Tour of the Church Continued

written by Pat Thompson

As we continue our tour of our church, we now reflect on the message in the next window on the south side of the church.  In it we see Jesus standing behind a table.  In His hand He holds bread, and on the table is a cup.  Two men are seated at the table, one looking with devotion at the “bread” and the other bowing his head toward the cup.  What biblical event is depicted here?  The story of Emmaus.  It can be found in Luke 24:13-35.  It tells of two disciples who are walking the seven miles from Jerusalem to Emmaus and talking about the passion and death of Jesus.  These men are described as “sad”.  It is while they are walking, however, that Jesus draws near and walks with them.  Not recognizing Him, they explain to Him that in the past few days “Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people” was condemned to be crucified.  They “had hoped” that Jesus would redeem Israel.  Now they seem to have lost that hope in spite of the fact that—they tell their fellow traveler (Jesus)—that very morning those who had visited Jesus’ tomb had found it empty, and some had been told by angels that Jesus was alive.

Why, we might wonder, on this day of His resurrection did Jesus chose to appear to these two men.  They were not among His twelve Apostles.  We are told the name of only one of them—Clopas.  We don’t know much else about them except that they seem sad and discouraged and, perhaps—because they had chosen to leave Jerusalem and the other followers of Jesus—they had begun to lose faith in Jesus.  So why did Jesus choose to appear to them?  He scolds them a bit first, “O foolish Men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets had spoken!”  But then He explains how it was necessary that the Messiah come and suffer and did as He did.

It is interesting that after He explained why it was “necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory,”  Jesus was about to continue on His way, but they “constrained” Him to stay with them.  Note that they didn’t just invite Him, but they nearly held on to Him, urging Him to stay.  Might this say something to us about our relationship with Jesus?  He comes to us in our neediness, yet it is up to us to open our hearts and invite Him to remain with us.

When the men had urged this wise stranger to stay, he joined them at supper.  As he did, “He took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them.  And their eyes were opened and they recognized Him.”  Then Jesus vanished, but remained with them in the Holy Eucharist.  This moment might give us something to consider.  Are our eyes opened, and do we recognize that Jesus is truly present when He offers us His precious Body and Blood in Holy Communion?  Can we say, as the two men did, that when Jesus is with us, “our hearts burn within us”?  The two men were so filled with joy and thanksgiving that they returned to Jerusalem that very night to share the good news that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead and had appeared to them.  Are we so full of joy when we hear Christ’s word and receive Him that we—like the two men—might be willing to walk seven miles to share the good news that Christ is risen?  His is risen indeed!  Let’s share this good news!