6 Easter, Year A

"FRUIT"

Acts 17: 22 – 31; Psalm 148: 7 – 14; I Peter 3: 8 – 18; John 15: 1 – 8
A sermon by The Rev. Gene Tucker
Given at Trinity Church, Mt. Vernon, IL; Sunday, April 27th, 2008

“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit.”

Those words sum up our role as Christian believers … we are to be fruitful parts of God’s kingdom.

In the past weeks, we’ve been hearing our Lord’s teachings about His relationship to the Father, and our relationship to Him. Let’s recall what we’ve heard:

• I am the Good Shepherd: Heard two weeks ago (John 10: 1 – 18), Jesus likens himself to a shepherd, who makes possible the creation of the flock, and who lays down His life in order to save the lives of the sheep within the flock. Moreover, Jesus says that He is the “door” to the sheepfold, the only way by which the sheep enter and leave the fold.
  
  
• I am the way, the truth and the life: Last week’s text (John 14: 1 – 14) reiterates Jesus’ teaching from chapter 10, making it clear that the only way to relate to the Father is through Him.

Now today, we hear the last of the great “I AM” statements that reverberate through John’s Gospel account: “I am the true vine.”[1]

Continuing the thread that we’ve heard in the past two Sundays, Jesus makes it clear that it is only through Him that we are connected to the Father, for the Father is the “vinedresser”,[2] that is, the one who has made possible the existence of the vine, as well as the branches.

All three readings we’ve heard in recent weeks all have one thing in common: Jesus is the connection to the Father.

But today’s reading expands the implications of Jesus’ relationship to the Father, and now we, the believers of the first century, and modern-day believers, are now folded into the wider purposes of God….we are called to be in relationship to God the Father through Jesus Christ, in order that we may bear fruit for the Kingdom of God.

Let’s take a closer look at today’s reading….

On closer examination, we see that those who are part of the vine, have two choices:

Be a part of the vine – and – be pruned so as to bear more fruit
-or-
Be cut off and thrown away

Remaining (the Greek verb which is usually translated as “abide” also means “to remain”) a branch on the vine, but without producing fruit, is not an option! We can’t simply be, drawing nutrients and water from the vine, without doing our part for the overall good of the other branches and the vine itself, as well as for those who will enjoy the benefits of the fruit that the vine, the vinedresser, and we (the branches) all produce.

Apparently, Jesus’ message seems to be: God sent Jesus to us so that we might see the Father most clearly and know the Father most fully. The Father’s sending Jesus to us, and Jesus’ own works (signs)[3] are all calculated to enable us to: trust in Him, to know Him, and to do the works that He himself did.[4]

In other words, to “bear much fruit”.

What might that “fruit” be?

John 15: 9 – 10 provides the answer that is directly connected to Jesus’ teaching, heard today. These verses read, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you’ abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.”

For a practical answer to our question, let’s look at the early Church’s experience to see the things that they did. A good example of what those early believers did is to be found in Acts 2: 42 – 47, where we read:

“And they devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And fear came upon every soul; and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people.”

Notice the ways that love of God and love of each other were “lived out” among those early believers.

Let’s take the key phases of Acts 2: 42 - 47 and unpack them a little, applying them to our own situation here at Trinity today:

(Notice as we go the enormous variety of ways that the fruits of the Kingdom were manifest…..There was something that everyone – regardless of their physical capacities, their financial situation, or their talents – could do for the advancement of the Kingdom and the betterment of each of its members.)

Devotion to the “apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking bread and the prayers”: If it seems as though we’ve heard that phrase, “to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers”, it is probably quite familiar to us, for it forms one of the first questions that is asked during Holy Baptism, as part of the Baptismal Covenant (Book of Common Prayer, 1979, page 304). To continue in these things is to: be faithful in the received teaching of the Church, as the Church has received that teaching down through the ages, and as it is revealed in Holy Scripture (which is itself the repository of the apostolic teaching). In addition, it requires us to be regular in our attendance at worship, where we break the bread in Holy Communion and where we gather for corporate prayer. Then, following worship, we gather together in the Parish Hall for fellowship during Coffee Hour. Our parish also offers other occasions for fellowship, including our Informal Discussion Group on Wednesday mornings (we don’t just study at these weekly sessions, but we also share our joys, sorrows and burdens with one another), and at our monthly Trinity-on-the-Move outings to area restaurants, where fellowship forms a significant part of our time together there. Love of God is manifest here, as is love of others.

