April 19, 2026: Third Sunday of Easter
Luke 24: 13-35
Now on that same day two of Jesus’ disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. 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. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
Journeys always start with a decision. Something compels us to move forward, to make a change, to seek something new. In our gospel reading from Luke, the two disciples had decided to travel away from Jerusalem, the site of so much pain at the death of their beloved Jesus. Perhaps they were doing this as a way to distance themselves from their loss. As they walked, they probably asked themselves and each other how this could have happened? Rather than “sitting with” and allowing their disappointment at the death of Jesus to “sink in”, they chose to run away from it. How many of us do the same thing? Something difficult happens in our lives and we choose to distract ourselves from it rather than truly processing our difficulty and allowing it to change us.
But despite these disciples’ reluctance to confront their pain, something happens that they could never have imagined in their wildest dreams: Jesus appears to them as they journey away from Jerusalem toward Emmaus. At first they don’t recognize him (were they too full of their loss and grief)? It is only when Jesus and the disciples engage in something so ordinary and familiar as a meal together that their eyes are open and they see who he truly is.
Anyone who has experienced a death can attest to the fact that in its aftermath we become, very understandably, myopic in the midst of our grief. When we are blindsided by loss we often turn inward and this prevents us from seeing any of life’s joys and wonder. But just like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, Jesus finds a way to show himself to us. Sometimes it takes a long time. Sometimes our eyes are opened in the midst of the mundane and ordinary experiences of life. But just like C.S. Lewis details in his book Surprised by Joy, we too can be lifted up by encountering Jesus suddenly, when we least expect him.
And just as Jesus waited for the disciples to invite him to stay, he patiently waits on us. His appearance in our lives is gentle, and when we are willing to allow him in, he will come to us.
Are we ready for Jesus to accompany us on the road of life?