread and blessing and sharing and laughing and joy and how in that moment at that table in that bread and that blessing their lives were changed forever. And in that transformation, they are sent back away from their old normal into God's kingdom normal back to the places of challenge with joy, not with anxiety and worry, but knowing that Christ is alive because he is alive there is nothing that they will face that Christ has not already overcome. The truth same is true for you. And I Church. It is important that we recognize this truth today. And as we share a meal today at Communion and I will share a meal tonight with our families over Zoom at the table wherever it is, we will share time together that we take a closer look that we take a second look at those who are with us and recognize that in them Christ is bringing us joy and hope and love and peace. Let us be the church that Steve's with new eyes. Let's prank. Gracious God we give you. Thanks today. That you have opened our eyes. You have opened our eyes not with some giant magical spiritual moment of climactic experience. But in the most basic of things in the breaking of bread in the sharing of a cup. It is because you are a God who is come to us in the form of a human. Bore our challenges are pains our struggles that you are able to reveal yourself to us in this way. Because you have revealed yourself to us in this way. We are able to reveal you to Those whom we encounter in the same way in our graciousness and our Hospitality having received that same Grace and Hospitality from you to begin with it is in this transformational meal gracious God that you call us to transcend who we are and grow into the people whom you are creating us and empowering us to be We asked you got to fill our hearts and our homes and wherever it is that we are with the the bread of new life and the cup of Salvation. And in this receiving to have her eyes opened and our lives transformed transfigured and sent into a world that is desperate and in need of that same transformation and Transfiguration through meal and sharing we give you. Thanks gracious God we ask you to bless the road that we travel that you would turn it from the old normal into the kingdom normal give you thanks for this and everything that you given provide. And is your name we pray.