“Fear came upon every soul, and many signs and wonders were done through the apostles”: To have a healthy fear of the Lord is to be aware of God’s presence among us. Such an awareness harkens back to the vine/branches imagery that Jesus uses in today’s Gospel text, for such a healthy (yes, even fearful) awareness means that we cannot simply “remain” in God’s presence without an awareness of the greater purposes that God has in mind for us, enabling us to overcome the temptation to simply “be” in God’s presence and in a relationship with God (but without producing any discernable fruit). Moreover, we are today’s “apostles” (small “a”), who are sent out to do the “signs and wonders” which form the “fruit” for today’s world. So, we are inheritors of the same power and authority that those first Apostles had. And, it is awesome, this power of God, which enables us to bear much fruit for the kingdom. Here is the discernable proof – the fruit – of the love of God, which enabled healings to take place, for the lame to walk, and the spiritually assailed to be delivered.

“All who believed were together”: Notice the unity in the body of Christ that existed in those early times. Such unity comes as a direct result of the awareness that we are folded into God’s greater purposes. Such an awareness allows us to set aside our own personal preferences, allowing God’s purposes to reign in our hearts and minds and actions. Such a unity as that here at Trinity allows us to set aside any differences that might divide us, for the sake of the witness to God’s power that such unity demonstrates.[5] God’s greatness and God’s purposes are far more wonderful and far more powerful than any personal agenda we might embrace! Here is love of each other in action, as each person lays aside his/her personal wishes and preferences for the greater good of the body of Christ.

They had “all things in common, and they sold their possession and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need”: We no longer “hold all things in common” as the early Church did. Essentially, in those early days, the Church was more like a commune than anything else, apparently. But, though that practice has disappeared, doesn’t continuing concern for every member of the Church continue? As we live this part of the Church’s life out, we care for those who are in need through the Hope in Christ homeless shelter. We offer assistance to the Angels on Assignment ministry which is located on Main Street. And wouldn’t we offer any of our resources to anyone in need within our own parish, as the situation presents itself? That’s happened time and again. “As any have need” still applies today. Here is another situation where concern for the physical needs of each person occupied a high place in their values and in their living.

“Day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people”: Notice the daily regularity which governed the early Church’s worship life and its fellowship life. Notice the gladness and joy which is present. Notice the praise of God and the reputation with outsiders that was theirs. (Were these early Christians good Episcopalians? .... After all, all these things: worship, fellowship, the praise of God, gladness, generosity, and a good reputation, they have all been historically important to Anglicanism.) Gladness and joy ought to be hallmarks of our Christian life. Joy (which is different than “happiness”) can be one of the earliest signs of God’s presence within us and among us. Joy can be one of the first things that people notice about Christians, one of the distinctive marks of being a believer. Living out the love of the Lord and the love of each other leads to joy!

So the question comes to us: “what sort of fruit am I producing for the Kingdom?”

___________


[1] John 15: 1
[2] Verse 2
[3] Remember that Bible scholars often nickname Chapters 2 – 11 of John’s Gospel as the “Book of Signs”, because of the miraculous works that Jesus did, all of which testify to His authority, and all of which point back to the Father, who sent Him.
[4] In John 14: 12, where we hear Jesus say, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father.”
[5] Unity in the body of Christ will be the topic of our Gospel reading for next Sunday, John 17: 1 – 11.

5 Easter, Year A

“HIGHER, DEEPER, GREATER, WISER – HIS WAYS ARE (THAN MINE)"
Acts 17: 1 – 15; Psalm 66: 1 – 8; I Peter 2: 1 – 10; John 14: 1 – 14
A sermon by The Rev. Gene Tucker, given at Trinity Church, Mt. Vernon, IL, on Sunday, April 20th, 2008

There’s a song we sing at our Junior and Senior High youth retreats, which goes something like this:

His ways are higher than mine, His ways are higher than mine.
His ways
are higher than mine, much higher.
Chorus:
Higher, higher,
much, much higher,
Higher, higher, much higher.

