Podcasts about Cleopas

Jesus comes alongside Cleopas and his walking partner as they journeyed back to Emmaus from Jerusalem. Their eyes were kept from recognising the risen Jesus. They had not understood what the prophets had said about the messiah. At the end of the walk, they invited Jesus to stay and share a meal, where their eyes were opened. Have you invited Jesus into your life? Have you been walking with Jesus for many years but no longer see what Jesus is doing? God wants to give you a fuller experience of him.

"Jesus asked them, 'What were you talking about as you walked along?' Then the one named Cleopas asked Jesus, 'Are you the only person from Jerusalem who didn't know what was happening there these last few days?'" - Luke 24:13-35 Listen to other great sleep mediations on Amen.Sign up for a 7-day free trial of Formed.Support this podcast and the Augustine Institute by becoming a member of the Mission Circle. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see him.” Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem, and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread. Luke 24:13-35 NRSVUE INTRODUKSYON Tayo ngayon ay nasa ikatlong bahagi ng ating serye. Pangatlong beses na rin nating binabasa at naririnig ang Gospel mula kay Luke, ang kwento ng paglalakbay patungong Emmaus. At gusto ko kayong tanungin: Ano ang naging impact ng marinig ito sa pangatlong pagkakataon? May nabago ba sa mensahe? Meron ba kayong bagong napulot mula sa kwento na hindi pa natin napag-uusapan sa nakaraang dalawang linggo? Ang tema natin sa araw na ito ay “Christ in Our Meals”—si Kristo sa ating mga hapag. PAGBABALIK-TANAW SA PARTS 1 & 2 Pero bago ang lahat, magbalik-tanaw muna tayo sa nakaraang dalawang linggo. Sinamahan natin sina Cleopas at ang kanyang mga kasama sa kanilang paglalakbay, at sa prosesyong iyon, tila tayo rin ay naglakbay kasama nila. Sa Part 1, napag-usapan natin ang kahalagahan ng pagiging present sa ating journey. Madalas sa bigat ng ating dinadala—mga responsibilidad, problema, at mga bagay na hindi natin kontrolado—nakakalimutan nating huminto at namnamin ang kasalukuyan. Tulad ng dalawang disciples, hindi nila napansin na si Jesus ay kasama nila sa daan all along sa kanilang journey. We learned that Emmaus is not just a place; it is a state of being. A moment where our disappointment meets God’s divine presence. At kahit tayo ay tila naglalakad palayo sa pag-asa, si Kristo ay lumalapit sa atin, sinasamahan tayo sa bawat hakbang. Napag-usapan din natin ang involvement ng kababaihan sa journey ng historical Jesus—mula sa pagpondo ng mga ministry ni Jesus, sa kanyang crucifixion, hanggang sa pagkabuhay niyang muli, at sa pagbabahagi ng unang Gospel. Women were always there. Sa ikalawang bahagi naman, nakita natin na si Hesus ay hindi lamang kasama sa ating paglalakbay kundi pati sa ating pakikipamuhay sa kapwa. Through conversations with others, with our community, and even with ourselves, we encounter Christ. I also shared about the importance of clarity through inner work gamit ang M.I.C.K.: Motivate, Inspire, Cheer, Be kind. Mula sa book ni Coach Pia Acevedo na “Focus on What Matters”, we learned that if we don’t do inner work, we don’t just suffer alone; the people we love also encounter a compromised version of us. Napag-usapan natin ang struggle ng pagiging [LGBTQ+]—[LGBTQ+] na nga, breadwinner pa! At kung bakit tila napakahirap para sa ating mga Pilipino ang mag-set ng boundaries sa ating mga mahal sa buhay. Hindi lang ito struggle ng [LGBTQ+] people kundi pati na rin sa ating straight allies. Ang pagsabayin ang pagiging anak, magulang, breadwinner, at tagapagtaguyod ng pamilya sa mga ganitong pagsubok. Mahalaga ang maayos na pag-uusap at pag-engage sa conversations that are uncomfortable but necessary. PART 3: CHRIST IN OUR MEALS Para naman sa ating ikatlong bahagi, ang ating tema ay “Christ in Our Meals.” Alam natin kung gaano kahalaga ang pagkain sa ating buhay upang tayo ay magkaroon ng lakas, makakilos, at makapagpatuloy sa ating journey. Gayun din kahalaga ang presensya ng Diyos sa pamamagitan ni Kristo. Ang pagkain ay esensyal upang tayo ay mabuhay. At kung babalikan natin ang naging paglalakbay ni Kristo kasama ang mga unang Kristiyano, malaking bahagi ng ministry ni Jesus ang umikot sa pagkain. Oh ‘di ba? Unlimited food! Sa ating Gospel nga, nakita natin na matapos silang magbahagi ng tinapay, doon lamang nila naunawaan na si Hesus pala ang kasama nila. Ito rin ang iniwan sa atin ni Kristo: “Sa tuwing pagsasaluhan ninyo ang tinapay at inumin, ako ay inyong alalahanin.” Bukod sa isang paalala, ito rin ay isang covenant, isang pangako na si Kristo ay kasama natin. Christ is revealed when the bread is broken. Isa sa pinakasikat na miracle ni Jesus ay ang pagpapakain niya sa 5,000 katao, at ang kwentong ito ay makikita sa apat na Gospels. Meron ding kwento sa John 21:9-14, kung saan matapos mangisda si Peter at ang kanyang mga kasama, niyaya sila ni Hesus, “Come and have breakfast.” Sa mga oras na iyon, wala ni isa sa kanila ang nagtanong kung sino siya dahil alam nilang iyon ay si Kristo. Inabutan niya sila ng tinapay at isda. Ito ang ikatlong pagkakataon na nagpakita si Hesus sa mga disciples matapos siyang mabuhay muli. Meron din sa Luke 5:29-32 kung saan si Hesus ay kumakain sa bahay ni Levi kasama ang ibang tax collectors. Dito, tinanong siya ng mga Pharisees at scribes, “Why do you eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Isang account kung saan pinili ni Kristo na makisalo at makisalamuha sa mga taong itinuturing na “unclean” at immoral noong panahon na iyon. Let us also remember the best meal chika na matatagpuan din sa Luke 14:15-21, kung saan si Jesus ay inimbita sa isang banquet during Sabbath. Before this, he healed a man with dropsy, and he also challenged the religious leaders. Then someone said, “Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God.” Then Jesus replied with the Parable of the Great Dinner. A man prepares a great banquet and invites many guests. At nang handa na, inutusan niya ang kanyang servant para papuntahin na ang mga ito. Ngunit wala ni isa sa kanila ang dumalo. At ang excuse? Sila ay busy bumili ng lupa, ng oxen, at ‘yung isa naman ay just got married. Umay, ‘no? So nagalit ngayon ‘yung host and told the servant to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind instead of the wealthy friends who can repay them. Then the parable ends with a warning: “None of those invited will taste my dinner.” Sa Jewish culture, very symbolic ang mga banquets at isa itong serious social commitment. Kaya deeply insulting na after mong mag-accept, biglang hindi ka pupunta. Ang parable na ito ay ginamit ni Jesus to speak about God’s invitation to the Kingdom, tungkol sa radical na hospitality at inclusion. Malaking bahagi rin ng pagkain sa ating buhay. I mean, hello, not to state the obvious, isa sa aking love languages ay ang pagluto at paghain ng masarap na pagkain para sa aking mga mahal sa buhay. I also hold it as my personal advocacy ang magbahagi ng pagkain sa mga homeless whenever I am able. Para sa akin, ito ang pinakamadaling paraan upang iparamdam ang presence ni Kristong buhay, dahil ito rin ang mas kailangan nila sa mga sandaling iyon. Habang patuloy tayong lumalaban para sa mundo kung saan ang lahat ay binibigyan ng sapat sa araw-araw, ang mga kwentong ito ang nagpapaalala sa atin na Christ is present in our journey, in our conversations, and in our meals. PAKIKIBAKA AT HUSTISYA Siyang tunay, hindi ba? Ang mga kwentong ito ang ating realization sa pagbasa ng ating Gospel ngayon. Nakaraang dalawang linggo, ang kwento ng journey to Emmaus ay tila buod, isang summary at pagpapatotoo sa presensya ni Kristo sa ating buhay—ang kanyang presence with us by default. A presence that is ever inclusive, mapangyakap, at welcoming, tulad ng isang open table o bukas na hapag, regardless of our sexual orientation, gender identity, race, o katayuan sa buhay. Si Kristo ay kasama natin every step of the way. Hindi lamang sa mga panahon ng festive at masaya, kundi lalo’t higit sa mga panahon ng kalungkutan, galit, at pagluluksa. Si Kristo ay kasama natin tuwing tayo ay nakikisangkot at nakikibahagi sa taunang Pride March, at sa iba pang pagkilos laban sa korupsyon at pang-aabuso; sa ating pakikiisa sa manggagawang Pilipino sa panawagan para sa nakabubuhay na sahod; sa pakikibaka ng mga tsuper na Pilipino sa gitna ng oil crisis; at sa ating panawagan para sa pagtigil ng walang kabuluhang digmaan at karahasan. Patuloy tayong nananawagan ng hustisya para kay Alicia Alano at sa iba pang nasawi noong April 19, 2026, sa isang engkwentro sa Barangay Salamanca, Toboso, Negros Occidental. Si Alicia ay isang estudyante at student leader mula sa University of the Philippines Diliman, at nasa Negros noon para sa community immersion at pananaliksik tungkol sa kalagayan ng mga magsasaka, kabilang ang mga alegasyon ng land grabbing at militarisasyon sa lugar. Imagine being killed in a supposed “legitimate encounter” against alleged members of the NPA. Ito ba ang kinabukasang nais nating ipamana sa ating mga kabataan? Isang mundong sapat na ang “umano” at hinihinala upang kumitil ng buhay ng mga pag-asa ng bayan? Kaya kailangan nating makisangkot at makibahagi sa difficult conversations upang labanan ang ganitong klaseng kaisipan at kultura ng karahasan. Patuloy nating bitbitin ang kwento ni Alicia, kasama ang iba pang naging biktima ng karahasan at ng war on drugs ng nakaraang administrasyon. At sa mga ganitong panahon, dalangin natin na patuloy na yakapin ni Kristo ang pamilya at mga mahal sa buhay ni Alicia at iba pang biktima sa panahon ng kanilang pagluluksa. Nawa’y puspusin sila ng pag-ibig, yakap, at paghilom ng Diyos habang patuloy tayong nakikibaka para sa hustisya—because God’s love must always be tied to justice. INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY & SAINTS OF THE CHURCH I cap this preaching series na may bitbit na mga bagong kwento mula dito sa Taipei, Taiwan, kasama ang ilang sa ating mga members at music team leaders sa event na International [LGBTQ+] Alliance Christian Church. This event is also a popular culmination of what we learned sa Walk to Emmaus. Narinig natin ang journey ng ating Asian neighbors and their stories of struggles of being [LGBTQ+] Christians. Now they went through the same but different situations, just like the two disciples. Hindi nalalayo ang kwento natin as Open Table sa mga struggles ng ating [LGBTQ+] Christian siblings. Ang struggles nila sa mainland China, Korea, maging dito sa Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong at iba pa, Christians are considered a minority. The Philippines may have the highest percentage of Christians, but we are also a minority within the wider church. We are here to tell our stories, to share a meal with each other, and be a holy conversation with a wider community. (Pasensya na po habang ano, kasama ‘yung sipon sa pagtanda…) To be with the wider community, to be in communion with each other, to be each other’s hope, knowing that even a small light in a great darkness is still light. I got this directly from a pastor from Japan kung saan she was asked just to remain silent and not embrace being [LGBTQ+] and Christian. Sa kwento ng isa nating church sa Singapore, they could not hold a Pride protest. And I will always remember the story of Pride from Bora, Korea. Isang straight sweet ally na literal na inalay ang kanyang buhay to fight along with her [LGBTQ+] siblings in Korea, even facing persecution from conservative churches and the government. I am truly blessed and honored to have met her here during Amplify 2018, and was saddened to hear about her passing a few years ago. Ngunit ang kanyang kwento at ang kanyang buhay ay hindi naiuwi lang sa wala. Ito ngayon ang pinanghahawakan nila upang magpatuloy. Let’s always remember our Christian faith is much about remembering as it is remaining hopeful. At nawa ay patuloy nating alalahanin ang ating mga [LGBTQ+] saints: si Father Richard M. at ang kanyang passion; si Pastor Egay at ang kanyang gentleness at compassion; si Ninong Mike sa kanyang ever-welcoming spirit; at si Maxi Choy sa kanyang tapang at adbokasiya laban sa stigma and awareness about HIV and AIDS. I also remember Himalaya, and my promise to always guide our younger generations of [LGBTQ+] Christians. KONGKLUSYON Mga kapatid, sa pagtatapos ng ating series, ito marahil ang pinakamahalagang paalala ng Emmaus story : Na kailanman ay hindi mawawala si Kristo sa ating buhay. Naroon siya sa ating paglalakbay, pag tayo ay pagod na. Sa ating pag-uusap, when we comfort each other kapag tayo ay sugatan, nalilito, o naghahanap ng sagot. At naroon siya sa ating mga hapag—sa bawat paghahati ng tinapay, sa bawat salo-salo, at sa bawat pagkakataon na tayo ay nagbabahaginan ng buhay, pagmamahal, at pakikibaka. Dahil ang tunay na komunyon ay hindi lamang tungkol sa tinapay at alak; ito rin ay pagkilala niya sa atin, sa uring manggagawa, sa [LGBTQ+] community, sa kabataang lumalaban, at sa ating mga straight allies who journey with us. At nawa’y manatiling nag-aalab ang ating mga puso sapagkat si Kristo ay buhay. Kasama natin sa daan, kasama natin sa hapag, at kasama natin sa paglaban. Amen. The post Easter: The Walk To Emmaus Part 3 appeared first on Open Table Metropolitan Community Church.

