Third Sunday of Easter
Today’s gospel begins with two disciples walking to Emmaus, overcome with sadness, loss, and disappointment. They had hoped Jesus, who was crucified, would be the one to redeem Israel! Yet the risen Christ walks with them and then opens their eyes in the breaking of the bread. Each Sunday our hearts burn within us as the scriptures are proclaimed and Christ appears to us as bread is broken and wine is poured. The story of Emmaus becomes the pattern of our worship each Lord’s day.
The people who hear Peter’s testimony and preaching are cut to the heart. The writer of 1 Peter instructs believers to love deeply from the heart. The disciples who encounter the risen Christ notice afterward that their hearts were “burning” within them as Jesus reveals the scriptures and then himself to them in the breaking of the bread. Whether a call to repentance, hope, recognition, or love, people are deeply affected by encounters with the one raised from death to become followers of Jesus’ way. They not only turn from their sin and doubt but literally change direction, going back from Emmaus to Jerusalem with renewed courage, faith, and hope. These heart-changing encounters with Jesus fulfill a promise from God for the whole community, from those who have lived a long life to those who are children.