The succeeding verses insert the words “deeper”, “greater” and “wiser” in the place of “higher”.

Of course, since young people are involved, there is a set of gestures for each verse (which I can’t demonstrate in a printed text).

That song – which seems to be quite popular with our young people, accurately describes today’s Gospel, in which we read these very familiar words, spoken by Jesus: “I am the way, the truth and the life.” (verse six)

For Jesus’ coming to us, to “dwell among us”,[1] is – at its root – a movement of God which is higher, deeper, greater and wiser than we are. It is – at its root – a part of the divine mystery, which might prompt us to ask, “Why did God choose to reveal Himself in Jesus Christ?”

“I am the way, the truth and the life.” Jesus is describing – in essence – His relationship to the Father, when He says, “I am the way.”

How can that be the meaning of Jesus’ words, “I am the way?”

Simply because, whenever He talks about His coming to us, and the purpose of His coming to us, Jesus always talks about the Father, “who sent me.” So, Jesus’ coming to us from the Father describes the relationship Jesus has with the Father. Jesus’ return to the Father describes the perfecting of the work the Father has given Him to accomplish, namely, His death on the cross and resurrection to life again.

At one point, Jesus will even say, “I and the Father are one.” (John 10: 30)

So it’s safe to say that Jesus is describing the nature of His relationship with God the Father, the one who sent Him, who tells Him what to say, and whose works He does.[2] In response to Philip’s question, we read Jesus’ answer today, “He who has seen me, has seen the Father.” (verse nine)

“I am the way, the truth, and the life.” That is the central Christian proclamation to the world. It says (in essence), “In Jesus Christ, we see the nature and love of God most completely, most purely, most forcefully. No other revelation of God can surpass the revelation we have in Jesus Christ.”

But, let’s unpack this phrase, “the way, the truth, and the life” a little more.

We’ve looked briefly at “the way.” Essentially, as we’ve said, “the way” refers to Jesus’ relationship to God the Father.

But part of His relating to the Father also involves His return to the Father, in order that we, too, might be united to the Father, even as Jesus Christ is. That seems to be the point of Jesus’ words, which we read in verses two through four, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

Secondly, Jesus says that He is “the truth.” The meaning here seems to convey the truthfulness of the revelation of God that Jesus Christ provides, and this trustworthiness is based on the faithfulness of Jesus’ words and works. At one point, Jesus will underscore His faithfulness to the Father’s words and will when He says, “For I have not spoken on my own authority; the Father who sent me has himself given me commandment what to say and what to speak.” (John 12: 49)

Thirdly, Jesus identifies Himself as being “the life.” Here, Jesus points to the fruit of His relationship with the Father and His faithfulness in revealing the Father to us. When we enter into the relationship that exists between Jesus Christ and God the Father, we are united to the source of all life, God, and to the only one who can grant us eternal life, God. Jesus Christ’s faithfulness to the words and works the Father gave Him to do ensure we are seeking union with the only true God.

Put another way, Jesus faithfulness is evidence of His truthfulness (“the truth”), and His ability to grant life (‘the life”) is the product of his intimate union with the Father (‘the way”).

The Christian proclamation says, “No other revelation of God surpasses the one we have in Jesus Christ. He is the most complete image we have of God. God seeks us out in sending Christ Jesus, instead of the other way around. Jesus creates the way to unity with God.”

To be authentically Christian, this understanding of Jesus Christ as being “the way, the truth and the life” must be an essential part of our belief and our practice.

It is a part of our belief and practice, even as we struggle to understand it (remember, we are dealing with the divine mysteries of God, parts of which we can understand, and parts of which, we can’t understand). That’s where the business that the song we started with today comes in: His ways are higher, deeper, greater and wider than ours.

This understanding of Jesus Christ, who is “the way, the truth and the life,” means we must – as faithful Christians – accept the witness of the Apostles. For the Apostles are those who ate, drank, and walked with the Lord during His earthly life. The Apostolic teaching and witness are preserved in the words of Holy Scripture. Holy Scripture serves as our foundational document (much like the Constitution serves to found the governing principles of the Republic in which we live).