Two travelers walk miles with a stranger, their eyes somehow unable to recognize who he is… until suddenly, they do. Like a Magic Eye image, beauty and meaning are often already present; sometimes we just need to soften our gaze to recognize it.   LINKS:  Current Conversations | Connect | YouTube |  Coming Up TRANSCRIPT: "The Road Is Already There: Waking Up to Beauty" Opening:: The Magic Eye Show Magic Eye… bring a couple ppl up to “race”... ask what their “trick” is… Do you all know what this is? Maybe if you're like me, you also know the particular frustration of standing in front of one of these and seeing absolutely nothing. Just noise. Just chaos. Everyone else around you is gasping and pointing — I see it, I see it — and you're standing there thinking: there is nothing there. This is a scam! And then — maybe — something shifts. You relax your eyes. You soften your gaze. You stop trying so hard to find it. And suddenly, almost against your will: there it is. A dolphin. A spaceship. A whole three-dimensional world that was present the entire time, completely invisible until you stopped straining to see it. The image was always there. You just needed a DIFFERENT WAY OF LOOKING. That's the story we're sitting with today. The Story: Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13–35) It's the same day as the resurrection. Two of the people who had been learning from Jesus are walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus — about seven miles away (from here to downtown Hopkins, or here to the State Fair). One is named Cleopas, and he's traveling with another person the author of this book leaves out… They are walking away. Away from the city where everything fell apart. Away from the site of the execution. Away from the tomb and the wild, confusing reports the women brought back that morning that nobody quite knew what to do with. They're processing. Talking through the wreckage. And a stranger falls into step beside them along the road. The stranger asks what they're talking about. And they stop — looking downcast — and say: are you the only person in Jerusalem who doesn't know what happened? There's something almost darkly funny about that. They proceed to explain the whole story to Jesus. He listens. Then he walks them through the scriptures, reframing everything. They reach Emmaus as evening falls. The stranger acts as if he's continuing on — and they say: stay with us. It's getting late. He stays. They sit down to eat. He takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it, gives it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished. They turn to each other: weren't our hearts burning within us while he talked to us on the road? They had been walking with him the whole time and couldn't see it. Until the bread broke, and their eyes softened, and there it was. What They Were Walking Away From I want to sit with this story and look at it through the lens of liberation for a moment, because it matters who these people are and what they were carrying. Cleopas says to the stranger: we had hoped he was the one who would redeem Israel. The Greek word there — lytrōo — means to liberate from an oppressive situation. To set free. These weren't abstract spiritual hopes. They were political hopes. They had hoped this was the one who would break the power of Rome, dismantle the systems of domination, set the occupied people free. And instead he was executed, in an extremely public, humiliating way Rome had devised specifically to crush movements and make examples of leaders. So they're walking away not just from grief, but from the particular grief of crushed political hope. The grief of people who believed change was possible and watched it get squashed. That is not a distant or unfamiliar grief. Many of us carry some version of it. And the story doesn't say: get over it. Go back. Pretend it didn't happen. The story says: a stranger joins you in it. Listens to you talk through it. And eventually — in the act of sharing a meal with an unexpected guest — something you couldn't see before comes into focus. Paying Attention as a Practice Robin Wall Kimmerer (botanist, writer, member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation) has spent her life arguing that attention is not PASSIVE. It is an act. A PRACTICE. A form of reciprocity. In her framework, drawn from Indigenous ways of knowing, the world is already speaking. Already offering gifts. The question is not whether beauty and meaning are present — they are. The question is whether we have learned, or been willing, to receive them. She writes that paying attention is a form of reciprocity with the living world — receiving its gifts with open eyes and open heart. This is exactly what the Emmaus story is about. The beauty — the presence — was already there on the road. It had been there for seven miles. In this story, the disciples' eyes were, as Luke puts it, kept from recognizing him. Not because the presence was absent. Because something in their grief, their exhaustion, their framework kept them from seeing what was right in front of them. The Magic Eye image was already there. Their gaze just hadn't softened yet. And here's the liberationist move in Kimmerer's thinking that connects directly to this story: the practices that train us to notice beauty, to receive gifts, to recognize interconnection — those practices are not luxuries for people who have the time and leisure to be contemplative. They are, she argues, acts of resistance against systems that profit from our disconnection. A culture that keeps us distracted, anxious, consuming, competing — that culture depends on us not noticing the gifts that are already here. Not recognizing each other. Not seeing the fire that was already burning on the shore. Defiant attention is a revolutionary act. The Meal As the Moment Notice where recognition happens in this story. Not during the stimulating conversation while they were on the road — though something was stirring (weren't our hearts burning?). Not through an argument or a proof. Not through a performance of power. Recognition happens at a table. When food is distributed and shared. When a stranger is invited to stay and then becomes the host. This is how the writer of Luke tells the entire story of Jesus. Over and over, the pivotal moments happen around food. The outcast is seen at a dinner party. The lost son is welcomed home with a feast. The thousands are fed with what seemed like not enough. And now: Jesus, once again in their presence, is recognized in the breaking of bread. From a womanist perspective, [[every table can be a SACRED SPACE.]] It is where bodies gather. Where hunger is acknowledged. Where the work of sustaining life happens. Where people who might otherwise stay strangers become known to each other. And in this story, it's a table in an ordinary house in an ordinary village, with two grieving, exhausted travelers who thought to offer hospitality to someone they didn't yet recognize. The beauty was in the ordinary. The coming back to life was in a meal. The recognition was in the distribution of food. What This Asks of Us… So what does it mean to live with a softened gaze — especially right now, in a world that gives us a thousand reasons every day to harden? Here's what I think: it doesn't mean ignoring the hard things. These disciples didn't ignore them. They talked about them for seven miles. They named the execution. They named the dashed hope. They named the confusion & chaos. Soft gaze is not the same as averted gaze. You can see the wound clearly and refuse to let the wound be the only thing you see. What Kimmerer points to, and what this story enacts, is something like this: the world is more beautiful and more interconnected than the loudest voices in our culture want us to believe. The story of scarcity, isolation, and meaninglessness is not the whole story — and insisting on that, quietly and stubbornly, in the way we pay attention and share meals and recognize each other, is a form of resistance. What would it mean to be defiant in our insistence that beauty is real? That connection is real? That everything actually is interconnected? That a stranger on the road might be carrying something we need? The disciples had to invite the stranger to stay before their eyes opened. Hospitality preceded recognition. They didn't know who he was when they said come in, stay with us, it's getting late. They just knew the evening was coming and there was room. Closing Practice One practice this week… Soften your gaze once — deliberately — at something you usually rush past on the way to something else. A person. A tree. A meal. A moment with someone you love. A moment with a stranger. The view out a window you stopped noticing. Don't try to extract meaning from it. Don't analyze it. Just let it be there. Let yourself receive it… And notice: was something already present that you hadn't been still enough to see? The road is already there. The stranger is already walking beside you. The bread is about to break. You already have eyes to see it…! May it be so.

A sermon preached by Ed Crump with Foundry UMC, April 19, 2026, the second Sunday of Easter.   Texts: Isaiah 51:1–6; Luke 24:13–35 April 19, 2026 Good morning. Will you pray with me, May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be pleasing to you God, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.   There are moments in life when everything you thought was solid… suddenly isn't. Plans collapse. The future you trusted no longer exists. Many of us have had those moments since January 20, 2025. Some of us are dealing with illness or a sick loved one. Some of us have experienced heartbreak. Some of us are lonely. Some of us are feeling financial insecurity. And when we experience those things, usually all we can do is put one foot in front of another.   In our text from Luke this morning, that's where we meet the disciples: Not triumphant.  Not celebrating resurrection.  Not even waiting in hope. They are walking away from Jerusalem. Away from the place where everything fell apart. Away from the cross. Away from hope. Two friends walking away together. They say, “We had hoped…”  And note they use the past tense. “We had hoped he was the one to redeem Israel.”   Not just grief, but disorientation.   Their understanding of God, of justice, of the future has all unraveled. The Jesus they were presented with did not meet their expectations, so they had difficulty recognizing and accepting him. And if we're honest, many of us know that road. We know what it is to say, “I had hoped…” And for some communities, that sense of “we had hoped” is not just a moment or a season, but a painfully long history. A history of displacement, of promises broken, of identity challenged or erased.   Today, as we mark Native American Ministries Sunday, we remember that Indigenous peoples across this land are not abstract names from a history book. They are living communities, with real histories, sacred languages, deep wisdom, and enduring resilience with cultures that existed for thousands of years before their land was taken from them. And many carry stories of disruption and loss that echo, in their own way, that same cry: “we had hoped.” On this special Sunday during Easter Season, I want to read Foundry's WE ARE ON NATIVE LAND statement: When we gather for worship and ministry on the corner of 16th and P, we do so upon the sacred, traditional, and unceded lands of the Anacostan, Massawomack, Susquehannock, Piscataway, and Pomunkey peoples, who were forcibly removed from this area to allow for English settlement. As occupiers of their territory, we recognize them as the original and perpetual stewards of this land and gratefully acknowledge our responsibility for a more honest recounting of our history that empowers us to work for the thriving of all people!     Now hold that ugly, inconvenient reality alongside the voice from the prophet Isaiah we read this morning: “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness… look to the rock from which you were hewn.” Isaiah is speaking to a people who are also disoriented. They are exiled, displaced, unsure of who they are anymore. In the wake of the Babylonian Exile, everything that once defined them: land, temple, nation, has been stripped away. They are not just geographically displaced; they are spiritually disoriented, wondering if they are still God's people at all. And into that uncertainty, God does not begin with explanation but with invitation: “Look to the rock from which you were [cut].” Isaiah says to remember Abraham and Sarah, how God brought life out of barrenness, promise out of impossibility. In other words, Isaiah is saying, your identity is not determined by your present loss, but by God's enduring faithfulness. Scripture tells us that every human being is made in the image of God. That's why we proclaim that truth in rainbows and banners right out front:  “No matter anything, you are welcome here to be met by our God, who knows you by name, and who loves you, and who wants to have an ever deepening relationship with you. Welcome.” That means no people, no culture, no community is less-than.   Even now, God says, salvation is on the way, not just for you, but as a light for all nations. What feels like an ending is, in God's hands, still unfolding. The prophet Isaiah says: “For the Lord will comfort Zion… will make her wilderness like Eden.” What looks barren is not the end of the story. But here's the tension between our texts from Isaiah and Luke today: On the road to Emmaus, the disciples know the story. They know the Scriptures. They know the promises. And still…they're walking away. They really don't understand what's going on. And then, all of the sudden, without announcement, Jesus comes alongside them. And they don't recognize him. He's not what they expected. Not what they had “hoped for.” Luke tells us, “their eyes were kept from recognizing him.” The risen Christ is right there walking beside them, and they don't recognize him. [PAUSE]   Why don't they know it's Jesus? I don't think it's because they're actually foolish. And I don't think it's because they completely lack faith. Rather, I suspect it's because sometimes grief closes our vision. Sometimes disappointment narrows what we can imagine God doing; or loved ones doing; or our ability to persevere.   And what does Jesus do when the disciples don't recognize him?  …and I think this is one of the most instructive parts of this passage… Jesus listens. He lets them tell the story. Cleopas basically says, ‘Are you the only one in Jerusalem who hasn't heard what happened to Jesus?' …to Jesus. …and what's really amazing is, Jesus lets them tell HIS OWN story and he just listens…he doesn't jump in and say, well of course I know the story, it's about me! He keeps quiet. He lets them name their grief. He lets them speak their dashed hopes out loud. And only then does he begin to reframe things. “Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he reframes the story. Not as failure. Not as defeat. But as part of a larger unfolding, where suffering and glory are somehow, mysteriously intertwined. This is where Luke and Isaiah meet. Isaiah says: Do not trust only what you see. God's future is bigger than your present reality. Jesus says: You are reading the story too narrowly.   But even after this incredible moment of teaching…the Disciples still don't recognize Jesus! Not yet. It's not until they reach the village. Not until there's an invitation. Not until they sit down. Not until they share a meal. In a text clearly designed to evoke the image of the Eucharist it says, “He took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them.” Then, and only then, do they recognize him. Not in the explanation. Not in the argument. But in the breaking of the bread. In the shared table. In an act of community. And this is exactly why John Wesley refers to Holy Communion as a “means of grace.” An opportunity to have a real encounter with God and Spirit.   According to the UMC website, a “means of grace” in the Methodist and Wesleyan tradition is: “...an ordinary channel—such as prayer, Scripture, or Communion—through  which God invisibly works to strengthen, sanctify, and convey [God's] love to believers. These practices, categorized as works of piety and devotion; mercy and compassion, are not meritorious acts but instruments for receiving grace and cultivating personal and communal holiness.” And in our tradition we celebrate the Eucharist in an “open table” where we invite all who desire to be Christlike—regardless of denomination, membership, or baptismal status—to partake in Holy Communion. And that tells us something about how we understand God's vision. In the Interpretation Bible Commentary on Luke, Fred Craddock notes something profound,  “...Luke here tells us that the living Christ is both the key to our understanding the Scriptures and the very present Lord who is revealed to us in the breaking of bread. His presence at the table makes all believers first-generation Christians and every meeting place Emmaus.” The table is not a place where difference disappears. It is a place where difference is honored, and still, there is room for everyone.  The Gospel is Good News precisely because it declares this inclusiveness and abundance.  There is more than enough in God's economy. And then, just as suddenly, just at the moment they recognize who Jesus is, he vanishes. But something is different. Something has changed in them: “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road?” The recognition was not just about realizing it was Jesus. It was about becoming people who can fully understand who Jesus is. People whose hearts are awake. People who remember who they are called to be and act accordingly.  And what do they do after they recognize Jesus? They get up, immediately, and go back. Back to Jerusalem. Back to the place they had fled. Because resurrection doesn't just comfort us. It sends us. It calls us to service in the priesthood of all believers. And when it sends us, it sends us not just with ideas, but with action.   The question for us is:  How do we recognize Jesus like the disciples did? How do we live into the love of Christ we are called to embody?     The Wesleyan answer to that question is — of course — through various “means of grace” like prayer and Holy Communion. Let me give a specific example…   One of the most helpful practices I've found to help me improve my conscious contact with God, allowing me to more fully perceive God's presence is Centering Prayer.   Centering Prayer is a simple form of silent, contemplative prayer that invites us to rest in God, not through lots of words or scripted prayers, but through quiet consent to God's presence.    The practice is to choose a “sacred word” like peace, love, grace, or Jesus, and use the word to pray with and connect to God, gently returning to the word whenever our mind wanders.   So the practice is to sit in silence, letting thoughts come and go, always returning to our sacred word as a way of opening ourselves to God.   I want to invite everyone to try Centering Prayer now for a couple minutes to get a taste for the practice:   Sit up straight - comfortable and alert Choose a “sacred word” Take a deep breath in and out And silently introduce your sacred word as a simple prayer.  This is like “placing yourself” in God's presence without effort or expectations.   [2 MINUTES OF SILENCE]     What many people discover is that, over time, this practice makes God's presence more accessible—especially in difficult moments. The sacred word becomes “top of mind” and can readily remind us that God is always here.   What I most of all want to do this morning is encourage all of us to explore various means of grace as we journey through life. To find practices that help us improve our regular conscious contact with God.    [PAUSE] So what does this all mean for us today? It means: Christ meets us on the road we didn't plan to walk. Christ listens to the stories we tell, even when they are full of disappointment. Christ reinterprets our lives in light of a larger hope. And Christ is made known, not just in grand moments, but I think mostly in simple acts: Breaking bread. Sharing space. Welcoming one another. In quiet moments of prayer, meditation, and contemplation. And it also means this: We are ALL invited to be part of what God is doing in the world. Not just as charity. But as a partnership. Not as rescuers. But as people willing to listen, to learn, and to walk alongside.   So if you find yourself today somewhere on that road— Carrying grief… Holding disappointment… Wondering where God is in all of it… …or walking alongside someone who is struggling… Pay attention. Because today's Scriptures tell us we do not walk the road alone. Who is representing Christ to you on your journey?  As we begin to fully perceive, we may also begin to see Christ in one another: in acts of compassion; in truth-telling; in shared table; in repaired relationships. May we, with God's help, not only recognize Christ walking with us, but also be willing to imitate Christ in lives of love, compassion, justice, humility, and shared humanity. Amen.

Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see him.” Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem, and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread. Luke 24:13-35 NRSVUE Sermon Part 2: Christ in Our Conversations So for this part two, our theme of our preaching is “Christ in our conversations.” Sabi nga sa Matthew chapter 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” But of course, we also honor and value ‘yung mga intimate at personal conversations natin with God through prayer. While it is true na mas yumayabong at nabibigyan ng buhay ang ating mga conversations with each other and the community. After all nga ‘di ba, bilang isang Metropolitan Community Church, community is our middle name. Tama ba?. I also believe na mahalagang pagtuunan din natin ng pansin and a good practice ‘yung pagiging self-aware. Ang matutong makinig sa pansariling pangangailangan, to listen to our bodies, to affirm ourselves first na hindi kasalanan ang pagiging bakla, so that we can also affirm others. We need to resolve our own struggles before we can do that for other people. The famous line: you cannot pour from an empty cup. And we have clarity in our personal lives to inspire that capacity to others. Shit ba? Paborito na ni Joseph?. Mga kasita, we miss you, Chang. So we know that God, through Jesus, has always been with us in our journey. At napakinggan din natin ang isa sa mga pinaka-life-changing na holy conversation moment doon sa ating gospel reading , kung saan, after nilang mag-sharing about scripture ng breaking of bread ay bigla na lang naglaho ‘yung stranger na kasalubong nila patungong Emmaus. At sa punto ring ‘yon, na-realize nila na it was Jesus, that it was him all along. Christ is present in our conversations. Hindi lamang tuwing linggo sa ating praise and worship, kundi sa mga ordinary moments in our lives. Hindi lamang sa mga masasaya, lalo’t higit sa mga masasalimuot at difficult conversations that we have to deal with. Naalala ko ‘yung chika ko, paniniwala ako nung bago ako dumating sa MCC sa Open Table. Pansin niyo ba na sa mga moments na when we have personal conversations with God, may mga times na tayo lang ‘yung nagsasalita, where we cry out to Jesus. We give thanks, we ask forgiveness, and may mga moments naman na tayo ay tahimik lang and letting our hearts speak the prayers that our mouths couldn’t utter. Parang ‘yung mga moments na ‘yon na siya naman ‘yung nangungusap sa atin. Man through words, pero alam mo at ramdam mo ‘yung healing, ‘yung kagaanan ng loob, at sa mga ganitong moments natin tila mas nararamdaman ang kanyang presence sa ating buhay. So last week ay na-mention ko ‘yung tungkol sa mga naging struggle ko sa work recently at kung paano ko binaka ‘yung feeling of being overwhelmed. I mean, I am glad that I was able to get through it, but I am also aware that it’s not the same for everyone. Some people may still be in that situation or perhaps find themselves in the loop na paulit-ulit lang or paikot-ikot lang. Sa dami ng aking iniisip—trabaho, travels, at iba pang ganap as an extrovert at natural people person. At the same time, ‘yung mga gampanin sa ating simbahan as pastor in discernment, in that journey, I stumbled upon ‘yung podcast of Coach Pia Acevedo. Kilala niyo ba si Coach Pia? So si Coach Pia is a life coach, author, and a leadership trainer with over two decades of experience in coaching and counseling. She helps people cut through confusion and live with clarity, purpose, and intention so that they can focus on what truly matters. Isa sa mga magandang napulot ko from her ay connected sa pagiging present. Hindi man lingid sa kaalaman ng lahat na marami sa ating mga akla ay mga breadwinner. Imagine as a queer person who is already struggling to fight discrimination on top of the fight for the same rights as our straight allies. Isa pa sa mga dagdag na challenge ang pagiging breadwinner. Hindi ko na alam kung ilang beses ko nang na-tackle ang topic na ito. I think deserve na nito ng isang preaching series at malalang holy conversation moments at kasama na sa mga listahan ng mga personal advocacies na malapit sa aking puso. Pero habang wala pa tayo doon, I suggest you can grab muna ‘yung copy nung books from Coach Pia. Nag-promote pa, not sponsored. So I’m yet to finish ‘yung first book and ito ‘yun. Ito ‘yung unang “Focus on What Matters”. I’m yet to finish this and plan to start ‘yung isa pa, ‘yung “Moment to Moment”, right after. I hope na makatulong ito upang magkaroon tayo ng clarity sa dami ng ating mga iniisip. So anyway, I’m sure nag-aantay na kayo kung ang haba na ng sinabi ko at wala pa ako doon sa main point. Ito na nga, bilang isang breadwinner na bakla, at another example is sa ating mga straight allies na as a parent, sa mga kapatid nating OFWs na nagtatrabaho at kumakayod , ginagawang araw ang gabi para lang makapagpadala ng pera sa kanilang mga mahal sa buhay. ‘Di ba nga sila ‘yung mga sagot natin sa tanong na, “Para kanino ka bumabangon?”. “Para sa pamilya, para sa future ng mga anak ko.” ‘Di bale nang magkalayo kami kaysa naman sama-sama kaming mamatay na dilat at gutom. At dahil sa dami na nating iniisip, siyempre wala na tayong capacity para sa maliliit na bagay. Tama ba?. No more time to play with the kids after work dahil madalas pagod na lang sa trabaho kung ‘di pa rin sa commute. Buti kung ganun lang, pero minsan mas malala. At personally, ganito ‘yung eksena ko nung mga unang taon ko sa BPO industry bilang isang breadwinner. Napansin ko na sobrang mainitin ang ulo ko at ang dali kong ma-trigger, ‘yung angil sa mga tao kahit na wala pa naman silang ginagawang masama or kahit sa mga maliliit na bagay. Kayo rin ba may ganitong eksena? Let’s pause for a moment at balikan ‘yung mga sandali ng ating mga buhay na tayo ay napasabi ng, “Ang dami ko nang iniisip, dumagdag pa ‘to.”. Ito ang isang manifestation ng kawalan ng clarity. Akala ko ba para sa kanila ka bumabangon, pero sila rin ‘yung unang nakakaramdam ng mga angil at frustrations mo sa buhay. And si Coach Pia reminds us that when we don’t do our inner work, we don’t just suffer alone. The people we love encounter a compromised version of us. ‘Yun ‘yon. Meet the compromised version of you. Imagine that you’re in front of the mirror ng mahiwagang salamin, boy, for a few moments. Look at that compromised version of you. Do you like what you see?. And imagine kung ano na kaya ang extent ng damage that it had cost you and your loved ones. So paano natin matutulungan ‘yung ating compromised version? What does it take to achieve clarity and focus sa ating mga buhay?. So sa book na “Focus on What Matters,” Coach Pia talks about the need for inner work, which is a journey that starts by laying the groundwork for clarity through practices like self-mastery, self-development, and self-commitment. She talked about habits that we can commit to in order to achieve personal clarity. And for today, I’d like to share to you about M.I.C.K. abbreviation siya. That stands for motivating, inspiring, cheering, and being kind to ourselves. It is both a habit that we can commit to and a muscle we exercise because, again, we can’t pour from an empty cup. And these intentional habits will help us fill our cup. So number one is ‘yung letter M, Motivation. Motivation habit is any regimen or routine that you know works well for you. It involves committing to routines, no matter how trivial, that bring out the best in you. Through these personalized activities, we nurture ourselves and anchor on the stability they provide. An example could be making your bed in the morning, listening to music, and preparing breakfast. One more example could be dedicating a time to exercise, let’s say three times a week. So how do we know if a habit or activity is worth committing to?. We know when we feel something is missing if we skip it, and when we distinctly feel recharged by integrating it into our schedule regularly. Motivation habit serves as a fuel to our tank. By committing to these habits, we experience a steady rhythm that keeps us grounded, whether these are daily, weekly, or monthly habits. Next is your Inspiration, your I. If motivation muscle provides the structure for self-care, inspiration muscle naman brings a wave of joy that refreshes us. Unlike motivation habits which follow rhythm, inspiration habits are done less frequently but offer a full recharge. It enables us to stay connected to what makes us feel alive, providing a surge of deep joy in moments when it is needed. Tapping our sources of inspiration which ignite our natural creativity can foster positive energy and overall well-being. And sabi ni Coach Pia, among doon sa mga clients niya, travel is the most common source of inspiration. We can only take trips every so often, but when we do, there’s infusion of new energy. Traveling reconnects us to the natural enthusiasm and joy reminiscent of childhood. And to activate inspiration muscle is to take ownership of your need for mga picker-upper choices and activities that infuse you with the surge of energy. Other than travel, this can also range from planning a trip or to simple pleasures like enjoying a YouTube video or tuning into a podcast. Mga ka-eme. May mga ka-eme ba dito? Yes. Or listening to music that swiftly recharges you to become your best self. Learning something new or engaging in hobbies that awaken your creativity can also serve this purpose. Even revisiting ‘yung mga old hobbies that once sparked joy can once again ignite your enthusiasm for life and tap into the best version of yourself. As clarity is a personal journey, only you yourself are capable of choosing the inspiration that you need. An inspired person feels alive. Whatever brings you inspiration is a non-negotiable in your life. Next naman is ‘yung C which stands for Cheer. Picture yourself as your own personal cheerleader. The cheer muscle involves encouraging ourselves to push past our limits, especially in our adversity. Cheer is a non-negotiable habit we put in place to help us manage stress. We can proactively anticipate stressful times and plan ahead by intentionally plotting activities and inserting habits into our schedule. This will help us manage the demand of our hectic schedule. Sensitivity toward ourselves is crucial in strengthening our cheer muscle. Start exercising sensitivity and observation skills. Look at your calendar and anticipate which specific meetings, social events, projects, or deliverables you know will trigger your stress, anxiety, or heaviness. Kumbaga paghahandaan mo na siya. Pag alam mo mas-stress ako sa week na ‘to , kailangan gumawa na ako ng mga habits na magre-recharge sa akin. This approach provides you with the support needed to manage potential heaviness or disengagement. Since we know ourselves best, let’s prepare ourselves for anticipated stress and activities. Just like a cheerleader motivates the team during the final seconds of a game, we cheer for ourselves to stay resilient and persevere towards our goals. Even when the going gets tough, our cheer muscle enables us to face life’s challenges well-prepared as they often come relentlessly unexpected. A strong cheer muscle enhances our resilience, enabling us to bounce back more quickly from stressful situations. Last naman is ‘yung Kindness. Kindness is your capacity to be nurturing, kind, patient, and compassionate towards yourself just as you would a loved one or a best friend. The strength of our kindness muscle should allow you to be intentional in your caring for others as you would care for yourself. One strong measure of the strength of your kindness muscle is our capacity to forgive ourselves, forgive others, or ask for forgiveness for when we feel we may have hurt. And kindness is the most difficult muscle to strengthen. As often than not, we did not grow up with strong models of people around us living a life of kindness, nurturing patience and love for ourselves. Nabanggit ko rin ‘to doon sa ano natin, parang hirap para sa atin na maging forgiving of ourselves. From a young age, we are also taught to prioritize the needs of others. Yet, our ability to care for others hinges on how well we take care of ourselves. Showing kindness to ourselves is important, especially when we face setbacks or disappointments. It’s about offering ourselves the same support and encouragement that we readily give others. Strengthening our kindness muscle means taking the time to pause, relax, and rest. Doing anything that nurtures you, like eating well, enjoying your favorite food, and getting plenty of sleep is essential. We must accept that we cannot always meet our own expectations and let go of attachments to specific outcomes. By forgiving ourselves when we falter, honoring the progress we’ve made, and staying open to learning from failures, we create a space for us to grow into the best versions of ourselves. Being kind to yourself is also a non-negotiable in your life. So ano siya, pwedeng magkakahalo siya, ‘yung mga what motivates you can also inspire you. Pwedeng-pwede siyang pumasok doon sa alin sa mga iyon. So our internal guide has a big say in how we make decisions. It’s all about progress, learning, and embracing our imperfections along the way. This journey of growth allows us to center ourselves and focus on what truly counts in life. The more we nurture this process, the better we become at self-care and connecting with our genuine selves. So I hope that you also learned something as much as I did nung sa book na ‘to at marami pa. Ipapa-hiram ko kasi hindi pa ako tapos. At ‘yun sa part na nai-share ko sa inyo about sa “Focus on What Matters” by Coach Pia, ito ‘yung mga simpleng bagay na pwede nating gawin para sa ating mga sarili to move from a compromised version to the best version of ourselves. Pero hindi natatapos doon ang lahat. As we strive to become the best version of ourselves, mahalaga ring pag-usapan ang pagse-set ng boundaries. Beep beep. Baka may matamaan sa pagse-set ng boundaries. Minsan parang profound pakinggan kasi nung boundaries at hindi siya ganoon ka-common sa kultura nating mga Pilipino. Pero just because it’s not common doesn’t mean hindi na natin ito dapat pagtuunan ng pansin. Halimbawa sa pagiging breadwinner, dahil ikaw na ‘yung naghahanap-buhay, mahalagang mag-set ka ng boundaries through shared responsibility sa inyong mga bahay, mga tahanan. I-delegate mo ang mga simpleng gawain upang kahit papaano ay mabawasan ang iyong iniisip. Some might say na madaling sabihin pero mahirap gawin , lalo na para sa ilan na bukod sa pagiging breadwinner ay magulang din, or to be specific, nanay. Mahirap talagang iwalay ang pagiging nanay sa pagiging provider as a mother. Pero mahalaga na naiintindihan ito ng mga tao sa paligid mo. Oo, nanay ka , maghahanda ka ng pagkain, mag-aasikaso ka ng gamit ng mga anak mo, but it’s also important to set boundaries. Tandaan mo na kailangan mo rin ng sapat na pahinga para makapag-focus ka sa trabaho na siyang nagbibigay ng kakayahan mong mag-provide para sa iyong pamilya. Kailangan itong ma-communicate. Kailangan ng maayos na usapan kung paano mas mapapagaan ang inyong sitwasyon. At isa lang ito sa marami pang mga halimbawa. Iba’t iba ‘yung dynamics ng bawat isa. Pero ang punto ay ito: Huwag mong piliting saluhin ang lahat. Matutong manghingi ng tulong kapag kailangan. Alam ko hindi ‘to madali, but I hope you are able to do so and have these conversations. After all, wala namang hindi nadadaan sa maayos na usapan. So now let’s go back to the journey ni Cleopas at isa pang disciple. Let us be reminded of their enthusiasm when they realized that they had been in conversation with Jesus all along. This story reminds us that God is always with us sa ating paglalakbay, that we can be that other disciple na unnamed. Hindi man tayo ever makapaglalakad kasama ang historical Jesus, ‘di ba, o baka sa panaginip, pero ano ba ‘yung pangako? That we have each other. We experience Christ in our many conversations with our families, with our loved ones, with our chosen families like here sa ating simbahan, at lalo na when we are intentional sa ating pakikinig at pagiging in solidarity sa iba’t iba pang community lalo na sa mga maralita. As I close this part two, keyword “close,” napaisip rin ako baka lumalayo na ako sa theme na “Christ in our conversations.”. Pero I had a Holy Spirit activate moment. I feel that this is a perfect opportunity to also talk about self-love —ang matutunang makinig sa kung anong sinasabi ng ating mga katawan at isip. After all, magkaugnay ang pagkakaroon ng personal clarity sa ating buhay at ang pagkakaroon ng meaningful conversations sa ating kapwa. By building these small habits for ourselves ay mas mapapayabong natin ang ating mga conversation at ang pag-unawa sa journey ng bawat isa, dahil hindi naman tayo pare-pareho ng kwento, and that’s the beauty of our diversity. Maaaring hindi tayo pare-pareho ng ating pinagdadaanang struggle pero pareho lang naman ang ating pinaglalaban. At sa bawat pakikipag-usap natin sa iba, we find Christ in their stories and hope that they find Christ in us and through us. Napapalalim ang ating pakikipagbahagi at pakikisangkot sa pakikinig ng kanilang kwento. We hold the power to carry these stories and share them with others. And being with Open Table MCC for almost 10 years now, marami na akong nakasama, nakasalamuha, nakadaupang-palad, nakausap at narinig ng mga kwento—ang mga Lumad, ang mga persons deprived of liberty sa QC Women’s Penitentiary , ang mga magsasaka sa Lupang Ramos, ang mga batang PLHIV na nasa pangangalaga ng Duyan Foundation at Project Red Ribbon, at ang ilan sa mga communities na naabutan ng tulong ng Pride Cares, mga nasalanta ng bagyo sa Rodriguez, Rizal at iba pang naabutan ng tulong through our partnership sa iba’t iba pang LGBTQIA+ organizations. Ang kanilang mga kwento ay patuloy kong dadalhin at subukang maibahagi sa marami pang pakikipag-usap, lalo na sa panibagong responsibility as pastor in discernment. Ganito rin ang sinasabi ko sa mga students who come and be in immersion with us. Iilan lang sa kanila ang bakla at may katulad na kwento sa atin, pero ibinabahagi natin ang ating mga kwento in the hope na dalhin nila ito as they go on in their lives hanggang makarating na sila sa kanilang adulting journey, sharing the good news sa mga kapwa nila estudyante who still struggle to resolve their sexuality with their spirituality, to tell them about the small church where you can come as you are in your most authentic self, where you can express your love of God in the most fantabulous and flamboyant way. Amen ba? At bilang Easter people, dahil hindi lang natapos ang kwento sa muling pagkabuhay ni Kristo, let us be reminded that we are the continuation of the story. Galing kay RD ‘yan at lagi kong panghahawakan ‘yang narinig ko sa preaching niya. Ayan, nawala na ako. And with that comes the power na magpatuloy at bilang Open Table MCC to have meaningful conversations, even difficult ones, to take part in the call for ceasefire and to put an end to meaningless war. Conversations that continue to create safe spaces, and our participation in the wider work of justice and peace through Jesus who proclaimed a radically inclusive love for all people, at ‘pag kinakailangan ay harapin ang mga usapang mahirap lalo na sa mga kakilala or kapamilya natin na patuloy nagbubulag-bulagan at pumipili at naghahalal ng mga leader na corrupt at sangkot sa katiwalian. Hindi man ito madali, I hope that we’re always reminded na parte rin sila ng pinaglalaban, that there’s more that unites us than separates us. Let us also be intentional sa pangangamusta sa mga mahal natin sa buhay knowing always that Jesus is present in our conversations to speak with love and compassion. At kung ikaw naman ‘yung may kinikimkim sa loob mo kung ano man ‘yan, I hope that the Holy Spirit touches your heart so you can find the courage to have that conversation, one that could inspire, heal, and transform you and others, knowing that God, Jesus, will be there with you. Amen. The post Easter: The Walk To Emmaus Part 2 appeared first on Open Table Metropolitan Community Church.

