just wondering

"The Emmaus Road," our gospel reading for this coming Sunday, is a favorite Bible story of Easter Day, a post-resurrection account exclusive to Luke; which, we are reasonable, thinking people, tells us as much about Luke as it does about Jesus.

And I appreciate that The Collect is a foretaste of the Gospel reading.

As well as our understanding of Jesus as the Son of God, Luke's theme proclaims Jesus as a true prophet of God: true prophets are identified with and tied to Jerusalem. This story is a unit of that theme. 

As well, the story includes the same four eucharistic actions as every other feeding account in the synoptics (not Gospel John): taking, blessing, breaking, and giving the bread. Jesus reveals himself to us in the breaking of the bread that becomes, for us, the Body of Christ. 

Luke's story always stirs questions too, which Luke intends. 

? Luke says they were disciples, so why didn't Cleopas and the other person, recognize Jesus? Luke intends us to wonder about that, it's part of the mystery and leads to discussion. Is Jesus maybe in the "resurrection body" that Paul writes about? Luke may have known about that; but, no, later in Luke's story Jesus shows himself as a regular person. Maybe Cleopas and the other person had been disciples at a distance, so to speak, and hadn't actually been physically close to Jesus. But, no, they immediately returned to Jerusalem knowing where the other disciples were gathered, indicating closeness, eh? They weren't two of The Twelve (now Eleven), but were "companions" as Luke calls Jesus' other disciples.

? What about "the breaking of the bread" caused them to recognize that their guest turned host was Jesus? IDK, maybe they'd been present other Times when Jesus hosted a meal? Maybe they were at the Last Supper? IDK. Maybe it's Luke - - writing about maybe 95 AD - - explaining to Theophilus what the Lord's Supper, which by then is being celebrated regularly in Christian gatherings, means to Christians: we recognize Jesus in the Breaking of the Bread, in the Holy Meal.

? Luke says "the eleven" were there, which would include Thomas: but we read last Sunday that Thomas wasn't there, what's going on? Easy one: the Emmaus Road story is Luke's; the Doubting Thomas story belongs to Gospel John, whose gospel ("good spell" good story) stands on its own; don't mix up your stories, and enjoy for thought and discussion but don't be upset when the various gospel writers' stories don't all fit together nicely like a jigsaw puzzle, it's part of the fun!!

? It took these disciples all afternoon to walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus, yet when Jesus vanishes, they hurry back to Jerusalem and get there almost instantly, while supper is still going on (and as the story goes on, Jesus also appears instantly): what's going on here? IDK, this may bother us, but it didn't bother Luke the author. 

? What other questions occur to you?

Anyway, scroll down to read our prayer (collect) for the day and our gospel story, it's all good!

T90

    

The Collect

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Gospel - Luke 24:13-35

Now on that same day two of Jesus' disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when 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 were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women 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 that the prophets 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, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he 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 vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.