Yet, if we grasp at least some of the divine mystery of Jesus Christ, “the way, the truth and the life”, we might be tempted to become a bit arrogant in our spirituality. As if we might say, “See, I’ve got it figured out, and so I’m a pretty wonderful Christian.”

But if we are to look closely at this divine mystery, God’s working in the person and teachings of Jesus Christ, any realistic appraisal of our situation should immediately lead us to a place of deep humility….For we “understand in part,”[3] and have much yet to learn!

May God have mercy, that by the working and the power of the Holy Spirit, we might more fully understand Jesus to be “the way, the truth, and the life.”

For God’s ways are higher, deeper, greater and wider than ours.

AMEN.


[1] The phrase used in John 1: 14
[2] See John 5: 36 – 37 for Jesus’ words about His origin and purpose.
[3] St. Paul’s phrase in I Corinthians 13: 9.

4 Easter, Year A

“THE SHEPHERD AND THE SHEEP”
Acts 2: 42 – 47; Psalm 23; I Peter 2: 19 – 25; John 10: 1 – 18
A sermon by The Rev. Gene Tucker (read by Mr. Barney Bruce, Licensed Lay Worship Leader) and given at Trinity Church, Mt. Vernon, IL on Sunday, April 13th, 2008

“I am the Good Shepherd,” Jesus says in today’s Gospel reading.

Those words are so important to hear that the assigned lectionary reading for this Sunday has been expanded to include them….If you look at your preprinted lectionary insert, it gives you verses 1 – 10. But stopping at verse 10 chops up what is a closely constructed unit, Jesus’ teaching on His leadership as the Shepherd of His flock, which we know today as the Church.

In John’s typical writing style, Jesus’ words unfold, gathering meaning and importance as His discourse goes forward. It’s critical that we hear all of Jesus’ teaching about His role as Shepherd and our role as members of His flock, the Church. Hence, the addition of these eight verses, made today.

Chapter 10 of John is a turning point in John’s writing….themes that will be expanded upon later on in the Gospel are introduced here, themes we will look at briefly today.

Jesus’ argument advances by means of the two-fold use of the phrase “Truly, truly, I say to you.” Notice how the themes in this passage are advanced by the addition of new thought, each time, marked by these words, “Truly, truly.” The phrase we used in seminary to describe what Jesus is doing by His careful unfolding of what it means to be a good shepherd is to “turn the crystal”. “Turning the crystal” is an image that comes from looking at a fine piece of glass crystal, in which the light which is refracted through the glass offers varied glimpses of the aspects of the crystal itself. So Jesus, ever the “Master Storyteller”, unfolds this understanding of shepherding.

Before we begin with a closer look at today’s Gospel, let’s set the context for Jesus’ discourse. (It’s always a good idea to “set the scene”, if you will, in order to understand why Jesus says the things He does, and, in some cases, to whom - or against whom – He is speaking.)

The immediate cause of Jesus’ teaching is the refusal of the Pharisees to be good shepherds of God’s people, the Jews. Chapter nine of John’s Gospel account is entirely taken up with the healing of the man born blind. Again and again, the Pharisees ignore the great good work that Jesus accomplished by restoring the man’s sight, for these Pharisees can only see that Jesus did this marvelous thing on the Sabbath. “The Rules have been broken!” they seem to say.

In response, at chapter nine, verse 41, Jesus accuses the Pharisees of being blind themselves, saying, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.”

So, the stage is now set for Jesus to contrast His leadership, His care for God’s people, with the dishonest and self-serving actions of the Pharisees.

Alas, such dishonest and self-serving leadership had often been the model that God’s people had experienced in times past….The Old Testament is full of references to these bad leaders of the past whose main interest was themselves, their positions and their power. As such, these sorts of leaders were “thieves and robbers.”

(These Old Testament passages which describe wicked and perverse leadership, when it is contrasted with God, who is described in the Old Testament as being the Shepherd of His people, seems to form the backdrop for Jesus’ discourse in chapter 10.)

It is into this category, “thieves and robbers”, that Jesus casts the Pharisees. Their main interest is themselves, their authority and their powerful position in Jewish society.

But Jesus makes it clear that they are without authority, for they do not enter by the authorized place, the door to the sheepfold. (Notice the narrator’s comment, at verse six, in which Jesus’ comments are explicitly assigned to the Pharisees.)

Jesus contrasts His proper position and authority by citing His straightforward and honest entry into the sheepfold, that is, by the door.

But He goes on to say the He, himself, has not only entered by the door, but is Himself the door. This is a thread that Jesus will pick up in greater detail in chapter 14 (which we will hear next Sunday), when we hear Jesus say, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

In the process of being the shepherd, and also the door, Jesus signals the creation of a new flock. This new flock is made up of those who have heard the voice of the Shepherd.

Hearing the voice of the Shepherd is critical not only to their survival (in order to avoid thieves and robbers), but in order to be able to follow the Shepherd out into pasture, where the food which will sustain them is to be found.

Again, this thread, hearing the voice of the Shepherd (which implies being in constant contact with Him), will be taken up by Jesus in chapter 15, verse seven, where He says, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.” Abiding in Christ ensures that we are able to hear His voice, and are able to bear fruit as a result of that continuing relationship (chapter 15, verses 1 – 6).

Jesus now expands our understanding of His role as the Good Shepherd by the introduction of a new facet of His identity and work: He is the protector of the flock. In verse 11, we read, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

The image is of the shepherd who risks his own life in order to protect the sheep from predators and enemies.

By contrast, the imposter shepherds place their own welfare and safety above that of the flock, fleeing at the first sign of danger.

As part of the good shepherd’s “laying down his life,” Jesus makes it clear that He does the “laying down” willingly, not by the overpowering force of some external power. He continues, “No one takes it (my life) from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again; this charge I have received from my Father.” (verse 18)

Jesus’ description of His death and resurrection, just heard, describes in a nutshell the understanding we have in John’s Gospel account of Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection: Jesus is most in command, most in control during the events of Good Friday and Easter morning.

Now, what are we to make of Jesus’ teaching about the Good Shepherd?

Perhaps the following applications might be made:

Jesus as Shepherd exists for our benefit: Obviously, without a flock, there is no need for a shepherd. That’s the part that the Pharisees forgot: they were to serve God’s people, not the other way around.

Jesus has our welfare at heart: Notice the self-giving leadership that Jesus offers. (Contrast it with the Pharisees’ leadership.) Jesus’ commitment to the welfare of the flock extends even to the extreme of His own death.

Jesus makes some exclusive claims: “I am the door to the sheepfold,” He says, as He continues, “If anyone enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (verse 9). No other way is authorized for entry into the flock.

Unity in the flock is dependent on a continuous and intimate relationship with Christ: Jesus tells us that “there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (verse 16). Unity in the body of Christ is a theme that Jesus will pick up again in chapter 17, when He prays that all who believe in Him “will be one, as I and the Father are one.” (John 17: 11 paraphrased)

Many voices command the Church’s attention these days.

• Today’s Gospel asks us to consider: “are the voices that call out to us consistent with the words and message of Christ?”
  
  
• Today’s Gospel demands that we assess our faithfulness to the Gospel as we have received it in Jesus’ words, recorded in Holy Scripture.
  
  
• Today’s Gospel calls us to a deeper and more abiding relationship with Christ, the Good Shepherd, in order that we might “go in and out, and find pasture” for the nourishment of our souls and for the welfare of the flock.

May the Holy Spirit enable us to be members of God’s flock, and followers of the Good Shepherd of His people.

AMEN.

3 Easter, Year A

“FORMING AND FEEDING”
Acts 2:14a, 36–47; Psalm 116:10–17; I Peter 1:17–23; Luke 24:13–35
A sermon by The Rev. Gene Tucker, given at Trinity Church, Mt. Vernon, IL; Sunday, April 6th, 2008

“Forming and feeding” is the phrase that comes to mind as I consider the resurrection appearance that we have before us today, the encounter on the road to Emmaus.

Today’s reading is a history of Jesus’ forming His body, that is, the Church, and it is a blueprint for the ways in which He will sustain that body down through the ages, with the Word of God and with the Sacraments (in this case, the Holy Communion).

