April 24, 2019
Wednesday of the Easter Week
Acts 3:1-10 ;
Psalm 105:1-4, 6-9;
That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus’ disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing as you walk along?” They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?” And he replied to them, “What sort of things?” They said to him, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his Body;
they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive. Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see.” And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures. As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. But they urged him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?” So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the Eleven and those with them who were saying, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
Journey to Emmaus
Today we have the narration from Luke of the two disciples going to Emmaus. Luke puts it in a more dramatic way, embellished with narrations, conversations, dialogues and dramatic presentations. The two disciples start their journey to Emmaus seven miles away from Jerusalem. It is worth noting that these two start their journey after the news was broke out first by Mary Magdalene and the women and then Peter himself. It should have been a moment of joy and comfort knowing that the Lord is still alive and he is risen. But we see the two going the way crestfallen. They go away from Jerusalem the place of shattering of all their hope in Messiah.
They leave Jerusalem frightened, dejected and confused. They are groping in the dark. To this scene of gloom and frustration comes Jesus. It is a fact that our fears and perplexities, our sorrows and concerns confuse our vision. Our eyes often become blind to the Master who is walking with us trying to give comfort to us. Do we recognize his presence? Even if we recognize do we acknowledge it? It is a big question since the presence of the Lord in our daily walks may cause discomforts to us.
A transformation is what is needed. The resurrection narratives demand this from us. The scattered group of scared disciples gets comforted by the recognition of mere presence of the Lord. They regain a sense of purpose and mission in life by the Lord’s presence. They come back to Jerusalem from where they were going away. This is the wonder worked out by the presence of the Lord. The experience of the risen Lord works magic in the life of disciples. It gives mission to them; it provides a sense of direction. It brings in clarity of understanding. It enables them to look at the world and their past experiences consisting of sorrows and loss with a new vision. The sorrowful and frightening experiences are now looked at in their right perspective – the perspective of the plan of God.
Where do we encounter the risen Lord to enable ourselves to have this change of vision? It is in the Scriptures and in the fellowship table. “Weren’t our hearts burning when he was explaining the scriptures to us?” Do we experience such a burning of heart when we encounter the Lord in Scripture? Does His touch really burn us? Even after thousands of communions and table fellowships aren’t our eyes still closed? Do we recognize the presence of the Lord breaking the bread for us? It is high time we start feeling some burning within.
At the same time how comforting is the realization that the Lord does not leave us mid way. Here we find a Lord who walks the way with us sharing the concerns of our heart, clearing its confusions and strengthening it with his breaking of the bread. Not only that the Lord walks along with the disciples but also that he readily agrees to stay with them through the night. The dark fearful night becomes illumined when the presence of the Lord is recognized and acknowledged. This is the comfort the risen Lord offers.
Dr. Fr. Martin Mallathu CMI