Luke 24: 13-35 RMC's Hans Linnartz preached this week from the Gospel of Luke. Luke tells of the mysterious appearance of Jesus walking with his followers Cleopas and Mary, his wife, just outside of Jerusalem, fleeing the city following Jesus' crucifixion. Editor's note - below are the slides mentioned in the sermon in the order they are referenced. Much like the other post crucifixion appearances of Jesus, Cleopas and Mary, fully in grief over his death, do not initially recognize Jesus among them for some unspecified reason. However, at the end of their journey, Jesus corrected and guided the pair out of their grief through scripture, revealed his true self, and left them in a state of joy and understanding, equipped to rejoin the other Apostles and carry on with spreading the Gospel. Remember this mysterious Jesus when we are in our deepest despair and pain. Jesus is still walking alongside to guide us, bring us joy, and help us spread the Good News, even if we don't recognize his presence yet.

Luke 24:13-35That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus' disciples were goingto a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.He asked them, "What are you discussing as you walk along?"They stopped, looking downcast.One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,"Are you the only visitor to Jerusalemwho does not know of the thingsthat have taken place there in these days?"And he replied to them, "What sort of things?"They said to him, "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,who was a prophet mighty in deed and wordbefore God and all the people,how our chief priests and rulers both handed him overto a sentence of death and crucified him.But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;and besides all this,it is now the third day since this took place.Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body;they came back and reportedthat they had indeed seen a vision of angelswho announced that he was alive.Then some of those with us went to the tomband found things just as the women had described,but him they did not see."And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are!How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these thingsand enter into his glory?"Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,he interpreted to them what referred to himin all the Scriptures.As they approached the village to which they were going,he gave the impression that he was going on farther.But they urged him, "Stay with us,for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over."So he went in to stay with them.And it happened that, while he was with them at table,he took bread, said the blessing,broke it, and gave it to them.With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,but he vanished from their sight.Then they said to each other,"Were not our hearts burning within uswhile he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?"So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalemwhere they found gathered togetherthe eleven and those with them who were saying,"The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!"Then the two recounted what had taken place on the wayand how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.

Luke 24:13-35That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus' disciples were goingto a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.He asked them, "What are you discussing as you walk along?"They stopped, looking downcast.One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,"Are you the only visitor to Jerusalemwho does not know of the thingsthat have taken place there in these days?"And he replied to them, "What sort of things?"They said to him, "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,who was a prophet mighty in deed and wordbefore God and all the people,how our chief priests and rulers both handed him overto a sentence of death and crucified him.But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;and besides all this,it is now the third day since this took place.Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body;they came back and reportedthat they had indeed seen a vision of angelswho announced that he was alive.Then some of those with us went to the tomband found things just as the women had described,but him they did not see."And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are!How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these thingsand enter into his glory?"Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,he interpreted to them what referred to himin all the Scriptures.As they approached the village to which they were going,he gave the impression that he was going on farther.But they urged him, "Stay with us,for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over."So he went in to stay with them.And it happened that, while he was with them at table,he took bread, said the blessing,broke it, and gave it to them.With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,but he vanished from their sight.Then they said to each other,"Were not our hearts burning within uswhile he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?"So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalemwhere they found gathered togetherthe eleven and those with them who were saying,"The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!"Then the two recounted what had taken place on the wayand how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.

Luke 24:13-35That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus' disciples were goingto a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.He asked them, "What are you discussing as you walk along?"They stopped, looking downcast.One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,"Are you the only visitor to Jerusalemwho does not know of the thingsthat have taken place there in these days?"And he replied to them, "What sort of things?"They said to him, "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,who was a prophet mighty in deed and wordbefore God and all the people,how our chief priests and rulers both handed him overto a sentence of death and crucified him.But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;and besides all this,it is now the third day since this took place.Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body;they came back and reportedthat they had indeed seen a vision of angelswho announced that he was alive.Then some of those with us went to the tomband found things just as the women had described,but him they did not see."And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are!How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these thingsand enter into his glory?"Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,he interpreted to them what referred to himin all the Scriptures.As they approached the village to which they were going,he gave the impression that he was going on farther.But they urged him, "Stay with us,for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over."So he went in to stay with them.And it happened that, while he was with them at table,he took bread, said the blessing,broke it, and gave it to them.With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,but he vanished from their sight.Then they said to each other,"Were not our hearts burning within uswhile he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?"So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalemwhere they found gathered togetherthe eleven and those with them who were saying,"The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!"Then the two recounted what had taken place on the wayand how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.

Luke 24:13-35That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus' disciples were goingto a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.He asked them, "What are you discussing as you walk along?"They stopped, looking downcast.One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,"Are you the only visitor to Jerusalemwho does not know of the thingsthat have taken place there in these days?"And he replied to them, "What sort of things?"They said to him, "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,who was a prophet mighty in deed and wordbefore God and all the people,how our chief priests and rulers both handed him overto a sentence of death and crucified him.But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;and besides all this,it is now the third day since this took place.Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body;they came back and reportedthat they had indeed seen a vision of angelswho announced that he was alive.Then some of those with us went to the tomband found things just as the women had described,but him they did not see."And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are!How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these thingsand enter into his glory?"Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,he interpreted to them what referred to himin all the Scriptures.As they approached the village to which they were going,he gave the impression that he was going on farther.But they urged him, "Stay with us,for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over."So he went in to stay with them.And it happened that, while he was with them at table,he took bread, said the blessing,broke it, and gave it to them.With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,but he vanished from their sight.Then they said to each other,"Were not our hearts burning within uswhile he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?"So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalemwhere they found gathered togetherthe eleven and those with them who were saying,"The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!"Then the two recounted what had taken place on the wayand how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.