Luke is the only one of the four Gospel writers to record this encounter, as Jesus joins Cleopas and the other (unnamed) disciple on their journey from Jerusalem to the town of Emmaus.[1] Luke’s account is rich with detail, and his recording of Jesus’ dialogue with the two disciples offers the preacher and the listener a biblical “gold mine” of interpretive possibilities.

But, let’s look at just one aspect of this encounter, the Body of Christ, that is, the Church, that Jesus now begins to form, and the way in which He will feed this body, the Church.

As I take this approach to today’s text, I have in mind one of my seminary professors’ conviction about Luke’s writing in general: Luke seems to have in mind a deep concern for the ways in which the Church will live out the Gospel, if it is to be in the world, carrying out Christ’s teachings and commands over a long period of time. Luke’s concern is for the “big picture”, time-wise.

So, here we go….

First, let’s put today’s encounter in context as we find it in chapter 24:

Scene I: The initial discovery of the empty tomb: (verses 1 – 12) Cleopas summarizes the discovery of the empty tomb (verses 21 – 24). Notable in Luke’s recounting is that there is no face-to-face encounter with Jesus recorded here. The women come, find the tomb empty, and it is there that they encounter two angels who begin the process of putting the events of Jesus’ death and the empty tomb into its larger context by reminded them of Jesus’ words, saying, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise.”[2] The women then return to the 11 and the others, telling them that the tomb is empty.

Scene II: Jesus begins to form the community: (verses 13 – 35) The theme we encounter first with the words of the angels in verse six is picked up again, but with more detail, as Jesus begins to explain “beginning with Moses and all the prophets” how these events pertain to His identity and purpose. Jesus’ enlightening of the two disciples, and His becoming known to them “in the breaking of the bread” inspires them to return to the 11 disciples and the other gathered with them in Jerusalem with the first actual resurrection appearance as we find it in chapter 24. Once they do, they find out from the 11 and the others that the Lord had appeared to Simon (the actual appearance Luke does not narrate, though St. Paul mentions this special appearance in I Corinthians 15: 5).

Scene III: The 11 and the rest experience the risen Jesus: (verses 36 – 49) Now, Jesus comes into their very presence just as Cleopas and the those gathered in Jerusalem are exchanging their stories. Again, the words that Jesus spoke to the two on the road to Emmaus are not only repeated, but expanded upon, “These are my words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled.”[3] The various threads of experience that the women, the two on the road to Emmaus, Simon, and now everyone, all come together in this climactic scene.

And so, the community is formed….formed around the person and work of the Lord Jesus.

The community is formed around God’s great and eternal purposes for the redeeming of humankind. For that is surely the point of the threefold repetition of the purposes of Jesus’ death and resurrection,[4] to put securely in our minds the “big picture” of God’s eternal purposes, stretching back through time through the psalms and the prophets, all the way back to Moses and the giving of the Law.

The community is formed through the individual experiences of each member: the women, Cleopas and the unnamed disciple on the road to Emmaus, Simon, and then, everyone. Each one brings their encounter with the risen Jesus, as if to contribute their thread to the weaving of the fabric of the Church, each experience strengthening the others for the immense, long-range, work that is ahead, the work of spreading the great Good News[5] that Jesus has conquered the powers of sin and death for all time and for eternity.

One caveat must be stated here: each individual experience of the risen Jesus recorded in chapter 24 is not made up of “whole cloth”…..Each person who encountered the empty tomb or the risen Lord wasn’t merely spinning their own thread. On the contrary, the thread they contribute to the collective encounter and experience of the Lord Jesus is created as a direct result of their face-to-face encounters with the angels, and then with the risen Lord Himself. For the age in which we live, an age in which personal experience has taken such a prominent place in the creation of the Church’s collective awareness of God’s purposes and presence, is an age in which personal experience has departed – in some instances – from the witness of Scripture. Chapter 24 of Luke cautions us: if the personal experiences that individual members of the body of Christ relate deviate from the overall witness of Scripture, then those experiences can not constitute a faithful witness to the work of God in Christ Jesus.

