The Lord is risen indeed - Road to Emmaus

But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloth lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.

Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him. And He said to them, "What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?" Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, "Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?" And He said to them, "What things?" So they said to Him, "The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see." Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. But they constrained Him, saying, "Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent." And He went in to stay with them. Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?" So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, "The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.

- Luke 23:12-35

Yesterday, we read about the women faithful, most of whom had followed Jesus from Galilee, who went to the tomb to anoint His body for burial. But when they got there, they saw two men "in shining garments." The men said, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.'" The women ran to tell the eleven apostles and other gathered with them. But "their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them."

But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloth lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened. Peter's characteristic exuberance is on display here yet again. Of all the eleven and the others gathered with them, he runs to the tomb to see for himself. We remember Peter's previous encounter with Jesus, when he betrayed Him three times, as Jesus had predicted. Peter's last glimpse of Jesus was the look Jesus gave him when the rooster crowed.

Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him. Cleopas is identified here, but the other traveler on the road to Emmaus is not. Cleopas by tradition has been called the brother of Joseph, Mary's husband -- and therefore Jesus' uncle. According to tradition, the other traveler, unidentified, is the evangelist Luke, the author of this Gospel. I find it interestingly written: that we are let know this is Jesus, but the two believers do not. And this "restraining" is for deliberate effect! My study bible says, "The risen Christ appears to them in a veiled way. He shows tender concern for the feelings of the two men."

And He said to them, "What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?" Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, "Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?" And He said to them, "What things?" So they said to Him, "The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel." In some sense, it's as if the Lord appears in the role He plays for all of us: He hears and we don't know it. They recount all the things that have happened, the tumult of the last few days, the news everybody knows (except this stranger). Jesus listens to their perspective about Him and all the events surrounding His crucifixion and death. They believed He was going to be the One, the great Prophet who would redeem Israel -- seemingly a traditional idea of a national deliverer, a political messiah. Clearly, they blame the leadership for what has happened to Him. This is a perspective on the historical events they have just experienced, and most likely one that is common among the people.

"Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see." These disciples of Jesus are also aware of the reports of the women that have been dismissed as "idle talk" (see yesterday's reading). By now, others (such as Peter) have gone to the tomb themselves and found Jesus' body missing, with the stone "cover" rolled away from the tomb. So, we have a complete report from the perspective of His followers.

Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. That this stranger should reveal to them the Scriptures and prophesies concerning Christ must have been yet another strange development for them! It is a process of "unveiling," a gradual revelation of who He is -- and of the true "facts" of Jesus' life and existence, how they are to see Him. My study bible says, "To enter into His glory means to enter into the glorified order of existence, the Resurrection."

Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. But they constrained Him, saying, "Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent." And He went in to stay with them. How lovely is this detail, that "He would have gone further." They must constrain Him -- there must be something in them that responds, that wants more. So often I think that faith works this way, by a series of choices within ourselves, perhaps responding to something we don't quite understand, or only the impulse to welcome. At any rate, it's an important turn, an essential detail. We must also recall that so often in the Old Testament Scriptures there is the emphasis on kindness and hospitality, on welcoming, as a saving act (to which St. Paul refers here). For us, in the new advent of things here, the welcoming becomes an even more deeply personal act of welcoming something into our hearts, and of personal change.

Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?" This reflection of the Eucharist opens their eyes, and they understand Him. And how like the experience in our own lives this is -- it teaches us the essential nature of how deeply personal faith is. We take it in, even as the very body and blood of our Lord, to become a part of us on every single level. We also get a hint here of something they recognize now as happening when they walked along the road -- the burning in their hearts, the thing to which they responded with hospitality. My study bible puts it this way: "At each Eucharist, as we continue to share the Lord's Supper, the risen Christ comes to open our eyes to His mystical presence and to leave our hearts burning with His love."

So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, "The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread. The Lord's appearance brings them all together with the Good News. And there is more: the others report an appearance to Simon (Peter). But this appearance is missing from our Gospel account. It is mentioned by St. Paul (1 Cor. 15:3-5).

The news delivered by the angels is clear: He is risen! There is no calculating the importance of the Resurrection. Speaking for myself, I must say that to account for the full story of Christ is the essential part of my faith. That includes so much more than the teachings of a prophet or the Christ, but also the details of His suffering, death and crucifixion -- and of course, the Resurrection. This Resurrection adds to our lives an immeasurable sense that hope is always present, no matter where we find ourselves. Without the Resurrection, we really don't get a sense of our faith nor of the huge power into which we tap when we pray, when we share faith with one another, when we move on in our lives to places we may not know that the future holds for us. Because the Resurrection always offers us the real story of things, the hope of the future and of renewal, the new start, the delivery from the bondage of the past, and a glory of love and joy and peace beyond the darkness, it offers to us who we fully are. That is, beyond the mistakes, beyond today, beyond inevitable failure or doubt or discouragement in our imperfect lives. We may find that what we thought was best doesn't happen for us, but the Resurrection teaches us that we may just receive -- in faith -- something that is in fact much better, and that we are touched by the glory which He shares. Let the Resurrection and the Good News of the real transforming power of life infuse the words He teaches, the readings we read, the faith (or even doubt) with which we pray, the new beginning and the promise that is always in the prayer for you. The Eighth Day is always present for each of us, and intersects our lives with so much more than we can imagine, but especially with new hope in an imperfect and broken world, even midst the worst of the "news".