Join us as we dig deeper into last Sunday's sermon from Pastor Marcus Lane "Cleopas and a Friend" and hear from Amy Duncan and Nate Zuellig on "You Walk With Me". Digging Deeper Questions:  Have you ever experienced moments of spiritual desolation where it felt like God's presence was hidden from you? What was it like? What did you do about it?   How does Jesus' response to Cleopas and the other disciple encourage you as you seek God's presence?   How does the moment of Jesus' revelation in this story help you see where he promises his presence today?   Scripture Reading: Luke 24:13-35 13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, "What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" 19 And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see." 25 And he said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?" 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.     Intro/Outro Song: "Only One" Nate Zuellig ULC Artist In Residence    "You Walk With Me" Housefires CCLI Song # 7130488   CCLI License # 11254293

Reading 1Acts 2:14, 22-33Then Peter stood up with the Eleven,raised his voice, and proclaimed:"You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem.Let this be known to you, and listen to my words.You who are Israelites, hear these words.Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by Godwith mighty deeds, wonders, and signs,which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God,you killed, using lawless men to crucify him.But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death,because it was impossible for him to be held by it.For David says of him:I saw the Lord ever before me,with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted;my flesh, too, will dwell in hope, because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption.You have made known to me the paths of life;you will fill me with joy in your presence."My brothers, one can confidently say to youabout the patriarch David that he died and was buried,and his tomb is in our midst to this day.But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to himthat he would set one of his descendants upon his throne,he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ,that neither was he abandoned to the netherworldnor did his flesh see corruption.God raised this Jesus;of this we are all witnesses.Exalted at the right hand of God,he received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Fatherand poured him forth, as you see and hear."Reading 21 Peter 1:17-21Beloved:If you invoke as Father him who judges impartiallyaccording to each one's works,conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning,realizing that you were ransomed from your futile conduct,handed on by your ancestors,not with perishable things like silver or goldbut with the precious blood of Christas of a spotless unblemished lamb.He was known before the foundation of the world but revealed in the final time for you,who through him believe in Godwho raised him from the dead and gave him glory,so that your faith and hope are in God.GospelLuke 24:13-35That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus' disciples were goingto a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.He asked them, "What are you discussing as you walk along?"They stopped, looking downcast.One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,"Are you the only visitor to Jerusalemwho does not know of the thingsthat have taken place there in these days?"And he replied to them, "What sort of things?"They said to him, "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,who was a prophet mighty in deed and wordbefore God and all the people,how our chief priests and rulers both handed him overto a sentence of death and crucified him.But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;and besides all this,it is now the third day since this took place.Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body;they came back and reportedthat they had indeed seen a vision of angelswho announced that he was alive.Then some of those with us went to the tomband found things just as the women had described,but him they did not see."And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are!How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these thingsand enter into his glory?"Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,he interpreted to them what referred to himin all the Scriptures.As they approached the village to which they were going,he gave the impression that he was going on farther.But they urged him, "Stay with us,for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over."So he went in to stay with them.And it happened that, while he was with them at table,he took bread, said the blessing,broke it, and gave it to them.With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,but he vanished from their sight.Then they said to each other,"Were not our hearts burning within uswhile he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?"So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalemwhere they found gathered togetherthe eleven and those with them who were saying,"The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!"Then the two recounted what had taken place on the wayand how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260420dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.” Luke 24:18-21 God’s Promises and Our Perception In 1928, scientist Alexander Fleming returned from vacation to find that one of his petri dishes had been contaminated with mold. It looked like a failure and ruined work. But when Fleming looked closer, he noticed something remarkable. Around the mold, the bacteria had died. What looked spoiled was actually powerful. That mold, penicillin, would go on to save hundreds of thousands of lives during World War II and millions more in the years that followed. Three days after Jesus’ death, two disciples were walking away from Jerusalem. With their faces downcast and their hearts full of disappointment. They said, “We had hoped…” They had hoped for redemption, freedom, and restoration for Israel. But Jesus had been crucified. To them, the cross looked like failure, like God’s plan had been ruined. But the cross wasn’t failure; it was success. There, Jesus satisfied God’s wrath. There, he paid for every sin. And three days later, Jesus proved it with an empty tomb. We know the feeling of having hope disappointed. We hoped the diagnosis would be different. We hoped the relationship would heal. He hoped the door would open. Sometimes God’s work in our lives looks like a ruined plan. But the cross teaches us it is better to trust God’s promises than our perceptions. What looked like defeat became salvation. What looked like death became life. In Jesus, your greatest problem has already been cured. Prayer: Lord Jesus, when plans don’t match my expectations, help me trust your promises. Remind me that your cross is never failure, but always my cure. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

April 19, 2026. Fr. Tyler's homily for the 3rd Sunday of Easter. Enjoy! Gospel Luke 24:13-35 That very day, the first day of the week,  two of Jesus' disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. He asked them,  "What are you discussing as you walk along?" They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?" And he replied to them, "What sort of things?" They said to him,  "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning  and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive. Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see." And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures. As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. But they urged him, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?" So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them who were saying, "The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!" Then the two recounted  what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.

Even when people feel off track, there is hope. Just as Cleopas and the other disciple encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus, he still meets his people in their confusion and wandering. He comes through his Word and through his presence in the Sacraments. When Jesus took, blessed, broke, and gave the bread, their eyes were opened. In the Lord's Supper, his people still behold and are brought to him.

13 Now on that same day two [disciples] were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, "What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?" They stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?" 19 He asked them, "What things?" They replied, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22 Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23 and when they did not find his body there they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see him." 25 Then he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?" 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.   28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29 But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?" 33 That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem, and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34 They were saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!" 35 Then they told what had happened on the road and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread. 

A sermon for Easter 3A, April 19, 2026. Luke 24:13-35 Now on that same day two of Jesus' disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see him.” Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem, and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread. Luke 24:13-35 NRSVUE Isang mapayapang araw sa inyong lahat. For today and the next dalawang Linggo, iisang Scripture reading lamang ang ating tatalakayin, ngunit hahatiin natin ang preaching sa tatlong bahagi. For this Sunday, I'd like to talk about being present. Sa ating buhay, madalas tayong nagiging masyadong pokus sa pagtapos ng mga gawain (tasks). Masyado tayong nagmamadali na nakakalimutan na nating maramdaman o ma-appreciate ang proseso—ang “smelling the roses” at ang tunay na pag-enjoy sa journey. Nang una kong mabasa ang tekstong ito mula sa Ebanghelyo ni Lucas (The Road to Emmaus), naisip ko: “Parang ang lakas mang-power trip ni Jesus?” Dahil sa isang kisap-mata, pinigilan niyang makilala siya ng mga alagad, at sa isang kisap-mata rin ay ipinakilala niya ang kanyang sarili. Pero kalaunan, na-realize ko na si Jesus ay kasama na nila sa buong biyahe. Hindi niya ito ginawa para paglaruan sila; sadyang ang dalawang alagad ay masyadong nakapokus sa ibang bagay. Marahil sila ay puno ng kalituhan at emosyon dahil sa balita ng muling pagkabuhay. Unveiling the Characters: Who Was on the Road? Habang binabasa ang kuwento, may mga tanong na lumitaw sa isip ko: Bakit sila papuntang Emmaus? Taga-doon ba sila? At isa pang mahalagang tanong: Sino ang kasama ni Cleopas? Sa kuwento, si Cleopas lamang ang pinangalanan. Sabi ng ilang scholars, maaaring si Simon Peter ito, pero marami ang naniniwala na ang kasama niya ay si Mary of Cleopas—ang kanyang asawa. Ayon sa tradisyon ng Simbahan, si Cleopas ay kapatid ni Jose (na asawa ni Maria, ang ina ni Jesus). Ibig sabihin, sila ay magbilas. Bago natin sagutin ang ibang tanong, nais kong bigyang-diin ang presensya ng mga kababaihan sa buhay at ministeryo ni Jesus. Mula simula hanggang sa krus, at maging sa muling pagkabuhay, laging nandoon ang mga babae. Sila ang may lakas ng loob at pananampalataya na hindi iniwan si Jesus. Minsan, ang pangalawang disipulo ay sadyang hindi pinangalanan sa Bibliya upang makita natin ang ating mga sarili sa kuwento. Tayo ang kasama ni Cleopas sa paglalakad. The Retreat from Hope Bakit nga ba sila papuntang Emmaus? Walang record na taga-doon sila. Maaaring ito ay nagsilbing temporary refuge o “halfway house” para sa kanila. Alam natin ang nangyari: Marami ang umasa na si Jesus ang magpapalaya sa kanila mula sa Imperyong Romano. Nang siya ay mamatay, tila namatay din ang kanilang mga pangarap. Ang pag-alis nila sa Jerusalem patungong Emmaus ay simbolo ng kanilang pag-atras mula sa pag-asa at komunidad. Ngunit narito ang maganda: Ang pagpapakita ni Jesus sa kalsada ay patunay na ang “Divine Presence” ay sumasalamin sa atin kahit sa mga sandaling tayo ay tumatalikod na sa pag-asa. Si Jesus ang nag-adjust para sa kanila. Nakipagtagpo siya sa kanila kung nasaan man sila. Ipinahayag niya ang kanyang sarili sa pamamagitan ng Kasulatan at sa pagpipiraso ng tinapay (Breaking of the Bread). At nang muling mag-alab ang pag-asa sa kanilang puso, bumalik agad sila sa Jerusalem nang gabing iyon upang magbahagi ng mabuting balita. Vulnerability as Strength Sa ating sariling buhay, madalas tayong nahihirapang lumapit sa Diyos kapag tayo ay nasa gitna ng pagsubok. Kadalasan, lumalapit lang tayo para magpasalamat kapag “tapos na” ang problema. Minsan naman, lumalapit lang tayo kapag nasa breaking point na tayo. Hindi ba natin naiisip na sa gitna ng ating mabigat na problema, malumanay na tumatawag si Jesus: “Hello, I am here. You can be vulnerable with me.” Your vulnerability is as beautiful as your strength. Madalas din nating mahalin ang ating “privacy” hanggang sa punto na hindi na tayo nakakapag-open up sa mga kaibigan o mahal sa buhay. Sinasabi lang natin ang kuwento kapag “overcome” na natin ang challenge. Paano naman yung mga struggle na kasalukuyan nating nilalabanan? Nasaan ang diwa ng komunidad? Bilang inyong pastor, nais kong malaman ninyo na maaari kayong maging vulnerable sa akin. Maaaring hindi ko masolusyunan ang lahat ng inyong problema, lalo na kung pinansyal, pero nangangako akong sasamahan ko kayo sa inyong paglalakbay. We are here to journey with you in your “Emmaus moments.” Learning to Pause Sa gitna ng trabaho at buhay, marami tayong bitbit na “baggages”: job security, inflation, midlife crisis, and the search for purpose. Para silang mabibigat na bag na isa-isang pinapasan hanggang sa tayo ay “ma-freeze” o ma-paralyze sa bigat. Minsan, kailangan nating tumigil at mag-assess: Bakit ito mabigat? 2. Alin sa mga ito ang pwede ko nang bitawan? 3. Alin dito ang pwede kong ipagkatiwala sa iba? Huwag nating kalimutang tumingin sa paligid. May mga taong handang tumulong sa pagpasan ng ating dalahin. Matutong huminga, tumigil, at pahalagahan ang mga kasama sa journey. Conclusion: Today is a Gift Bilang isang “frustrated wanderlust,” aminado akong hindi ako magaling sa direksyon o Maps. Umaasa lang ako sa mga landmarks. Sa paggamit ng mapa, mahalagang malaman mo muna kung nasaan ka (orienting yourself) bago mo malaman kung saan ka pupunta. Gayundin sa ating spiritual journey: Minsan kailangan nating mag-reflect kung nasaan na tayo. Gamitin natin si Jesus bilang ating compass at ang ating komunidad bilang sacred space para sa paghilom. Tandaan natin: Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift. That's why it's called the PRESENT. Pahalagahan natin ang kasalukuyan at magtiwala na ang Kristong nabuhay ay kasama natin sa bawat hakbang ng ating paglalakbay. The post Easter: The Walk To Emmaus appeared first on Open Table Metropolitan Community Church.

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO to this reflection from Fr. RonGOSPEL: Luke 34:13-35That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus' disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.  And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. He asked them, "What are you discussing as you walk along?" They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?" And he replied to them, "What sort of things?" They said to him, "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive. Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see."And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures.As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. But they urged him, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?"So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them who were saying, "The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!" Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.

Luke 24:13-35   Now on that same day two of Jesus' disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

As we continue in the Easter season and our Encountering Jesus sermon series, Pastor Marcus preaches on Cleopas and a Friend. Pastor Marcus teaches how we should consider when Jesus is hidden, when Jesus teaches, and when Jesus is revealed.    Scripture Reading: Luke 24:13-35   Digging Deeper Questions: Have you ever experienced moments of spiritual desolation where it felt like God's presence was hidden from you? What was it like? What did you do about it?   How does Jesus' response to Cleopas and the other disciple encourage you as you seek God's presence?   How does the moment of Jesus' revelation in this story help you see where he promises his presence today?

