Trinity Lutheran Church

Luke 24:18-31 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.

Let us Pray: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable unto O Lord Our Rock and Our Redeemer. Amen.

As many of you know, I love reality television. I love sticking people in house, or following people in their daily housewife activities, or on the dance floor, or in a kitchen, or on Bravo. I cannot get enough of it. As sad as that is.  I love to watch people behave and interact with one another as if there were not television cameras around them. I love the drama that unfolds from putting people together who have never met each other into a house and then ask them to perform sometimes ridiculous tasks. I love that they are cut off from all sense of reality, even though they are on a reality television show, in order for the amusement of others. I love that they promise not to be like previous contestants, that they are in some way different, only to later show they are no different then others.  What amazes me after these shows is that some of these people, these ordinary people, are made in stars. Well maybe not stars, but people definitely know who they are. Does the name Snookie ring a bell?

In reality they did not do much, most of the reality stars are not chosen for their talent, but for their ability to create drama and fun for a television audience. They can be at times the most over the top people you would ever meet. You are left wondering if they are truly who they are when the television cameras are in front of them. After their stint on reality television most of them return to their ordinary pre-television lives. Some of them have trouble adapting to life without a camera in their face or a confessional booth.

Our Gospel today is the only appearance of Jesus after the resurrection that is filled with this much detail. The other accounts of Jesus after he was raised from the dead are brief accounts leaving out details and questions we often have about what exactly happened. This account though if filled with detail and the emotions of the Cleopas and his unnamed companion. We never hear about Cleopas again and we never learn the name of his friend. They are not important people. They are “ordinary” people who have an extraordinary experience with the divine. They enter into and adventure with the Risen Jesus Chris that no one would expect them to encounter. After their time with Jesus they return to their home with no doubt a skip in their step.

As they walked from their home in Jerusalem to the city of Emmaus they are filled with pain and sorrow. It is almost as if they came from a funeral for Jesus. It was not weeks after Jesus’ resurrection that he appeared to them on the road, but instead it was the day of his resurrection. For them the hope was over. Their pain and sorrow was because Jesus had died. Their sorrow has taken over their lives and they do not recognize Jesus even when he appears with them on the road. Jesus chose this place of their sorrow, or their despair, to meet them. To them their hope ended with the death of Jesus on the cross.

They were filled with such pain that they cannot even fathom that this person does not know about what just had happened. Where had he been? Everything in their lives was focused and embodied by the death of Jesus. How did this man who met them on the road not see that? How did he not know that? Cleaopas and his friend were so absorbed with their own grief and pain that they cannot see a life or a world outside of their emotions and experiences.

As Jesus asks them what has happened and they share the story of his life, his ministry, his death, with the one who lived through it all. For Cleopas and his companion to tell the words of the story reminded them yet again that their hope is gone. As Jesus repeats to them back the story this time through the Jewish tradition and the scriptures, they invite him into their house. When Jesus reminds them that the story is not about them, but about the universe , hey welcome him to their fellowship.

When they do this, they welcome Jesus into their community and into their lives. Jesus then breaks and blesses the bread and immediately they get it. They recognize who he is as the Son of God. The Messiah, the one who’s death they were mourning. He is alive again, Christ has risen, he has risen indeed, Alleluia. And Cleopas and his companion are so overwhelmed with joy they return to their home in Jerusalem, by the same road they came.

Cleopas and his friend, two ordinary people, not even disciples and one of them was not even named. Just two people on the road, two people mourning the loss of the Messiah. That is what makes this story so unordinary. Cleopas and his friend were not who one would expect to see the Risen Lord. They were just two people in the midst of a crisis walking on their way to Emmaus. In their pain they were unable to see the Risen Lord, even when he was right next to them. It would only be in the breaking of the bread that they would realize who he was. It was then that they realized Jesus was present with them even when they were unable to recognize it.

Often in our lives we walk aimlessly. Going from one task to the other without really thinking about what is happening. We walk as though we are in a trans too caught up in our lives to recognize what is happening all around us. It is often like we are teen-agers in love, where nothing else matters. You leave you friends, family, and everyone else behind because you are so involved in just that one person. Your whole life becomes them. Or when we base our whole lives on one experience. Generally a traumatic experience that completely shapes our lives so that we cannot imagine anything else matters.

In becoming so engulfed in those experiences we miss what is happening around us. In this story Jesus appears to two ordinary people in the midst of deep despair and hopelessness. It is when we gather for the breaking of the bread, that they realize they are not alone. It is in the common elements of bread and wine they realized Jesus was with them. When we gather to share those two ordinary elements- bread and wine- we too remember we are not alone. When we are so entrapped in our lives, our pain, our suffering, our hopelessness, our feelings of isolation, we forget Jesus is with us. We sometimes feel as though our pain is so awful and consuming that no one can ever understand it or be with us. Yet, this story of two ordinary people on an ordinary road who later invite a stranger into their midst only to have two ordinary elements blessed and broken in their presence realize the one they need has been with them all the time. The one they mourned and put their hopes in was with them in their despair.

Cleopas and his companion were like you and I. Ordinary people, living ordinary lives. People who have been betrayed, confused, hurt, and destroyed. We like them hope for Jesus to be with us in those times when life seems to be too hard. And like those two ordinary people we have the promise of the Risen Lord in the breaking of the bread. In the fellowship and the promises of the meal, we are reminded we are not alone. God loves us and will never leave us even if we never make it to a reality television show. Amen.