An order of service for the second sunday after Easter

An order of service for the second Sunday after Easter

Call to Worship

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20)

We need your presence on the long road, Lord.
The road between fear and hope,
the road between the place where all is lost
and the place of resurrection.
Like the disciples walking the road to Emmaus,
we are in need of your company!
Jesus, stand among us, in your risen power,
let this time of worship, be a hallowed hour.

From www.leadingworship.com

Bible Reading   Luke 24:13-35

¹³ Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles^[a] from Jerusalem, ¹⁴ and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. ¹⁵ While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, ¹⁶ but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. ¹⁷ And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad.^[b] 18 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?” ¹⁹ He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth,^[c] who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, ²⁰ and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. ²¹ But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.^[d] Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. ²² Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, ²³ 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. ²⁴ 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.” ²⁵ Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! ²⁶ Was it not necessary that the Messiah^[e] should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” ²⁷ Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

²⁸ As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. ²⁹ 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. ³⁰ When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. ³¹ Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. ³² They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us^[f] while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” ³³ That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. ³⁴ They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” ³⁵ Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Reflection

Coronavirus. That about the only thing we hear about these days. It’s on the news, the radio, the newspapers, and the topic of most conversations. Staying at home, self-isolating, maintaining social distance ensure that coronavirus remains part of all that we do - and even all that we are. There’s no place that we can get away from the reality of it.

Into that scenario, imagine if you met someone who asked you why people needed to stay 2 metres apart from one another, why there were queues outside supermarkets, why people were working from home and not in offices as they usually did, etc, what would your reaction be? You would probably look at the person strangely and ask: “are you the only one who is unaware of what is happening?” “Do your really not know why things are the way they are?” “Are you the only one who has not heard about the Coronavirus pandemic?”

That was the situation the disciples on the road to Emmaus found themselves in. They were talking about what had happened in Jerusalem (v.14), namely the crucifixion of Jesus and the other related events – the darkness over the land (Matt 27:45), the tearing of the temple curtain (Matt 27:51a), the earthquake (Matt 27:51b) and all the other strange events (Matt 27:52-53) that happened surrounding the death of Jesus.

Then Jesus falls in step with them. Luke says of this meeting: “Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him.” (vs.15b-16a). This ‘stranger’ then asks them: “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” (v.17) hence their reaction: “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” (v.18b). We know that crucifixions in Jesus’ day were not uncommon. However, there was something different about Jesus’ crucifixion that gripped the attention of the whole city. It could be because, as the disciples said, “…we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.” (v.21).

In the rest of this fascinating encounter, the two disciples tell Jesus what they were discussing (vs.18-24); Jesus then interprets these events from the scriptures of Israel (v.27). They invite him to their home (v.28), he accepts, breaks bread with him (v.30) and at that point they recognize him (v.31). Luke describes the moment like this: “Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him” (v.31).

In this incident, Luke’s reference to ‘eyes’ at the start and at the end of this encounter is significant. It serves as the key to unlocking the heart of this story. In v.16, we read: “…their eyes were kept from recognizing him.” In v.31, we read “their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.”  So what happens between their non-recognition and recognition of Jesus? How were they able to move from non-recognition to recognition? What happened in that encounter that facilitated that shift?

Two factors were involved in bringing about that shift. First, it was the witness of the scriptures. The disciples were deeply impacted by what had just happened in Jerusalem. They were struggling to move beyond the events of the last few days. They were stuck…. And then, at that point, Jesus opened the scriptures to them. He showed from the scriptures that that whatever had happened, God was involved with it. They may have thought that their hopes of redemption and deliverance were dashed to the ground, but Jesus showed them that God had not abandoned his people. The scriptures were witness to this. Page after page of the scriptures, in the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms (v.27) they were reminded of the comforting hope that they had in God who was a constant presence with his people. That hope which the risen Christ offered to those sorrowful and confused disciples on the road to Emmaus is as real now as it was then.

In the midst of our hopelessness, and almost preoccupation with the coronavirus pandemic, the same scriptures remind us of a God who loved the world so much that he sent Jesus to suffer and die. The same scriptures encourage us to put our trust in a risen Lord, who is all powerful, a God who is with his people at all times and in all circumstances. When we go to the scripture for comfort and solace, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit our hearts too can burn within us. The disciples experienced this: “Were not our hearts burning within us^[f] while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” ” (v.32). But this can happen only when we go back to the scriptures - especially at a time like this to hear God’s comforting words speaking to us.  

Secondly, it was the breaking of the bread. It was customary for the guest to be invited to share around the food which the host provided. When Jesus did this, there was something about the manner in which he did this that struck a chord somewhere deep within the hearts of the two disciples. Luke describes the event: “When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.” (v.30), Compare that with the last supper Jesus had with his disciples: “While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body” (Lk 26:26). Or take the time when Jesus feed five thousand people: “And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd” (Lk 9:15). Those four verbs relating to bread: ‘took’, ‘blessed’, ‘broke’ and ‘gave’ must have instantly reminded the disciples that they had seen those actions before, in ways that made the power of God real in their lives. And that was it! At that very moment, their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus for who he really was, in his risen power.

The risen Christ comes to his people in the breaking of the bread. Unfortunately, under the circumstances, at this time of lockdown and church closures, it is not possible for us to break bread together and meet around the Lord’s table. But we can still hold on to that truth. The Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion is a means by which know we can encounter the power of the risen Lord and recognize his powerful presence in our lives so that our eyes are opened.

The witness of the Scriptures and the Breaking of the Bread. The word and the sacrament. These two entities are what made the difference between not recognizing Jesus and recognizing him. It is my hope and prayer that as we struggle through this painful and life-changing reality that we find ourselves in, we will find hope and comfort in the scriptures and in the breaking of the bread so that we too recognize the power and glory of the risen Lord.

Amen

Prayers

...Under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.  You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. Psalm 91:4-6 (ESV)

Heavenly Father, we humbly come before You and ask You to sustain us by Your mercy, Your grace, and Your power. We continue to trust in Your gracious promise that “no weapon that is fashioned against” us, our families, or our churches “shall succeed.”
We take refuge under Your protective wings. Your faithfulness is our shield. By Your great strength, protect our hearts and minds from the grip of terror. Empower us, oh God, so that fear will not paralyze us or define our lives.
Great multitudes are affected by this appalling pandemic, and so we lift them up before You in prayer. Heal those battling this disease and comfort those who have lost loved ones. We know You alone are our Healer.
As 2 Chronicles 7:14 urges us, we identify with the sins of our nation and ask for Your forgiveness. Have mercy on us. Spare us from this “pestilence.” Cleanse us from our sins. Heal our lands.
With one heart and one voice, we stand together in unity, asking You, Almighty God, to protect our cities, our nations, and the world from COVID-19.
We pray this in the powerful Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(from https://www.unite714.com/weekly-prayer)

Benediction

Go now as witnesses of God’s eternal presence.
The risen Christ has made himself known to you
in the breaking of bread,
so set your faith and hope on God,
fulfilling your vows and living in genuine mutual love.

And may God hear and respond whenever you call;
may Christ Jesus make himself known to you in all things;
and may the Holy Spirit open your eyes and set your hearts on fire with love.

We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
...In the name of Christ. Amen.

© 2002 Nathan Nettleton, Laughing Bird Liturgical Resources