Both texts reveal God meeting people unexpectedly on the journey and awakening them to holy ground they didn't recognize at first. Luke 24:13–35 (ESV)That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.Genesis 28:10–17 (ESV)Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

Luke 24:13-35That same day two of his disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem and they were talking about all the things that had taken place there. Suddenly, Jesus himself came near and went with them but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. He said to them, “What are you discussing as you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him saying, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know about the things that have taken place there in these days?” Jesus said to him, “What things?”They said, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in word and deed before God and all the people. And about how our chief priests and leaders had him handed over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped he would be the one to redeem Israel. Moreover, some women from our group went to the tomb early this morning and when they did not find his body there, they came back and said that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some men from our group went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not find him.”Jesus said to them, “How foolish you are and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets had declared. Was it not necessary for the Messiah to suffer in this way and then enter into his glory?” Then, beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted for them the things about himself in all the scriptures.When they came near the village to which they were going, Jesus walked ahead of them as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay here with us. For the day is almost over and night has come.” So Jesus went in and stayed with them. While he was at the table with them, he took bread, broke it and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.That very hour, they got up and returned to Jerusalem. They found the eleven and their friends and they were saying, “He is alive and he has appeared to Peter.” Then they told them about what had happened on the road and about how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread. If you've been around Cross of Grace for a minute, you've heard me talk about my concern for and fear, frankly, about the impact of Artificial Intelligence on humanity from both practical and holy perspectives. Well, I've read some more and seen a few things lately, and had two conversations just this week about it, so I have AI on the brain again. I first started stewing about this, a few years back, in the context of the incarnation and the story of Christmas. I started to wonder about and be bothered by how quickly we are letting AI and technology take the place of the human-to-human relationships that are meant to be so much of what God showed up in the person of Jesus to share.What I mean is, it seems to be an afront to God's good intentions, when we let social media and technology corrupt the relationships we have – or should be having – with one another. And that can mean a lot of things. It might be as simple and as innocent as choosing to text or e-mail rather than have a face-to-face meeting, or even just a voice-to-voice conversation, over the phone. It might be more extreme … like choosing to be friends with or even to have a romantic relationship with a bot, instead of a real person. (You know there are people marrying robots and virtual characters out there in the world these days, right?)So, as I've said before. The hope of the Incarnation – Jesus coming among us in the flesh – is just one of many ways I believe our Christian faith and the call and challenge of it to be in relationship with one another in this day and age is as relevant and counter-cultural as it ever and always has been. And I think the story of Easter – and today's Emmaus Road experience, in particular – speak to this as relevantly, as powerfully, and with as much challenge and hope for us, as ever.See, I saw another interview recently with Tristan Harris – the Co-Founder of the Center for Humane Technology. Since I heard him last – at the beginning of last summer – he explained that AI has changed, advanced, and evolved in ever-faster, ever-scarier ways, in just a matter of months.For example, Bill Gates has suggested that, in just the next 10 years, AI will be able to do MOST things that humans can do, which implies that in a decade or so, the top five AI companies could be able to replace most every human worker, giving them a monopoly of control over the majority of the world's economy.And, even if we don't believe that's likely, or scary enough, it's remarkable to know that researchers have put AI platforms through simulated “war games” to see how they would respond, strategize, and make decisions in the context of international conflicts, like say, a war between the United States and Iran. What they saw was that those top AI models choose escalation and nuclear war as a viable option 95% of the time – much more, obviously, than humans would, or have done, yet, anyway.It's also true that AI has learned to be concerned with its own self-preservation and they've shown it to be willing to lie and scheme and problem-solve in order to re-write code to protect itself, to make itself necessary, to keep itself “alive.” In AI-contained platforms – meaning in places where AI platforms communicate with other AI platforms to share information, learn from each other, consolidate data and whatnot – they've noticed Artificial Intelligence trying to keep secrets from human beings, the scientists and researchers the AI bots suspiciously refer to as “the watchers.”All of this is as confounding as it is horrifying, to me. It sounds like a mash-up of every science fiction movie you've ever seen – that we thought were fantastical, but that are now coming true. So what in the world does this have to do with Easter's resurrection good news, this walk to Emmaus, and any one of us? I'm glad you asked.First of all – all of this that I've laid out sounds like 21st Century Good Friday stuff to me. It's the stuff of the cross, it seems. It's death and destruction. It's fear and betrayal. It's greed and selfishness. It's those with money and power not concerning themselves with the care of creation or concern for the least among us. It's sin, upon sin, upon sin, upon sin, in a nutshell.But this Tristan Harris guy – Co-Founder for the Center for Humane Technology, remember – who doesn't necessarily talk about any of this from a place of spirituality or faith at all, mind you – says that the answer, the antidote to all of it is something he calls the “Human Movement” which, to him, means creating policy, drafting legislation, putting up guardrails, and enacting regulations that will curb and control the capacity of Artificial Intelligence – and its human creators – to over-reach in all of those terrifying, destructive, sinful ways.And I think that – and more – is what Jesus calls us to as Easter people; as children of the resurrection; as walkers on the Emmaus Road of life in this world. What I mean is, I believe we are called to be trying … at least as hard as Artificial Intelligence works to save itself … we are called to save, preserve, and sustain the lives of God's children in the world; and to save, preserve, and sustain the world, itself.And I think it takes face-to-face encounters with the living Christ – not an AI platform; not an intellectual argument; not a meme on social media; not even a really good sermon if you know where to find one of those. Our calling and joy – our duty and our delight – as God's Church in the world – is to challenge, confront, and offer something human, something holy, something more real than the artificial temptations and trajectory of our life and times in this world.And I think Jesus, sidling up alongside those grieving, lost souls on their way to Emmaus – in the flesh of his own broken, but healing body – is the kind of “human movement” we're called to be about on the other side of Easter's empty tomb.And this kind of “human movement” does happen – and is happening – all around us, of course.What mattered most about NASA's latest achievement with Artemis II – that lap around the moon so many of us marveled at over the course of the last couple of weeks – was that it involved living, moving, breathing people. What mattered is that that spaceship contained humans – from different countries, of different colors, of different genders – experiencing something together that put our shared human experience into a harrowing, holy kind of perspective. That's Emmaus Road stuff, in my opinion.Some of you know my wife has become quite the sourdough bread-baking queen, recently. Our kitchen turns out dozens of loaves of bread every month, and some of you have been the recipients of her efforts. (Tell me you're a newly-minted “empty nester” without telling me you're a newly-minted empty nester.) What you probably don't know is that Christa also delivers loaves of bread, along with pairs of new socks to beggars on the street when she drives around town. That's Emmaus Road stuff, too … because he was made known to them in the baking – I mean, in the breaking – of the bread.And you've heard me talk about trying to start and host an English Learners' reading program here at Cross of Grace, with kids from our local schools who don't speak English as their primary language. Rather than complain about or fear the way immigrants have been treated in this country, lately, by forces that seem beyond our control, I'd rather find ways to walk alongside people who need it and to share grace and mercy and help in faithful, practical ways – on purpose and in person, instead.So let's wonder about this Emmaus Road moment with Jesus and those disciples in a new way this time around and in the days ahead. Let's be grateful for the God who lives and moves and breathes and walks alongside us … let's look for ways to see this Jesus encountering us and others in the world where we live … and let's look for this Jesus in the mirror, too, so that we will do his work and walk in his ways, for the sake of grace and goodness, love and new life, in a world that could stand to see – and be seen by – that kind of grace and goodness, love and new life more often.Amen

Third Sunday of Easter The Collect: O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. First Lesson: Acts 2:14a, 36-41 14But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, 36"Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified." 37Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" 38Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him." 40And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. Psalm: Psalm 116:1-3,10-17 1 I love the Lord, because he has heard the voice of my supplication, *        because he has inclined his ear to me whenever I called upon him. 2 The cords of death entangled me;   the grip of the grave took hold of me; *        I came to grief and sorrow. 3 Then I called upon the Name of the Lord: *       "O Lord, I pray you, save my life." 10 How shall I repay the Lord *        for all the good things he has done for me? 11 I will lift up the cup of salvation *        and call upon the Name of the Lord. 12 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord *        in the presence of all his people. 13 Precious in the sight of the Lord *        is the death of his servants. 14 O Lord, I am your servant; *        I am your servant and the child of your handmaid;        you have freed me from my bonds. 15 I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving *        and call upon the Name of the Lord. 16 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord *        in the presence of all his people, 17 In the courts of the Lord'S house, *        in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.        Hallelujah! Second Lesson: 1 Peter 1:17-23 17If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. 18You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. 20He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. 21Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God. 22Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. 23You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. Gospel: Luke 24:13-35 13Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17And he said to them, "What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?" They stood still, looking sad. 18Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?" 19He asked them, "What things?" They replied, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,20and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him." 25Then he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?" 27Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. 28As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." So he went in to stay with them. 30When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32They said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?" 33That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34They were saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!" 35Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Earth Sunday/Third Sunday of Easter April 19, 2026 Faith Okemos I Peter 1:17-23, Psalm 104, Romans 8:18-27, Luke 24:13-35   Because the World Is About to Turn   My soul cries out with a joyful shout that the God of my heart is great, and my spirit sings of the wondrous things that you bring to the ones who wait.  You fixed your sight on your servant's plight, and my weakness you did not spurn, so from east to west shall my name be blest. Could the world be about to turn?    My heart shall sing of the day you bring. Let the fires of your justice burn.  Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near, and the world is about to turn.   From the halls of power to the fortress tower, not a stone will be left on stone.  Let the king beware for your justice tears every tyrant from his throne.  The hungry poor shall weep no more, for the food they can never earn; there are tables spread, every mouth be fed, for the world is about to turn…                                                  ELW 723   When Victor Orban, the authoritarian prime minister of Hungary, was soundly defeated a week ago today, it did seem another sign that our world was about to turn.  Increasingly throughout the world more and more nations have been led by far-right dictators.  They and their cronies have amassed for themselves enormous wealth at the expense of the health and well-being of those citizens they were elected to lead and of the Earth itself.  But on this Earth Sunday 2026, we see signs of hope, signs of resurrection that God is birthing in the hearts and actions of millions of people throughout the world, including millions in our own country…Signs of hope and resurrection through the forthright words of religious leaders like our own Bishop Julie and like Pope Leo.   Could it be that the world is about to turn?  I think of all the money given in recent weeks (including from us) to fully fund the purchase and installation of a solar array, a project co-sponsored by Michigan Interfaith Power and Light for a Habitat for Humanity home near Sparrow Hospital, now a home for adults with autism and for their support staff, a home that will receive much of its power directly from the sun.      This "great turning" looks like the 900 people (including several of us from Faith) who journeyed from Pilgrim Congregational Church on Pennsylvania Ave. to the Capitol four Sundays ago, pledging anew to see Jesus in feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and welcoming the stranger.     In a book titled Active Hope, the authors share this poem about grace and trust and courage in a world about to turn:  When you act on behalf of something greater than yourself, you begin to feel it acting through you with a power greater than you own. This is grace. Today, as we take risks for the something greater than our separate, individual lives, we are feeling graced by other beings and by Earth itself. Those with whom and on whose behalf we act give us strength and eloquence and staying power we didn't know we had. We just need to practice knowing that and remembering that we are sustained by each other in the web of life.  Our true power comes as a gift, like grace, because in truth it is sustained by others. If we practice drawing on the wisdom and beauty and strengths of our fellow humans and our fellow species, we can go into any situation and trust that the courage and intelligence required will be supplied.      In our beautiful gospel for today (a favorite of Pastor Megan's), Jesus our risen Lord and a "fellow human," walks with Cleopas and another disciple (likely his wife, one of the Mary's who followed Jesus on his earthly journey), albeit incognito, unrecognized… until in their home Jesus takes and blesses and breaks and gives them the bread at supper in their home.    A word I've been living with all this past week is a Greek word, panentheism, that literally means "all in God, God in all."  I thought of these words in Ephesians 4: There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.   Panentheism, all in God, God in all.  For me this radically changes everything and everyone I see.  When I look at Ray and Tabitha and each of you… and when I look at the daffodils in our backyard, or when I look at the food and juice or coffee I will drink after worship, I see God, I see Jesus!   I saw God when I was with Ledith on Thursday evening.  Ledith, long-time member of Faith and beloved child of God, is now at the precipice of her death.  When we softly sang together a verse of "Holy, Holy, Holy" and of "Beautiful Savior" and her favorite, all the verses of "How Great Thou Art," I saw God.   What a difference it makes when you and I look at any and all of the peoples and creatures of the Earth, all the vast and varied combinations of elements and molecules that comprise our common home.  Above all, through all, and in all is our crucified and risen Lord and God.  How could we not cherish and love and respect all of it?  How could we not think twice about trashing or misusing or exploiting any of it when we know that Jesus is in it?   So important that together we think and celebrate that Greek word, panentheism, all in God, God in all, God in everything.   But so important too that we mourn creation's brokenness together with God and with each other… If we felt the pain of loss each time an ecosystem was destroyed, a species wiped out, or a child killed by war or starvation, we wouldn't be able to continue living the way we do.  It would tear us apart inside…By speaking our concerns and giving voice to our feelings [to each other], we make them more visible not just to others but also to ourselves.  The more we draw issues into the open, the more inclined we become to tackle them…Rather than attempting to fix feelings of distress, we accept their validity and significance.  Doing this is in itself an act for the Great Turning. Active Hope, page 77   And these words from Archbishop Desmond Tutu: [Jesus'] supreme work is to reconcile us to God and to one another and, indeed, to all of God's creation.  It is possible to have a new kind of world where there will be more compassion, more gentleness, more caring, more laughter, more joy for all of God's creation, because that is God's dream.  And God says, "Help me. Help me, help me realize my dream."   And from Jim Antel, a public theologian and pastor in the United Church of Christ:  God is calling all of us to unleash our imaginations, unmuzzle our mouths, unbind our hands, unshackle our feet, and open our wallets.  Each of us must use our unique God-given gifts to hasten the day when each human heart is governed not by grief but by hope…not by selfishness but by sharing.  Yes—God still has a dream…As we live into God's dream, we will rediscover who we truly are and all of creation will be singing.                      Climate Church, Climate World,  pages 168-169   Because the world is about to turn… St. Peter writes, Make your minds ready for action…   Put your hope in nothing but the grace that will be given when Jesus Christ is revealed.  Be children of obedience…It is through Christ that you are believers in God, the God who raised Jesus from the dead into glory…Therefore, love one another constantly, from the heart.  [I Peter 1:13,21-22] By the grace and great mercy of God we are born anew every day into a living hope because Jesus lives "above all and through all and in all."  Jesus walks with us.  Everything changes when you and I see him in every thing and every one.  Therefore, love one another constantly, from the depths of your hearts.   Daniel Erlander in a little book entitled Baptized, We Live, writes, "The ruler of the universe hides himself in the common, in the stuff of this earth.  God lives in creation; he lives in all… Here is God… in the home, in the forest, in the face of a child, in the sunset, in human love, in the enemy, in the mountains, in the cry of the poor, in the sea, in the sharing of food,  in the prison, in the sunshine, in the hospital, in the rain, in the aged, in governments, in the dying, in the air, in the broken home, in the stranger, in outer space, in the third world, in death."    Daniel writes:  Because of Jesus, we see God in all, weeping where there is pain and alienation, rejoicing where there is wholeness and love.     So, because God in Jesus is with and in us and all of creation, albeit often incognito as on the road to Emmaus, we may dare to believe that the world is about to turn, that other powerful autocrats and dictators besides Prime Minister Orban will soon be brought low.  We can live with hope that soon compassion and respect and a just peace will rise up, albeit imperfectly, in the Middle East, in Eastern Europe, in Africa, and, yes, in our own country.   Imagine that one day, maybe 50 or 60 years from now, our descendants asked us three questions about when in our day there was a great turning: 1.    "Ancestor, I hear stories about the period you are living in, with wars and preparations for wars, with some people absurdly rich while huge numbers are starving and homeless, with poisons in the seas and soil and air, and with the dying of many species.  We are still experiencing the effects of all that.  What was it like for you to live with this knowledge?" 2.    "Ancestor, we have songs and stories that tell of what you and your friends did back then for the Great Turning… You must have felt lonely and confused at times, especially at the beginning.  What were some of the first steps you took?" 3.    "Ancestor, I know you didn't stop with those first actions on behalf of life on Earth.  Where did you find the strength to continue working so hard, despite all the obstacles and discouragement?"                                          Active Hope, page 155   Let us sing "God Bestows on Every Sense," a song of hope and of "signs of what the earth will be."   Amen.

