Theme: The risen Christ is revealed as believers gather together and break bread. The First Lesson describes the resurrection community in Jerusalem as having everything in common. They broke bread with glad and generous hearts, praising God. The Gospel tells how Christ was revealed to the two strollers on the way to Emmaus, when Christ blessed and broke bread with them.
COMMENTARY
Epistle: Acts 2:14a, 36-47
This is the ending of Peter's Pentecost sermon. He confronts his listeners head-on with their participation in the crucifixion of Jesus, stating that this Jesus, whom they killed, is both Lord and Christ. The crowd is overwhelmed with guilt and asked the question which every good sermon should address: "What do we have to do?" Peter is quick to supply the answer: "Repent and be baptized ..." (v. 7). Some 3,000 responded. The rest of the passage portrays the dynamic Christian community in Jerusalem, where the believers shared their lives, their fortunes and their food. A eucharistic community of prayer, signs and witness attracted the positive regard of the wider community.
Epistle: 1 Peter 1:17-23
This epistle addresses a radically different Christian community than does Acts. In Acts, the Christian community was still regarded with favor by the wider community. But in this letter, the church is subject to persecution. It is no longer centered in Jerusalem but is a church in exile (v. 17). There is a eucharistic theme in this passage, which links it to the other two readings. Christ is presented as the perfect Passover Lamb who shed his blood for the ransom of the world (v. 19).
Gospel: Luke 24:13-35
Two disciples of Jesus are walking away from Jerusalem, toward the village of Emmaus, discussing the events of Good Friday and Easter morning. The risen Christ joins them on their journey, though they do not recognize him. He inquires about the nature of their conversation. They relate the apparently tragic events and then Christ proceeds to explain the true meaning of those events in light of scripture. They stop for the evening and Jesus acts as though he is going further. They invite him to stay with them and suddenly the guest becomes the host. As he breaks the bread their eyes are opened and they recognize the Lord. Christ reveals himself through word and sacrament.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION
Epistle: Acts 2:14a, 36-47
Guilt trip. Peter apologetically and boldly laid a guilt trip on his listeners. "Let the whole house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified" (v. 36). We're reluctant to employ guilt these days, choosing only to proclaim the good news of God's forgiveness and love. The preaching of Peter and the early church employed both law and gospel.
Actually, the law cut them to the heart and made them ready to receive the gospel. "Brothers, what shall we do?" (v. 37). Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ" (v. 38). The guilt trip which Peter induced led them to the gateway of grace and a new life.
Courage from conviction. Peter preached with great conviction; "... let the whole house of Israel know with certainty that God made him both Lord and Messiah ...." You might say that he gained courage from his conviction that Jesus had risen and was reigning at the right hand of God. There was no doubt in Peter's mind that Jesus was both Lord and Christ. A person is not going to put her life on the line for a theory or probability. No, a person will only stake her life on that of which she is utterly convinced. Preaching that doesn't issue from a firm conviction that Jesus is Lord and Savior is about as appealing as cold oatmeal, but not nearly so nourishing.
"Save yourselves from this crooked generation" (v. 40). For the early Christians, there was no doubt about the opposition of Christ and culture. The values of the Christian faith stood out vividly against the pagan backdrop. Beginning with Constantine, Christ and culture became allies. In recent years, western culture has increasingly rejected Christian values. This has proven disastrous for society but there is an up side. Now, at least, there is a clear choice between Christ and the values of the culture. We cannot be transforming agents in the world unless we are clear on this.
Koinonia and community. A chief characteristic of the Jerusalem church was koinonia, a profound sharing of their entire lives with the fellow believers. It is said that they "had all things in common" (v. 44). They worshipped together at the temple. They celebrated the Agape Feast and the Eucharist in their homes. The believers shared freely of their material substance and the basic needs of everyone were met. In our day, when the bonds of community has broken apart to an alarming degree, people are starving for real community. Yet, the fellowship found at most churches is shallow except for a few Bible study or prayer groups. Instead of ministering to one another's needs, we look to the government or some other institution to do the job. How do we recapture koinonia? Not through canned programs but by being channels of the awesome presence of the risen Christ.
Epistle: 1 Peter 1:17-23
Confidence through Christ. Verse 21 informs us that we have confidence in God through Christ. We don't have to live in fear and uncertainty because Christ reveals a God whom we can count on to navigate us through stormy and calm seas alike. This passage suggests not only that we can rely on God but that we can lead confident lives because, through faith, we are in God. For Christians, our positive mental attitude is not the result of some self-help psychological gimmick; it is the outcome of our relationship with the Lord.
Gospel: Luke 24:13-35
Word and sacrament. How do we come to see the risen Christ? The same way that the two travelers on the road to Emmaus saw him: through Word and sacrament. They first came to see Christ in the Word and then in the breaking of the bread. This passage hints at the various means of receiving God's grace. First, through the mind, then through the heart ("Did not our hearts burn within us") (v. 32) and finally, the senses.
Spend the night with us, Jesus. As they drew near their place of lodging, they begged Jesus: "Stay with us because it is almost evening and the day is nearly over" (v. 29). I always get choked up when I view the final scene from the movie, Jesus of Nazareth. The disciples are huddled around Jesus, like a brood of chicks under their mother's wings, and one of them (John, I think) voices the passage above. We are all like children, nervous as the night sets in, longing for the reassuring presence of a parent who will shelter and protect us, as the shroud of darkness sets in. The night is suggestive of mystery, uncertainty, isolation and finality. As the darkness sets in, we have but to invite the Lord to spend the night with us.
Blessed bread. Jesus took the bread, blessed and broke it (v. 31). Bread is truly blessed because it is a gift of God, a token of God's love and care for his children. When we take the bread and bless its giver, the One who is the Bread of Life, that bread is truly holy, like manna from heaven. An ordinary meal can have a sacramental quality, if we receive it as from the hand of God. Bread that is blessed must be broken because, until it is broken, it cannot be shared, and until it is shared, it cannot be received, and until it is received, it cannot produce a blessing. The church is meant to be broken bread through which the world comes to see and receive the Bread of Life.
PREACHING POSSIBILITIES
Epistle: Acts 2:14a, 36-47
1. Sermon Title: The Rock Proclaims The Lordship Of Christ. Sermon Angle: Peter was the first to confess that Jesus was the Messiah, at Caesarea Philippi. Jesus declares the Rock upon which he would build his church. The rock crumbled under the duress surrounding the cross but was restored and strengthened by the risen Lord. Peter boldly proclaims that Jesus is both Lord and Messiah, to whom every knee must bow.
Outline:
1. Peter was given a name to live up to the Rock
2. Peter was the first to confess that Jesus is the Christ
3. Peter's faith crumbled when he relied on his own powers
4. After Christ's resurrection, Peter confidently confessed Jesus as Lord
5. Is your life built on the foundation of Christ as Lord of your life?
2. Sermon Title: Coin-o-nia. Sermon Angle: The sermon title is a play on the Greek word koinonia, meaning common or shared: that which binds together. Verses 43-47 describe the form that this koinonia or fellowship took. The fellowship of the Jerusalem church was profound because it covered every aspect of life, including the economic sphere. Koinonia took the form of coin-o-nia. The believers sold their material possessions and shared them with the community. The sharing of material wealth indicates how profound was the transformation of those first believers. There can only be meaningful koinonia when the faith of Christians is so strong that it issues in coin-o-nia.
Outline:
1. The resurrected Christ took the form of a new kind of community
2. Koinonia is the word that describes the nature of this community (define koinonia)
3. They had all things in common
they shared their worship (v. 46)
they shared their homes and food (v. 46)
they shared their praises (v. 47)
4. That which really set them apart was the generous sharing of money and material goods (v. 45) (Coin-o-nia)
5. We witness to the risen Christ when coin-o-nia is at the heart of our koinonia
There is a pattern in laying bricks that greatly strengthens the structure under construction. It is called the common bond pattern. Every so often a brick (called a header) is laid crossways to the other bricks, so that brick ties together two other bricks. This process creates a bonding that is hard to break. A house or a wall so constructed will long endure.
Bonding is a fact of nature. All things, including the human body, are held together by chemical bonds. For instance, our body is made largely of water and water contains two hydrogen atoms bonded with one oxygen atom. The science of chemistry consists of studying the nature of these bonds and discovering how these bonds can be broken and to what effect.
A major aspect of religion is learning how spiritual bonds are established, maintained and then reestablished when they are broken. The word "religion" indicates that which binds together. The early Christian community was tied together by its common bond Jesus Christ. Their love for and loyalty to their risen Lord and Savior tied them to one another. They freely gave of their time, talents and treasure because they all belonged to God through Jesus Christ, who had redeemed them from the power of sin.
Some people are too cynical and selfish to feel the common bond with other humans. We see such a character in the person of the king, in the Wizard of Id comic strip. The king is departing Easter services at the village church and the Padre asks him how he liked the sermon (The topic on the bulletin board is "He Is Risen").
King "It's a good story, Padre, but face it, Who's gonna believe it?"
Padre "The peasants believe it."
King "Peasants ... HA ... What do they know about anything?"
Padre "They know that if he lives again, they will live again."
King "Yeah, Yeah, Right."
In the next scene the king is in bed. He has apparently been thinking about his conversation with the Padre all day long. The king reflects...
King "If the little beggars live again ... I'll tax Em ... (next frame) ... AGAIN." In the last frame, the king concludes: "Our God is good."
Epistle: 1 Peter 1:17-23
1. Sermon Title: Confidence Through Christ. Sermon Angle: Peter maintains that through Christ, the Passover Lamb, we have confidence in God. Contrary to the feel-good gurus, positive mental attitude is not sufficient to produce lasting confidence in the human psyche. Our confidence is grounded in that which is eternal and in the knowledge that our acceptance is not based on our achievements but in Christ's sacrifice.
Outline:
1. Social scientists tell us that self-esteem is essential for human well-being
2. Lack of self-esteem stems from a feeling of worthlessness
3. Our worth is shown by God's gift of Jesus (v. 21)
4. In Christ, we have confidence for this life and hope of glory in the next
Gospel: Luke 24:13-35
1. Sermon Title: Break Thou, The Bread Of Life. Sermon Angle: The above title is the name of a hymn. The Bread of Life referred to here is the Bible, through whom we come to know Christ. According to John, Jesus himself is the Bread of Life. For the two travelers to Emmaus, Jesus broke the bread of life as he expounded the Word but also as he blest and broke the bread for their evening meal. Christ has the power to nourish us through Word and sacrament, because his life was offered as bread on the cross, where it was broken and offered to all.
Outline:
Introduction: In this text we find the structure of our worship service. It is the service of the word, the Eucharistic Meal and the going forth to witness to the risen Christ. The service of the word occurred when Christ expounded the Old Testament to the two distraught travelers. The Eucharistic Meal took place when Christ broke the bread for the meal. The witness to the world, the third and indispensable part of worship, happened when the two men rushed back to Jerusalem to tell the other followers of the resurrection.
1. The service of the word
2. The service of the Eucharistic Meal
3. The service of worldly witness
2. Sermon Title: Jesus, Stay The Night. Sermon Angle: When the travelers got to the place of lodging, they implored Jesus to stay the night with them. He comforted their bruised souls. How desperately we need Christ when we tread the valley of the shadows. In effect, they were asking Jesus to stay with them until the night was passed. There is another sense to the word "stay." In this context it means "to stop" something from happening. Sometimes we implore God to keep the darkness away, to prevent us from being beset by adversity. God never promised to keep the darkness from our doorstep but he has promised to share our darkness until the day breaks.
Outline:
1. Jesus shared the traveler's journey of grief and sorrow
2. These disciples were hurt and confused because Jesus was overcome by the darkness of suffering and death
3. They were comforted as the stranger pushed back their soul's darkness
4. Jesus accepted their invitation to stay the night
5. Jesus will stay with us during our night and, one day, he will prevent the night from descending
WORSHIP RESOURCES
Psalm Of The Day: Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19; Psalm 116 "What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me?" (v. 12); Psalm 16 "You show me the path of life ..." (v. 11a).
Prayer Of The Day: Lord Jesus, as you revealed your living presence to those disciples on the road to Emmaus and especially in the breaking of bread, so reveal yourself now through Word and sacrament, as we gather in your blessed name. Amen.