Alleluia! Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Theme Prayer
Risen Christ, you filled your disciples with boldness and fresh hope:
strengthen us to proclaim your risen life and fill us with your peace,
to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
God’s Word - Luke’s Gospel, chapter 24, verses 13 to 35 :-
Two of the disciples were on their way to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, talking together about all that had happened. As they talked and argued, Jesus himself came up and walked with them; but something prevented them from recognizing him. He asked them, ‘What is it you are debating as you walk?’ They stood still, their faces full of sadness, and one, called Cleopas, answered, ‘Are you the only person staying in Jerusalem not to have heard the news of what has happened there in the last few days?’ ‘What news?’ he said. ‘About Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied, ‘who, by deeds and words of power, proved himself a prophet in the sight of God and the whole people; and how our chief priests and rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and crucified him. But we had been hoping that he was to be the liberator of Israel. What is more, this is the third day since it happened, and now some women of our company have astounded us: they went early to the tomb, but failed to find his body, and returned with a story that they had seen a vision of angels who told them he was alive. Then some of our people went to the tomb and found things just as the women had said; but him they did not see.’
‘How dull you are!’ he answered. ‘How slow to believe all that the prophets said! Was not the Messiah bound to suffer in this way before entering upon his glory?’ Then, starting from Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them in the whole of scripture the things that referred to himself.
By this time they had reached the village to which they were going, and he made as if to continue his journey. But they pressed him: ‘Stay with us, for evening approaches, and the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them. And when he had sat down with them at table, he took bread and said the blessing; he broke the bread, and offered it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; but he vanished from their sight. They said to one another, ‘Were not our hearts on fire as he talked with us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?’
Without a moment’s delay they set out and returned to Jerusalem. There they found that the eleven and the rest of the company had assembled, and were saying, ‘It is true: the Lord has risen; he has appeared to Simon.’ Then they described what had happened on their journey and told how he had made himself known to them in the breaking of the bread.
Thanks be to God, for this his holy word. Amen.
A Reflection on the Reading
This is a story from the evening of Easter Day itself. Two disciples, heading for home - they’ve heard about the empty tomb, but they have no idea what that means, and - when they explain what they’ve been talking about to the stranger who has joined them on the road - most of what they say is framed in the past tense. How sad those words are: “We had been hoping . . .”! Stories of the tomb being empty counted for little in these men’s minds, because all the stuff that happened before was so obviously not what should have happened. Hopes and dreams lay in ruins; the story of a man who had so clearly been worth listening to, worth following, had instead ended in failure.
What follows is an object lesson in evangelism, and in what it means to come to faith. Jesus first of all instructs the two disciples, explaining how what had seemed to them like failure was in fact what the scriptures had said must happen. This, he patiently tells them, was what God’s Messiah was always going to do.
Evangelism begins with instruction, and that instruction must rest in the scriptures. Anglican theology rests on the three pillars of scripture, reason and tradition, but the test of the second two of these must always be whether they are true to what the Bible teaches us.
Invitation plays a role in this story too. And evangelism, sharing what we believe, involves both inviting and responding to invitation. Here, Jesus makes as if to go on, but the other two press him to stay, and he enters their house. I find I’m reminded of Holman Hunt’s famous picture, “The Light of the World” (which in fact illustrates Revelation 3.20 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock”). It shows us Jesus standing at a door which, perhaps we don’t notice straight away, has no latch on his side. He waits on us to open it.
Once Jesus is inside the house, we see the second phase of the disciples’ arriving at a new and mature faith - encounter and recognition. As Jesus breaks the bread, they realise who he is. And recognition leads to commitment. They head back to Jerusalem without delay, despite the lateness of the hour. We see how faith leads to action. What we believe isn’t fully our own till we’ve shared it with someone else, and the two disciples just couldn’t wait to do that.
Let us pray: Lord, you walk with us on the dry and dusty roads of our lives, and you wait outside the doors of our hearts. Forgive us when we fail to respond to your call, or when we go astray. Forgive us when we don’t understand, and when we fail to recognise you. Clarify our vision, and help us to welcome you into our hearts and lives, to know your love and to share it with others.
May Christ who meets us in the breaking of bread, and gladly enters the door when we open it, heal, forgive and renew us in his service, so that we may share his risen life. Amen.
Anthem
1 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ♦
who in his great mercy gives us a new birth as his children.
2 He has raised Jesus Christ from the dead, ♦
so that we may have a sure hope in him.
3 The inheritance promised to us can never be spoilt ♦
because it is kept for us in heaven.
4 The ransom that frees us was not paid in silver or gold, ♦
but in the precious blood of Christ, the Lamb without stain.
5 God raised him from the dead and gave him glory ♦
so that we might have a sure faith and hope in him.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, ♦
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever. Amen.
Prayers
Pray for the peace of the world, giving thanks for the progress made in developing treatments, sharing understanding, and working towards being able to provide a vaccine, as we unite in the battle against covid-19. Pray too for countries battling other ills, and especially for nations in east Africa where there are huge locust swarms. Pray for the government of our own nation, and for those providing advice and leadership in science and medicine.
Pray that the Church everywhere may be marked by a strong and active and welcoming faith. Pray especially today for the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East, and within our own Diocese for all who resource us in mission and outreach. Continue to pray for all who work in hospital chaplaincy.
Pray for those in need today: for all who grieve, for the worried and anxious, and for those who are struggling with isolation and loneliness. Pray for all who are ill, for those infected by the virus and for health workers and carers. Pray those on the front line may be kept safe from harm and infection.
Pray for our own communities and for our families and friends. May our faith bear fruit in witness, service and sharing. Give thanks for all who continue to be active helping others as volunteers, locally and nationally.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Prayer for today and Blessing
May the light of Christ, rising in glory, banish all darkness from our hearts and minds. Amen.
May God our Father,
by whose glory Christ was raised from the dead,
strengthen us to walk with him in his risen life.
And may almighty God bless us, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.
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