Readings: Acts 2:14, 22-33; Psalm 16; 1 Peter 1:17-21; Luke 24:13-35.
The gospel of today is very interesting; it narrates an incident, which is comical, joyful and reflective at once.
Two disciples were leaving Jerusalem after the Passover and they were going to Emmaus seven miles from Jerusalem. On their way, they spoke of the biggest matter in their hearts, the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus.
Jesus came along and began to interrogate them, and then they started talking about him to him unknown to them. This fulfills the word of God in Matthew 18:20 where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in their midst.
From their words we could sense their frustration, sadness and disappointment. Cleopas said, “Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free.” But sadly he died and so their hope of salvation through him died, so in this God has disappointed them. Unknown to them, his death is the fulfillment of their hope.
We sometimes feel disappointed in God because we do not understand His wisdom. The very things we are said about could be the reflection of His eternal goodness.
Jesus then took them through a spectacular bible study. He explained to them the passages about the Messiah, which is in virtually every page of the bible. He opened their minds to understand the wisdom and the plans of God hidden in the pages of the scriptures.
Take note, these two disciples also studied the scriptures, they were vast in it as most Jews of their day but it is certainly one thing to be familiar with the scriptures, it is another thing to understand its meaning.
Their sadness and confusion won’t have been necessary if they had understood the meaning of the scriptures.
This is exactly what Peter was also doing in the first reading, taking the people through the scripture, explaining to them that everything that had happened to Jesus and the Holy Spirit that they (the disciples) had just received is what God pre-designed and these very things are recorded in the pages of the scriptures which the people read but do not understand.
Jesus made as if to continue on his journey but they parebiasanto auton, they pressed him, constrained him, held his hands persuading him to meinon (abide) with them.
No one who is spiritually alive and active will find the presence of Jesus boring, unexciting or ordinary and be eager to go or let him go. A soul that is spiritually alive and responsive will always want more of Jesus, will always long to spend more time with him, be comfortable and happy in his presence. These disciples held unto Jesus and begged him to remain with them.
Jesus went with them, stayed with them, bless bread, broke it, and shared with them, then their eyes opened but he had vanished. He vanished physically when he became present under sacramental signs of bread and wine. No need to look again for the physical Jesus, he is here under the forms of bread and wine. He was with them before but now he is in them and so he vanished from their sight but not from their soul.
They realised that they had been with Jesus all along and yet did not know.
It is very possible that Jesus might be in front of us, walking with us, sitting down with us at every meal and yet we do not recognise him.
May the Lord open our eyes to see Jesus present in our midst, in the scriptures, under the appearances of bread and wine, in his ministers, in familiar faces, in ugly faces, in the faces of strangers, in the faces of the poor, the downtrodden and the marginalised.
In the joy of this encounter, they ran back to Jerusalem, seven miles again, they were filled with renewed strength and joy. That is the evidence of encountering Jesus, you cannot hide your joy, you come alive again and you are unable to be quiet about it.
This is not just a story of two disciples who encountered Jesus, it is the story of what Jesus wants to do for all of us, he wants to walk with us, talk to us, he wants to teach us, clear our doubt, stay with us, feed us, open our eyes, fill us with joy and send us to witness.
Today’s Refresh on Sunday is gotten form the sermon preached by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Okami on April 26, 2020