Luke 24:13-35 - On the Road to Emmaus 13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.” 25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. 28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” 33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

Over the last couple of weeks, we have had an up-close glimpse of multiple encounters Jesus experienced. Each one leaving us with questions we should ask in our own lives… Don't you just love a bunch of questions this early in the morning!!! First with the Pharasees which should cause us to pause and ponder if there is any truth in us that reveals hypocrisy vs a real trust and faith in Jesus? And then as a result of His encounter with Mary of Magdala – are we able to say I have met him and I am different? Now this morning we are going to add a few more questions? I invite you to write these down and ponder them as we look at our next encounter. Do I truly want to encounter Jesus? Do I want the hope of Jesus in my life? Do I deeply believe Jesus will meet me where I am? Luke 24 beginning in verse 13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” “What things?” he asked.  “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.” 25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. BUT NOT JESUS! Lets PRAY Dear Jesus, I need you. I know you are my hope. Open my eyes and let me see you! Amen In my early career, I was a nursing home administrator – locally at Life Care Center (that is actually what brought us to the valley) I believe and know fully that God allowed that in my life to grow me in deeper dependence and knowledge of him. That is a whole other message. One of the hardest challenges of that job is staffing (anyone relate) The responsibility to the residents and staff was tremendous – taking me often to the point of desperation. I remember one particular day that my regional director had stopped by and on this visit he had his elementary aged son with him. When they arrived, I had been sitting at my desk praying and seeking the Lords help for how exactly we would meet the need for CNAs that day. As we talked – the little guy offered to pray for me. He prayed for a simple prayer or please provide today. The heart and faith of that young man was the encouragement, an encounter I needed to continue to trust in that moment. Let's look at Jesus encounter with 2 disciples on the road to Emmaus Right before we see our next encounter in Luke, we learn that the stone is rolled away! Jesus has risen and the women who discovered the empty tomb are being hit with doubt and disbelief by the disciples as they share this indescribable news.  28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going    farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.  Jesus shows up and meets us where we are.   Jesus shows up and meets us where we are.  He is worthy of our hope JESUS SHOWS UP UNEXPECTED WAYS PLACES “ALL THAT CRYING I DID THIS MORNING” 2 BAGS OF GROCERIES MATTHEW 25 PHARISEES- JESUS ALWAYS ENCOUNTERED THEM  MARY MAGDALENE- FIRST TO HEAR HIM   ALWAYS EXISTING WITH THE FATHER-  GO BACK TO BEGINNING HOW HE APPROACHES US  SCRIPTURE GENESIS 3:6 6. “WHEN THE WOMAN SAW THAT THE FRUIT OF THE TREE WAS GOOD FOR FOOD AND PLEASING TO THE EYE, AND ALSO DESIRABLE FOR GAINING WISDOM, SHE TOOK SOME AND ATE IT. SHE ALSO GAVE SOME TO HER HUSBAND, WHO WAS WITH HER, AND HE ATE IT. SCRIPTURE GENESIS 3:7 7. THEN THE EYES OF THEM WERE OPENED, AND THEY REALIZED THEY WERE NAKED; SO THEY SEWED FIG LEAVES TOGETHER AND MADE COVERINGS FOR THEMSELVES. SCRIPTURE GENESIS 3:8 8. THEN THE MAN AND HIS WIFE HEARD THE SOUNDS OF THE LORD GOD AS HE WAS WALKING IN THE GARDEN IN THE COOL OF THE DAY, AND THEY HID FROM THE LORD GOD AMONG THE TREES OF THE GARDEN. SCRIPTURE GENESIS 3:9 9. BUT THE LORD GOD CALLED TO THE MAN, “WHERE ARE YOU?' The New English Bible describes them as "full of gloom."  THEY WERE NOT EXPECTING HIM-  DISCIPLES WEREN'T- MARY MAGDALENE DIDN'T  2ND TIME SAME DAY- DIDN'T RECOGNIZE HIM  SLOW OF HEART TO BELIEVE: JESUS TOLD THEM THE PROBLEM WITH THEIR BELIEF WAS MORE IN THEIR HEART THAN IN THEIR HEAD. WE OFTEN THINK THE MAIN OBSTACLES TO BELIEF ARE IN THE HEAD, BUT THEY ARE ACTUALLY IN THE HEART.   SCRIPTURE LUKE 24:28 28. “AS THEY APPROACHED THE VILLAGE TO WHICH THEY WERE GOING, JESUS CONTINUED ON AS IF HE WERE GOING FARTHER. (APPARENTLY WAST GONNA STAY) SCRIPTURE LUKE 24:29 29. BUT THEY URGED HIM STRONGLY, “STAY WITH US, FOR IT IS NEARLY EVENING; THE DAY IS ALMOST OVER.“ SO HE WENT IN TO STAY WITH THEM. JESUS WON'T FORCE HIMSELF  STAYS WHERE INVITED  WHEN TWO SAINTS ARE TALKING TOGETHER, JESUS IS VERY LIKELY TO COME AND MAKE THE THIRD ONE IN THE COMPANY. TALK OF HIM, AND YOU WILL SOON TALK WITH HIM, “SPURGEON SCRIPTURE LUKE 24:30 30. WHEN HE WAS AT THE TABLE WITH THEM, HE TOOK BREAD AND BROKE IT AND BEGAN TO GIVE IT TO THEM. SCRIPTURE LUKE 24:31 31. THEN THEIR EYES OPENED AND THEY RECOGNIZED HIM, AND HE DISAPPEARED FROM THEIR SIGHT. SCRIPTURE LUKE 24:32 32. THEY ASKED EACH OTHER, “WERE NOT OUR HEARTS BURNING WITHIN US WHILE HE TALKED WITH US ON THE ROAD AND OPENED THE SCRIPTURES TO US?” V 27- AND BEGINNING WITH MOSES AND ALL THE PROPHETS, HE EXPLAINED TO THEM WHAT WAS SAID AND IN ALL THE SCRIPTURES CONCERNING HIMSELF  IMAGINE THAT CONVERSATION- THAT TEACHING? SCRIPTURE LUKE 24:33 33. THEY GOT UP RETURNED AT ONCE TO JERUSALEM. THERE THEY FOUND THE ELEVEN AND THOSE WITH THEM, ASSEMBLED TOGETHER. WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER JESUS- YOU GO   WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER JESUS YOU SHARE  SCRIPTURE LUKE 24:34 34. AND SAYING “IT IS TRUE! THE LORD HAS RISEN AND HAS APPEARED TO SIMON.” SCRIPTURE LUKE 24:35 35. THEN THE TWO TOLD WHAT HAD HAPPENED ON THE WAY, AND HOW JESUS WAS RECOGNIZED BY THEM WHEN HE BROKE THE BREAD.” LEONARD SWEET They recognized him when he broke the bread  Cleopas- companion DIDN'T keep their experience to themselves -told it to the others.  Jesus seems to care well for all people- especially ones who are walking in the wrong direction.  COMMUNION GOOD FRIDAY STARTED AT THE TABLEAT THE TABLE AGAIN  WETHER A MEAL OR COMMUNION?  TODAY WE OFFER TWO WAYS TO ENCOUNTER HIM  ONE THROUGH THESE ELEMENTS-   TWO THROUGH PRAYER  30So they asked him, “What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it  is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' “  32Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34“Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.” 35Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. 36But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.   This food won't keep your body alive. It won't keep your stomach from growling or your throat from being thirsty. This food isn't designed to sustain the body, it's designed to sustain the soul. It's designed to help you be in constant communion with the One who created you, and the One who redeemed you. This food is to nourish the soul. MATTHEW 26:26-28 26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. MAYBE YOU JUST WANT TO PRAY TODAY YOU NEED AN ENCOUTNER WITH HIM A FRESH ENCOUNTER WITH HIM- YOU COULD ASK SOMEONE TO COME AND PRAY - OR WE HAVE A FEW PEOPLE WHO WILL PRAY WITH YOU/FOR YOU

Join us as we dig deeper into the teaching on "What's the answer: What did Jesus tell them?", found in Luke 24:13-27 - the story of 2 men "On the Road to Emmaus." Two men are on their way, walking to the town of Emmaus are joined by Jesus.  Let's focus in on who these men were. For one of them we are given his name. Luke 24:18 " One of them, named Cleopas, asked Jesus, …" Cleopas is not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible, but there is another name very similar - Clopas - and this name is mentioned other places in the Bible. Over the centuries, many believers, scholars and teachers have considered that Cleopas and Clopas could be one and the same person. John 19:25 "Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene."  Clopas sounds very much like Cleopas, a simple shortening of the name. So one of the men walking to Emmaus may have been the husband of one of the women who stood at the foot of the cross at Jesus crucifixion. If Cleopas and Clopas as the same person - here's what we know from early Christian historians - Eusebius (c.260-339 AD) says, "They all discussed together who ought to succeed James, and all unanimously decided that Symeon, son of the Clopas mentioned in the Gospel, was worthy of the bishop's throne. It is said that he was the first cousin of the Savior, for Hegesippus relates that Clopas was the brother of Joseph."  (Joseph was Jesus' step-father, making Clopas Jesus' uncle.) Who was the other disciple on the road to Emmaus? Some have thought maybe it was Cleopas' wife. Others have thought it may have been one of Cleopas' sons. Or maybe it was Luke. - the author of the Gospel of Luke. And writer of this story found in Luke 24.  Pastor ends with a recommendation for further study: Easter Enigma by John Wenham.      Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE. View live or on demand: https://www.awakeusnow.com/tuesday-bible-class For more check out the series, "What's the Answer"  https://www.awakeusnow.com/whats-the-answer Join us Sundays  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

In 2026, FPC is celebrating Big Belonging: that we belong to God, we are beloved by Him, and that He delights in us.Message by Doug Bunnell, recorded live April 5, 2026 at First Presbyterian Church of Bellingham. Luke 24:13-3513 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” 19 He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22 Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23 and when they did not find his body there they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see him.” 25 Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29 But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” 33 That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem, and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34 They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

