Who’s The Other Disciple?

Where do we fit at the table?

This sermon was preached at St. John's Episcopal Church, Decatur, AL on the Wednesday in Easter Week. The text that inspired this sermon was Luke 24:13-35. 

It was moving day today at the office—a rather disorienting day. We moved part of our offices across the street to the Albany Office Building. The staff won’t officially be there full time until Monday, April 9th. However, some of our stuff is already there. And, some of our stuff will be housed in the big storage bin in the church parking lot. To say I feel all over the place is an understatement. Still I am pretty sure my feeling of bewilderment pales in comparison to that of Cleopas and his friend on their walk to Emmaus.

On Easter afternoon Cleopas and the other disciple headed out of Jerusalem on the seven mile trip to Emmaus. They had heard from the women of their group that Jesus’ tomb was empty. But, they didn’t stick around. Why? The story doesn’t say.

If one’s recently dead teacher, leader, and Lord was no longer in his tomb, why might one leave town? One might have been scared—not of a ghost, but of crucifixion. One might have needed to run away because a dead man walking just doesn’t happen. One might have been so confused that getting away was the only option. Whatever the reason Cleopas and the other disciple left Jerusalem on Sunday afternoon. The women shared the most preposterously good news, and these two could not stick around to comprehend it. So, for whatever reason they fled.

On the way they were joined by a stranger. Someone they did not recognize. Someone who had not heard anything of the last few days. Cleopas and the other disciple did not identify the stranger at first. The three of them walked together nonetheless. The stranger after hearing a bit about the events of the last three days began to interpret Scripture. He opened up for Cleopas and the other what the events might mean, but the disciples could not grasp the deeper message. They kept walking together though.

As evening drew closer, Cleopas and the other drew nearer to their destination. The stranger though looked as though he would keep going. Something in the disciples urged them to invite the stranger to eat and to stay. So, they asked. The stranger accepted. Then, the three were at table with each other.

At table, the stranger’s identity came crashing into focus. For he took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the disciples. Their eyes were opened and they saw that this was the Risen Lord right in their midst. Whatever had taken these disciples from Jerusalem all of a sudden became insignificant, for they ran back to the other disciples. At that late hour, surely after dark, they ran seven miles back to Jerusalem!When they arrived back in town, Cleopas and the other disciple shared in the good news, “The Lord has risen indeed!”

This whole story stands out as uncanny, but a couple of things in particular strike me today. The first one is rather obvious. Cleopas and the other disciple could not see the truth of the Risen Lord in what the women had said or even what Jesus said on the road. They had to see that remarkable, unbelievable truth in the breaking of the bread. It was communion that shook off the scales on their eyes. What implication might this have on us? How might Communion be seen differently in the light of Easter?

Second, and this seems less obvious, there is some mystery surrounding the second disciple’s identity. Certainly those in the early church would have had to know who Cleopas’ friend was. Surely, everyone knew who it was. So, why leave the identity obscure? Maybe it was so that we could see ourselves in that person. Sort of like how an icon leaves a blank space to envision ourselves in the life of God, this story too invites us inside of it.

You and I are invited to imagine ourselves as a companion on the way to Emmaus. What happened there can happen to us too! We may not be able to hear the Good News of Christ Jesus in what a friend shares with us. We may not even be able to receive that Good News in the word of Holy Scripture. Certainly though gathered lovingly around a table together we will see Christ in our midst. We are invited into this story and we are invited to go tell others, "The Lord has risen indeed!"

We are to share our good news of the Risen Lord, like the women did and like these disciples did. We are to help reveal the story of Christ Jesus in the Holy Scripture. And, we are called to invite others to share in communion together as we dwell around the Table with our Risen Lord. So come share your good news, share in the Good News, and share in the Lord's Supper.