A Meditation by the Rev. Peter Munson, Interim Rector

What Things Do You Want to Share with others? With Jesus?

¹³Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, ¹⁴and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. ¹⁵While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, ¹⁶but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. ¹⁷And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. ¹⁸Then 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?” ¹⁹He 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, ²⁰and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. ²¹But 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. ²²Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, ²³and 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. ²⁴Some 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.” ²⁵Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! ²⁶Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” ²⁷Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

²⁸As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. ²⁹But 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. ³⁰When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. ³¹Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. ³²They 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?” ³³That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. ³⁴They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” ³⁵Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.  (Luke 24:13-35)

What Things Do You Want to Share with others? With Jesus?

If you don’t read anything that I write in this meditation, spend some time reading and reflecting on this resurrection story of the risen Jesus coming alongside the two disciples who were walking to Emmaus on that first Easter Sunday afternoon. For example, reflect on:

• how he just showed up out of nowhere and began walking with them
• how they they didn’t recognize him at first
• how Jesus starts the conversation, basically saying,”What have you been talking about?”
• how, after Cleopas says, in effect, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who doesn’t know what has been going on?, Jesus - quite understatedly and amusingly, says, “What things?”… when they have been talking about him!
• how the two of them got a private session with Jesus interpreting the Hebrew Scriptures for them, but more specifically “he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.” (verse 27) Imagine being there when Jesus says, “This scripture pointed to me. And this one, and this one, and this one, and this one.” And imagine being able to ask follow-up questions!
• how he was suddenly known to them when Jesus did the four-fold actions with the bread… what we now call the four-fold actions of the Eucharist: 1) took, 2) blessed, 3) broke, and 4) gave the bread to them.
• right after him doing that and their recognition of him, he vanished from their sight!
• their “burning hearts”

If you reflect on all or any of that, it may very well be the case that you can stop reading here, and go on with you day. If you are heading out now, enjoy your day!

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If you want to read more… here are some other questions that I take from this story.

They start sharing what is on their hearts - with a stranger - when Jesus says, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?”

So… how good are you at drawing people out, so that they share something deeper, more vulnerable, more personal about themselves? I learned a few helpful things to say from my wife, Julia. She would say, at one time or another, these kinds of things:

• Tell me more!
• Then what happened?
• What excited you about that? Or…
• You seem sad (scared, angry, happy). Is that accurate?
• Does this situation remind you of anything that you have been through before?
• What are you learning right now? About yourself? About God?

A few other questions come to me from reading this story.

• What do I share with other people?
• How do I decide what is appropriate to share? Related to this:
• What are appropriate boundaries in this situation?
• Did someone share something with me in confidence? Am I respecting that confidence?
• With whom do I share things? Related to this:
• Who do I trust to share the really big things with?
• Do I have people in my life who I can share the really big things with
• Where does God come into all of this “sharing” stuff? Related:
• Do I know that I can share anything that is on my heart with God?
• Do I know that I can be angry with God, and share that with God? (And that, if I do, I won’t get hit with a lightning bolt!)
• After I share with God, do I make time and space for God to speak to me, or am I the one doing all the talking?
• After God answers one of my prayers, do I remember to circle back to God and say “Thank you!”?

These are a few of the things I thought about as I read this wonderful resurrection story again on Wednesday.