We, the body of Christ, are formed around the person and work of Jesus Christ. That’s the clear message of the text we have before us today.

We, the body of Christ, and fed by the holy Word of God, the Bible, and by the breaking of the bread, that is, Christ’s body, as we encounter it in the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

And it is to the feeding of His body, the Church, that we now turn….

Jesus feeds His body in two ways:

With the Word of God: Notice how Luke tells us that He “interpreted to them…all the Scriptures concerning Himself”.[6] In essence, Jesus “breaks open” the word and shares it with them, much as He will do when they sit at table and the actual bread is broken and shared with them. The word came to life as Jesus opened the Scriptures to them, a sign (I think) that the written word become the living word, for Cleopas and his companion reflect back on Jesus’ teaching, saying, “Did not our hearts burn within us, while He talked with us on the road, while He opened to us the scriptures?”[7]

With the breaking of the bread: Luke is careful to tell us that it was in the breaking of the bread that Cleopas and the other disciple’s eyes were opened, so that they could recognize the Lord.

As we turn to reflect on our own day and time, the day and time in which the Lord Jesus has commissioned us to be His disciples (that is, those who follow Him) and His apostles (that is, those who are sent out into the world in His name), what application might we make from the events we read about in today’s Gospel?

The following thoughts come to mind:

1. Jesus forms His body, the Church: Each of us brings our own thread to the fabric of the Church, and each is woven into the fabric, strengthening it and giving it the texture it requires in order to be effective in its service to the Lord.
   
   Our individual experiences are founded in Holy Scripture, are guided by Reason, and are shaped by the Tradition of the Church down through the ages.[8]
   
   
2. Jesus feeds His body, the Church: We are nourished by God’s word, written, that is, the Bible. By God’s mercy and by His Holy Spirit, the written word becomes the living word. Holy Scripture informs and shapes our individual experiences of the risen Lord, and as our individual encounter with Christ is folded into the overall encounter with others in the body, then the Church becomes that place where the Lord uses each individual part of the body to feed and sustain other parts.

But the Word alone is not enough. Luke’s intent is clear: he wants us to know and to remember that it is in the breaking of the bread that the Lord become known to the two disciples at Emmaus. As it was for those two disciples, so it is for us, 21st century disciples: for it is in the breaking of the bread in the Sacrament of the Eucharist that we encounter the risen Christ in the Real Presence of the Eucharist. By His presence among us in this unique way, we are fed and sustained for the work God has given us to do.

One final note: notice the balance in the feeding and sustaining of the body of Christ in the two modes: Word and Sacrament.

One means does not stand on its own, both are required. At least that seems to be Luke’s message.

For the Church to be able to do its work, continual nourishment with God’s word and with God’s presence in the breaking of the bread is required.

The shape of our Sunday worship then is not at all coincidental….for we share in the breaking of the word, and then in the breaking of the bread. Each is offered, broken, and shared for the spiritual health of all present.

Thanks be to God!

AMEN.

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[1] Emmaus’ exact location is unknown. Three or four possible sites have been proposed for it, including the modern day town of Abu Ghosh. Pinpointing the location is made more difficult by the variations in the ancient texts we have of Luke’s Gospel account: some manuscripts say that Emmaus was about 60 stadia (a stadia equals about 600 feet), or seven miles, from Jerusalem, while other manuscripts say it was 160 stadia, or about 19 miles, from Jerusalem. Since Cleopas and the other disciple returned to Jerusalem immediately upon having encountered the risen Jesus (though it was late in the day), 60 stadia seems to be the more accurate distance.
[2] Verses 5 - 7
[3] Verse 44
[4] Notice that each repetition (first, the angels in verses 5 – 7, then Jesus in verses 25 – 27, and then Jesus again in verses 45 – 47) becomes more detailed.
[5] For that is what the word Gospel means, “good news”
[6] Verse 27
[7] Verse 32
[8] These three sources of authority: Scripture, Reason and Tradition, are the three traditional Anglican sources of authority, as they were articulated by Richard Hooker (1554 – 1600). Scripture stands as pre-eminent, and is supported by the other two sources. There is no “three-legged-stool”, in which all three sources stand as equal sources.