The Gospel in a Nutshell?

Even though Easter was a week ago in the way that we celebrate worship weekly, an important thing for us to keep in mind as we look at the story of the Walk to Emmaus is that this is still the same day for the followers of Jesus. And as we learn later in the this Emmaus story we see that Cleopas and the other disciple have heard about the women visiting the tomb and finding it empty and then how others went to the tomb and also found it empty. Another important thing for us to know as we talk about this story is that Luke tells us that these two disciples are sad and stand still when Jesus asks what they are talking about. I think this is an important point because they still don’t know what to make of what has happened based on what they heard from the women.

Isn’t that what life is like for all of us? When we experience loss of any kind we tend to go down a path of sadness and oftentimes we have a narrow focus or a narrow range of view. It’s almost like we have put blinders on ourselves and everything happening around us doesn’t exist or doesn’t get noticed. Sometimes we miss entire conversations happening around us or maybe even conversations that we were a part of because we are caught up in the grief of the moment. So I know that the story tells us that their eyes were kept from recognizing Jesus and perhaps that was to help the disciples come to a greater understanding of the resurrection. And they were only kept in the dark for a short period of time which I think reinforces that idea, but even so, I think the complete grief and confusion of it all probably could have been enough to keep their blinders on from seeing that it was Jesus. I believe it also helps us to connect to the feelings and understanding of the disciples by placing moments of our own grief as examples of how we have missed things that are normally obvious.

Yet even out of all that sadness and confusion we have a beautiful confession of faith from Cleopas. Of course Cleopas starts out with basically calling Jesus dimwitted. Cleopas declares everything that Jesus did in a nutshell. That Jesus was a prophet mighty in deed and that he suffered and died and that after 3 days they are now hearing reports of his resurrection. I feel that Cleopas is more than just telling a story of events. He is sharing what he believes and sharing it with a complete stranger. In other words, even though Cleopas and this other disciple are not fully in the joy of Easter, they are still professing their faith and the gospel message as they know it in that very moment of their lives. It is beautiful and it is tender and it is real. And what makes it so real is the moment when he says that they had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. The Greek indicates that it is past tense but with an ongoing desire. Meaning that while Jesus was alive they were hoping for him to redeem Israel and that there is still a possibility that it could happen.

I think that mixture of sadness and possible hope is what is said next when they talk about the women at the tomb and the others who went to see it empty also. Cleopas says some and not just Peter, so perhaps throughout the day there were others who went to look as word spread among his followers. Again, this is true to our own experience when we lose someone we love we have a mixture of sadness and joy for their eternal home in heaven they are now enjoying thanks to this very Easter we are talking about. Yet, there are still those days when we ourselves say of our loved ones that we had hoped for more time or a different outcome. Through my own loss I feel like I get what Cleopas is getting at when he expresses this confusing mixture of emotions and understanding of what all means for them and the world.

After Jesus shares the scripture with them about what it means to be Messiah, they invite him to stay with them for dinner. This part is another beautiful moment. Jesus breaks bread with them and it is in that moment their eyes are opened and they see this traveler for who he really is, Jesus. Now I don’t believe that they were at the Last Supper, the Passover meal, because the texts indicate it was just the 12 with him, but there is a chance they had already heard about it and that remembering may have been present when Jesus breaks bread here. Even if not, there are countless times in the the gospels that we hear Jesus break bread with pretty much everyone. He feeds the 5,000 with fish and bread. He eats with the Pharisees in their homes and teaches and tells parables. He invites himself to Zacchaeus’ house to be hosted by him. Martha is preparing a meal when Jesus is teaching in her home. You could say that Jesus’ ministry and especially his teaching happened around the table. So, again, whether from what they experienced themselves or heard from the other disciples and followers they would have known the stories of Jesus breaking bread with people. How could they not? It was central to who he was and how he connected with people.

To piggy back on my Easter sermon last week, it was in that experience that they truly encountered Jesus. Now they weren’t intentionally seeking out Jesus, but then again there are times when we don’t go looking for an encounter with Christ and we get one. And to that end there may be times when we least expect an encounter that we get one. I remember helping lead a funeral of a young man who died during Holy Week and on Easter Monday they were told that every single organ and much more was able to be placed into a person who needed it to live. They never would have wanted this young man to have died, but they saw God, they saw the risen Christ bringing life out of death. In the midst of sadness, grief, and death, they saw new life and thanked God for it. They encountered God in an unexpected way and the very thing that caused grief was what also caused them joy and opened their eyes even more to God’s goodness.

And isn’t that the gospel in a nutshell? Professing our faith in God the Father, Jesus our Risen Messiah, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Claiming God in the joy and the sorrow? Holding on to the promises even when things don’t always make sense to us? Hoping in the midst of the times when we feel like we have blinders on and pray and trust that God is leading us? And experiencing Jesus in the breaking of the bread? That is the story of Jesus, Messiah, Savior. Then in the absolute joy of the risen Jesus running miles and miles to go and tell your friends and to hear that they had an experience or heard and experience as well? That gift of community and lifting up the many ways that God has blessed us giving us the faith and courage to keep going and sharing and professing that Christ is risen. He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen.