Theme: The Scriptures and the Eucharist
Text: Acts 2:14, 22-28; 1 Pet. 1:17-21; Lk. 24:13-35
Whenever we buy something new, we always find a manual with it. The manual is essential especially when we have no idea of how to set up and use the product. The manual explains and teaches us what the product is capable of doing and what needs to be done to ensure its maximum performance. Many of us have computers but have never taken the time to read the manual that comes with it. We end up under utilising the computer without realising the many functions it is capable of performing. Last week I downloaded the software for Skype and am now able to communicate with friends from all over the world. I spoke to a university friend I had not seen in thirty years and we could see each other through a webcam. It was such a fantastic experience. The truth however is that this use of the computer was possible some time ago but I never got to use it because I did not know about it. Sometimes we can liken our lives to such an experience. There are many incredible things that we are capable of but know nothing about. There is no excuse for this because Our Creator made sure He gave us a manual to inform us of what we are capable of and how we can achieve the potential that He has placed within us. But do we even value the manual enough to read it? Do we not often rely on ourselves rather than the One who created us and knows all about us? Do we even want to understand His revelations to us? Today’s gospel reading about Christ revealing Himself to two of His disciples on the Road to Emmaus can be applied to each one of us. These two disciples had heard about the resurrection of Christ from Mary and Peter. However, because they had not personally seen the evidence and probably out of fear for the Jews because they did not understand its meaning, they decided to go back home and return to their old way of life. In plain language they had given up on Jesus because they could not understand and interpret the Scriptures correctly. How many of us have come to Christ and then because of problems we encounter and out of fear because we do not understand the Scriptures go back to our old life? But as Jesus did not give up on those disciples so He does not give up on us. Just as Jesus knew their need and so came to where they were, joined them and revealed Himself to them from the Scriptures and in the Eucharist so to day He comes to us and reveals Himself in the same way.
The basis of our relationship with God is the sacrifice of Christ. When God created man, He created a perfect being - perfect spiritually, emotionally and physically. He was created in the image and likeness of God and was to rule over earth as God did in heaven. But man chose to rely on Himself rather than on God. He wanted to do things his own way. We all want to do things our own way and this is one of the reasons we love Frank Sinatra’s song “I did it my way” so much. By deciding to rely on Himself man clearly indicated that he did not need God and could take care of himself. God allowed him to have his way and being separated from the source of life man immediately died spiritually and would later die physically. This meant the loss of God’s image and likeness and also the loss of his dominion, which depended on his being in the image and likeness of God. The righteous judgement of God demanded the death penalty for sin, the shedding of blood for without the shedding of blood there can be no remission of sin. The only blood that was acceptable was that of a sinless person and since all have sinned no human being qualified to make such an offering. God’s love met His own demands and Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died in our place to pay the penalty for our sin. It is not enough that Christ died in our place to pay the penalty for our sin and rose from the dead to prove God’s acceptance of His sacrifice. We also need to confess with our mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in our heart that God has raised Him from the dead. The two disciples described in today’s gospel knew that the tomb was empty but could not understand that Jesus had risen from the dead. Today in spite of 2000 years of evidence and witness many people still refuse to believe in the death and resurrection of Christ. For these disciples it took the living, breathing Jesus in their midst to make them understand. For many people today, it takes the presence of living breathing Christians amongst them to understand that we have not been redeemed with perishable things such as silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
The two disciples returning to Emmaus missed the significance of Jesus’ resurrection because their focus was misdirected. Their focus was on their disappointments and problems – on themselves instead of Christ. In fact they failed to recognise Christ in spite of His physical closeness to them, walking right beside them. When we also focus on our difficulties and problems we often fail to see Jesus next to us. Just like those two disciples who ended up walking away in the wrong direction - away from the fellowship of believers in Jerusalem – so we also end up walking in the wrong direction. Our disappointments and shattered hopes have a way of blinding us and keeping us from understanding the Scriptures. Rather we begin to doubt the Scriptures. All of us have gone through times of disappointments and problems and some of us may be going through them at this time. There have been times when we have prayed and prayed and received no help. There have been times when we have prayed and the problems have only worsened, when we have prayed for healing and gotten worse, when we have prayed for financial solutions and got deeper into debt. There have been times when we have lost all hope. This however does not mean that God has left us. It is rather an indication that we have lost our focus, our vision, our understanding, our faith, and our hope. In such situations we should believe that God will always come looking for us, that He will draw near and travel with us and open our understanding so that we can clearly see the solution. God will never abandon His children and the truth is that we often abandon Him. God will not go where He is not welcomed. If we want to keep pushing God out of our life, if we continue to ignore His Word, if we continue to break His commandments, then what gives us the right to expect him to “be there” for us? But thank God that He is always present where He is welcome. No matter what we are going through, the good news is that sooner or later Christ will meet our needs just as He met the needs of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Instead of being preoccupied with our problems we should look up to Christ and partake in the Holy Communion to experience His power and help.
God wants us to be always reminded of His presence and the Eucharist is a reminder and memorial of Jesus’ perfect life on earth and of His death on the cross. The Eucharist is a means of grace to receive forgiveness of sins, salvation and eternal life. Christ died to provide forgiveness, give us victory over sin and strength to live a new life. When Jesus instituted the Eucharist He said, “This do….In remembrance of me.” This reminder was necessary because it was possible even for His followers to forget. If His first disciples, who were first hand witnesses, needed to observe the Eucharist, then we also need it as a reminder of what Christ endured to pay for our sins. It is possible to become so busy in the work of the gospel or with ourselves that we fail to have communion with Christ. The Eucharist is a memorial that should fill our hearts with gratitude as we partake of it with other believers. It brings to our minds those scenes of our Lord’s suffering portrayed in the Gospels. Christ wants us to remember how He died. He wants us to remember because everything we have as Christians centres in that death. However, this memorial is not simply the recalling of historical facts. It is a participation in spiritual realities. It is having fellowship with a living Saviour and our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as our hearts reach out by faith. It is the way Christians express their unity with each other and their mutual loyalty to and love for Jesus Christ.
In the case of Cleopas and the other disciple it was not until Jesus broke the bread that their eyes were finally opened and they recognized Him. The words “Do this in remembrance of me” must have come alive to them as the breaking of bread is a very intimate act and this time they could even see His nail pierced hands. The Eucharist helps us to focus on Jesus instead of ourselves. It reminds us of His constant love and His presence. God wants our eyes to be opened - the eyes of our mind and the eyes of our heart to understand this. David must have had a revelation of the Communion when he wrote in the 23rd psalm “God has prepared a table for us in the presence of our enemies”. This must be here on earth because we will have no enemies in heaven. God meets us at this table and as we share in His body and blood He anoints our head with oil. The Scriptures declare that it is the anointing that removes burdens and breaks yokes. As we partake of the Holy Communion He directs His favour upon us and the result is an overflow of blessings that others can also benefit from. And afterwards goodness and mercy will follow us everywhere. When Jesus broke bread with the two disciples the anointing removed their blindness and they recognised Jesus. Suddenly they understood what had happened. They understood that Jesus had not come to rescue Israel from its enemies but to redeem the world from slavery to sin. They now understood that Jesus’ death and resurrection offered the greatest possible hope for the world. The times we are afflicted with problems and have lost hope is the time to keep our eyes on Christ. It is the time to turn to the Scriptures and to other believers for help. Christ always knows the solution and wants to share it with His children.
A relationship with Christ results in a blessed life. After recognising Christ by the breaking of bread Cleopas and the other disciple immediately went back to share this new revelation about the Messiah and what he had done for the world with the others. They were no longer afraid or without hope and didn’t care it was dark because this good news could not wait until morning. They returned to where they should have been in the first place. Our relationship with God sets us apart to demonstrate His nature in our lives as we bear the fruit of the Spirit. Living the life of a Christian is to reflect the life of Christ. This is not to be something that one turns on and off like an electric light or radio, but it is to be a way of life, a life of compassion, love and kindness.
The two disciples on the road to Emmaus needed to hear the Word and to fellowship with Jesus in order to receive peace, insight and encouragement. We must not neglect meeting together because if we do we may not receive the full revelation of God’s will for us in our circumstances. A relationship with Christ evidenced in the breaking of bread should result in a changed life and behaviour. It should make us sensitive to our sins, our faults, and our failures. It should make us see them in the light of the tremendous price Christ paid to secure our redemption. With this awareness, we must confess our sins and determine with God’s help to forsake them. The Communion declares the truth that we all share a common salvation and make up one body. As we gather with our brothers and sisters to celebrate the Eucharist, we should be conscious of our oneness with those who partake of the elements with us. We all share the wonderful benefits of our Saviour’s atoning work at Calvary and it should be a demonstration of the unity of the Church. It is impossible for a true Christian to get closer to the Lord while at the same time remain separated from his fellow believers, for whom Christ also died. We should all be conscious of our oneness in the Lord with our fellow believers and see them as our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our oneness should be evident in our conduct both in Church and after Church.
When we allow circumstances to over shadow the truth it is easy to become depressed, to loose focus and begin to doubt and give up. But God never gives up on us and He fulfils His promise never to leave us or forsake us. In many homes you will find a picture with footsteps in the sand and with the following words that assure the Christian of the Lord’s presence at all times. “One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes form his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonged to him, and the other to the Lord. When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life. This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it. “Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you would walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.” The Lord replied, “My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.” Jesus can take what seems like the most hopeless situation and turn it around. If our life is moving in the wrong direction we can trust Jesus to turn things around. If we will only allow Him, He will put us on the same road again only this time with a different destination, a different conversation, different observations, and different realizations. Let us go on to maturity. Let the blessings of the Scriptures and the Eucharist become our portion so that our lives can glorify the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen!
