Third
Sunday of Easter
Luke
24,13-35
Rev.
Neli Miranda
The Easter proclamation The
Lord is risen! broke with the power and dominion of death in the world and
wrested the destructive, abusive power from the religious leaders and the imperial
authority over the people. In raising Jesus up from the dead, God revealed a
living power that transformed suffering and death into life. However, the first
disciples were so overwhelmed by the power of death that they struggled to
recognize the newness of life, Jesus’ resurrection.
On
Easter morning, Mary Magdalene and the other women were so overwhelmed by grief
that they did not understand the sign of the removed stone at the tomb. And the
other disciples were so confused and frightened that they did not receive the
announcement of Jesus’ resurrection and locked themselves in for fear of
suffering Jesus’ fate.
How
dark and confusing some days may become that we cannot see, hear, and feel the presence
of the Risen One!
Today, Luke tells us of
two disciples who on Easter morning flee Jerusalem. They have already heard the
women’s proclamation about Jesus’ resurrection; however, the good news has not
changed their minds and they leave the community of disciples in Jerusalem. There
seems to be no reason to stay in Jerusalem where they have witnessed torture,
suffering and pain and where a potential persecution may arise.
Luke
points out that the two disciples are going to a nearby village that has an
interesting name, Emmaus, which means warm spring. We may
interpret that they are fleeing Jerusalem, the city of death, for a “warm
spring” that offers peace, security, and comfort. Either way, they are leaving
Jerusalem behind, their suffering, their hopes, and a community of disciples in
crisis.
Pain,
fear, and confusion blind us and sometimes we just want to lock ourselves in or
escape to a “warm spring…”
But how good it is to
know that the Risen Jesus always reaches us! At the tomb, in
our confinement or when we escape from our painful reality.
So, while the disciples are walking away from
Jerusalem, they talk about everything that had happened there, and while they
are talking, Jesus himself approaches them, but they are not able to recognize him.
Luke says that “their eyes were kept from recognizing
him…”. (24,16). Jesus does not travel "incognito";
they are the ones who are disabled from seeing him!
Why and when do we become disabled from seeing
Jesus’ presence with us?
As the
disciples were advancing on their journey, Jesus allowed them to express their
thoughts and feelings about what has happened. Their conversation reveals how
the disciples have misunderstood Jesus’ message and his mission and why they are
feeling hopeless as they leave Jerusalem. They describe Jesus as a powerful
prophet of God but murdered by the Jewish leadership. They had understood Jesus
as the Messiah who would liberate the People of Israel, “But
we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel…” (24,21).
Were they waiting for a military
Messiah? The military leader who would face the Roman power, liberate his
people, and restore the Kingdom of Israel? No wonder they are disappointed and
hopeless after Jesus’ crucifixion and seek to arrive in Emmaus, the “warm
spring”!!
On
the road to Emmaus, Jesus deconstructs their military model of liberation. Through
the Scriptures, he teaches them about the Messiah of God who is not a powerful warrior-king
who sits on a throne and dominates others, but the suffering Messiah. He is the
One who stands in solidarity with the suffering of the world and exposes the
injustices of oppressive human power.
On
the road,
the disciples’ eyes begin to open, and they can feel their hearts burning. In Emmaus,
they finally recognize Jesus after the revealing conversation on the road and
after an act of hospitality when they invite the “unknown” companion to stay
with them. They recognize Jesus at the table when he breaks and shares the
bread. Hospitality, an open table, and the broken, shared
bread are the great signs that lead them to recognize Jesus. For, where there
is hospitality, and bread is shared, the Risen Jesus is there!
After their encounter
with Jesus in the “warm spring”, the disciples are compelled to return
to Jerusalem, the city of pain and suffering, where the community of disciples
continues the struggle.
How many times has our encounter with Jesus
returned us to the struggle?
Dear sisters and brothers,
sometimes the power of pain, suffering, and death that surround us is so
crushing that we struggle to recognize the signs of life that spring among us.
We all, sometimes take the road to Emmaus trying to flee from our pain and
suffering. However, the road to Emmaus is more than a road, it is a
transformative journey that brings us the opportunity to encounter Jesus in the
stranger on the road, to share our pain and suffering, to listen to other
voices, to learn, to change our paradigms of life. The road to Emmaus is also
an opportunity to stand in solidarity and share with those who are on the road,
to invite them to our table. It is through hospitality and sharing our bread
that our eyes are opened to recognize the Risen Jesus among us. In Emmaus,
the “warm spring”, our despair and sadness are transformed into the
joy of life; nevertheless, Emmaus is not a destiny but a learning journey that returns us to the
struggle in Jerusalem.
If
you plan to head to Emmaus, make sure to greet the stranger on the road and share your
bread! AMEN
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