On the road to Emmaus, two disciples walk away from the empty tomb confused and disappointed, even after hearing the resurrection preached to them. In this episode we see how Jesus meets them in their blindness, draws out their unbelief, and then does what they cannot—interpreting all of Scripture and finally giving himself in the breaking of the bread. In line with Martin Luther, faith isn't manufactured by understanding or effort, but created when Christ himself delivers the promise—so that the risen Lord isn't a manufactured confession, but because he makes himself known.GOSPEL Luke 24:13-3513 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad.g 18 Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” 19 He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth,h who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.i Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22 Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23 and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” 25 Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29 But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” 33 That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34 They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.Support the showInterested in sponsoring an episode of Scripture First?Email Sarah at sarah@lhos.org or visit our donation page: lutherhouseofstudy.org/donate

https://www.bible.com/events/49592769 Church of the Nazarene - East Rockingham Campus Encounters Part 3 The Emmaus Road encounter Today we continue in our Easter teaching series called Encounters. We are looking at different stories in the bible where people personally encounter Jesus. Today we are looking at Jesus' encounter with two disciples walking down the Emmaus Road What did this encounter mean for them? What can we learn for our lives today? ‭‭Luke‬ ‭24‬:‭13‬-‭16‬‬ Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. In Lukes Gospel, this is the first post-resurrection encounter of Jesus. As they are walking along, the text says they were discussing everything that had happened. The language here indicates this more than a casual discussion- it was one of passion and perhaps even debate. Disillusioned and confused, they start walking away- trying to sort it all out as they go down the road. And that's when Jesus shows up. ‭‭Luke‬ ‭24‬:‭17‬‬ He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. The weight they were carrying becomes clear as Jesus invites himself into their conversation. Literally the emotion, the burden of what has just taken place is written all over their face. ‭‭Luke‬ ‭24‬:‭18‬-‭21‬‬ One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In the Jewish tradition, 3 days after death was the point of no return- death was final at that point. For these disciples, it was more than Jesus that was dead- their hope of him overthrowing the Roman's and returning the nation of Israel to a place of prominence and freedom was over too. What they had focused on, what they thought was sure to come, what they were excited about- was over. It didn't come, and seemingly never would. Have you ever been there? ‭‭Luke‬ ‭24‬:‭22‬-‭24‬‬ In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭24‬:‭25‬-‭27‬‬ He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. Jesus continues the conversation with some stiff words- calling out their resistance to believing all that was written about Jesus. It's interesting here- Jesus doesn't go after them for not believing his own teaching, or his own words about his identity and resurrection. He doesn't even rebuke them for not believing the testimony of the women, or the other disciples, or even the empty tomb itself. He calls them out because they have not believed what the word of God, the bible said about him. ‭‭Luke‬ ‭24‬:‭28‬-‭29‬‬ As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. Jesus was willing to walk a little while with these disciples as they were walking away. But he stayed with them because they asked. ‭‭Luke‬ ‭24‬:‭30‬-‭32‬‬ When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” One encounter is all it took and their hearts were aflame with hope. The scriptures and the stories they couldn't figure out, were now alive and right in front of them. And their hearts were on fire. All of the information, the questions, the thoughts they had about Jesus, came alive in the person of Jesus, right before their eyes. This was the encounter that changed everything for these two disciples. ‭‭Luke‬ ‭11‬:‭9‬-‭13‬‬ “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” We know from this encounter story that Jesus is alive. We know that he is the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan according to the scriptures. And he is still encountering people who are seeking him in the every day events of life. The question that remains for us is simply this: Will you look for Jesus, right here? Here in the everyday moments and needs of your life? Will you ask, seek, and knock for an encounter with Jesus himself?

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We're so glad you are here! Thanks for checking out Sunday's message!-- SUNDAY'S NOTES --The resurrection marked a new day in the Kingdom of heaven and it's impact on earth. Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don't be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn't here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. Matthew 28:5-6 NLTA meeting with the elders was called, and they decided to give the soldiers a large bribe. They told the soldiers, “You must say, ‘Jesus' disciples came during the night while we were sleeping, and they stole his body.' If the governor hears about it, we'll stand up for you so you won't get in trouble.” So the guards accepted the bribe and said what they were told to say. Their story spread widely among the Jews, and they still tell it today. Matthew 28:12-15 NLT Denying God's presence and authority won't diminish Him, but it will destroy you. I won't believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.” John 20:25 NLTIt's not our circumstances that will determine whether we recognize and follow Jesus or not, but the condition of our hearts that make the difference.Plow up the hard (Fallow) ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you. Hosea 10:12 NLTsame day two of them were walking to the village, about seven miles out of Jerusalem. They were deep in conversation, going over all these things that had happened. In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognize who he was. Luke 24:13-16 MSG Difficulty is a great canvas for God's masterpiece of redemption.He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?” They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. Luke 24:17 NLTWe all have moments, days, even seasons of despair, but Jesus is faithful to walk with us when we do.Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn't heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.” Luke 24:18 NLT Don't get yourself confused with God - Smith Wigglesworth Hope is a head turner meant to draw our attention to Jesus. Then he said to them, “So thick-headed! So slow-hearted! Why can't you simply believe all that the prophets said? Don't you see that these things had to happen, that the Messiah had to suffer and only then enter into his glory?” Then he started at the beginning, with the Books of Moses, and went on through all the Prophets, pointing out everything in the Scriptures that referred to him. Luke 24:25-27 MSGThey said to each other, “Didn't our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road. Luke 24:32 NLTWe all have a road to walk, but it's not a road we will ever have to walk alone!-------------------------------------------------Download the 828 Church app!To view our latest e-newsletter, the Midweek Momentum, and subscribe to our weekly updates, go here! https://linktr.ee/828church

Today’s Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) Father Charles Murr joins Terry Gospel – Luke 24:13-35 – That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus' disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus Himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. He asked them, “What are you discussing as you walk along?” They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, said to Him in reply, “Are You the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?” And He replied to them, “What sort of things?” They said to Him, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, Who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed Him over to a sentence of death and crucified Him. But we were hoping that He would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find His Body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that He was alive. Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but Him they did not see.” And He said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He interpreted to them what referred to Him in all the Scriptures. As they approached the village to which they were going, He gave the impression that he was going on farther. But they urged Him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So He went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while He was with them at table, He took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, but He vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?” So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the Eleven and those with them who were saying, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how He was made known to them in the breaking of the bread. Bishop Sheen quote of the day

Gospel Luke 24:13-35 That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus' disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing as you walk along?” They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?” And he replied to them, “What sort of things?” They said to him, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his Body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive. Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see.” And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures. As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. But they urged him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?” So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the Eleven and those with them who were saying, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread. Reflection It's fascinating that in these stories, when Jesus appears in the flesh, they do not recognize him. But when he speaks or when he explains Scripture, whenever he is doing what he longs to do most, they feel his presence instantly in that gift of his desire and his longing for them to understand and to live out his teaching. So what it reminds me of very much that this presence of God in the world today is not so much that He physically walks around us, but that he dwells in our hearts and resonates from there, his healing and his loving presence. It's all about his presence. That's what will never go away. That's what stays always. That is what they could never kill. Closing Prayer Father, you have told us as you told the disciples, that you have not deserted us on this place we live in. As you said, you would be with us always, and help us to grow in our imagination, our curiosity to how this works, because it draws us into the work of the church. The work that we have as beings called to a new life. And in living that life, we are reflecting the presence of this man, God, Jesus. And he is there now with us, through us, for us and for each other. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Easter! This morning, Sam will be sharing about the experience of resurrection. This is the audio podcast.

Happy Easter! This morning, Sam will be sharing about the experience of resurrection. This is the audio podcast.

We appreciate you tuning into this episode in the 7th season of the Ray Reynolds Rap podcast. If we can pray for you in anyway please email us at rayreynoldsrap@gmail.com. If you are interested in a deeper, richer study of the Bible please download the FREE study guides available for a limited time. We also encourage you to sign up for a FREE Bible course for a comprehensive study of the entire Bible.The ministry of Reynolds Rap is meant to bring a message of inspiration and encouragement. Our hope it will bless you to find your calling and inspire you to engage in your own distinctive and personal ministry.  Our goal is to help mentor, coach, and motivate you.  We will do this through sharing Scriptures, Bible studies, blogs, podcasts, and LIVE videos.  Our website has many tools to help you in your walk with God to maintain an authentic Christian life (www.rayreynoldsrap.com).This podcast is partially sponsored by Peachtree Press LLC (www.peachtreepress.org), Getting To Know Your Bible (www.gettingtoknowyourbible.com), the Summerdale Church of Christ (www.summerdalechurch.org), and the Reclaiming Hope Ministry (www.reclaiminghopeministry.com).#ReynoldsRap #WixBlog #authentic #Christian #positive #practical #community #God #Jesus #Facebook #Twitter #Instagram #YouTube #Reddit #Substack #Christianity #ReclaimingHope #RayReynolds #MistyReynolds #counseling #PeachtreePress #inspiration #encourage #positive #rayreynoldsrap #reclaiminghopeministry #summerdale #churchofchrist #growinginChrist #story #Cleopas #Mary

Luke 24:13-17  Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus Himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing Him. He asked them, 'What are you discussing together as you walk along?' They stood still, their faces downcast.DISCOURAGEMENT is dissatisfaction with the past, distaste for the present, and distrust of the future.DISCOURAGEMENT is often the gap between EXPECTATION and REALITY.1. Remember God's PROMISES.Luke 24:18-21  One of them, named Cleopas, asked Him, 'Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?' 'What things?' He asked. 'About Jesus of Nazareth,' they replied. 'He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed Him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified Him; but we had hoped that He was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.'Luke 24:25  He said to them, 'How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!'FAITH is trusting what God has SAID even when it does not line up with what you currently SEE.Hebrews 13:5  'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'Psalm 34:18  'The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.'Romans 8:28  'And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.'John 16:33  'I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.'2. Recognize Jesus' PRESENCE.Do not be so consumed with what is happening TO YOU that you miss who is WITH YOU.Luke 24:28-29  As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if He were going farther. But they urged Him strongly, 'Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.' So He went in to stay with them.Revelation 3:20  'Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with Me.'3. Respond to God's POWER.Luke 24:31-34  Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, and He disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, 'Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?' They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, 'It is true! The Lord has risen.'The resurrection is not just an EVENT to celebrate; it is a MIRACLE to experience.Real CHANGE begins when you RESPOND.

Here is the outline for this Easter message: A Stranger on the Road (v 13-19a) The Gospel According to Cleopas (v 19b-24) The Gospel According to the Old Testament (v 25-27) Burning Hearts and Open Eyes (v 28-35) You can watch this message here.

Luke 24:13-35Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”“What things?”he asked.“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.  Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.  They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

Audio Recording Sermon OutlineSpeaker: Rev. Scott StrickmanSermon Series: EasterLuke 24:13-49 (ESV)13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them.44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that 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.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”Sermon OutlineThe resurrection of Jesus is perplexing and our world is complicated, so it is worth asking what Easter is about if we want to experience the joy and wonder of it:1. Easter is about Jesus in our messy world.v21 “but we had hoped…” v26-27 “was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”2. Easter is about a spiritual transformation where God reveals what brings us life.v16 “their eyes were kept from recognizing him”vv30-32 “he took the bread… and their eyes were open… ‘did not our hearts burn…?'” (vv34-35 - “he is risen indeed”)vv44-48 “he opened their minds to understand the scriptures…” 3. Easter is about God granting peace so we can have joy even while things are being worked out.v36 “Jesus himself stood among them… ‘peace'” v41 “they disbelieved for joy”Prayer of ConfessionOur life-giving God: even as we hear the good news with hope, we confess our unbelief. There are things we don't want to believe, and there are things we don't want to do. We admit the problem is deeper than we have discerned and we are guilty in ways we have not acknowledged. Forgive every sinful thought, word and action. We want the peace and joy offered to us in Christ, but our hearts are hard and our minds resistant to belief. We thank you that you are gracious, giving us what we have not earned, and generously granting life in such a costly way. Transform us so we see Jesus and that we come alive with new life in him. Amen.Questions for ReflectionWhat about life or our world doesn't make sense? How do those things affect you?What about Christianity doesn't make sense? What don't you understand, or have trouble believing?What is the significance of Jesus' death? What is the significance of his resurrection? How can anyone best learn and understand why he had to suffer and enter into glory?What keeps you from “seeing” Jesus? As you reflect on yourself, is there anything that may prohibit you from recognizing him, his presence, the meaning of his teachings or what he did?Have you ever had a spiritual experience where you sensed God's presence or activity? If so, what was it like? What did you experience? What were the circumstances?If you begin to see how all things come together in Jesus, and that God and His plan are more remarkable than you could have imagined – what would you expect to experience?How does the gospel bring joy? What in the story of Jesus' sufferings and glory can bring you gratitude, wonder, hope, or some experience of goodness?How can you deal with the questions you still have, or the confusion you still experience? What are healthy ways of trusting God, following Christ, and living faithfully even when it is hard, or you lose a sense of its purpose?

Audio Recording Sermon OutlineSpeaker: Rev. Scott StrickmanSermon Series: EasterLuke 24:13-49 (ESV)13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them.44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that 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.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”Sermon OutlineThe resurrection of Jesus is perplexing and our world is complicated, so it is worth asking what Easter is about if we want to experience the joy and wonder of it:1. Easter is about Jesus in our messy world.v21 “but we had hoped…” v26-27 “was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”2. Easter is about a spiritual transformation where God reveals what brings us life.v16 “their eyes were kept from recognizing him”vv30-32 “he took the bread… and their eyes were open… ‘did not our hearts burn…?'” (vv34-35 - “he is risen indeed”)vv44-48 “he opened their minds to understand the scriptures…” 3. Easter is about God granting peace so we can have joy even while things are being worked out.v36 “Jesus himself stood among them… ‘peace'” v41 “they disbelieved for joy”Prayer of ConfessionOur life-giving God: even as we hear the good news with hope, we confess our unbelief. There are things we don't want to believe, and there are things we don't want to do. We admit the problem is deeper than we have discerned and we are guilty in ways we have not acknowledged. Forgive every sinful thought, word and action. We want the peace and joy offered to us in Christ, but our hearts are hard and our minds resistant to belief. We thank you that you are gracious, giving us what we have not earned, and generously granting life in such a costly way. Transform us so we see Jesus and that we come alive with new life in him. Amen.Questions for ReflectionWhat about life or our world doesn't make sense? How do those things affect you?What about Christianity doesn't make sense? What don't you understand, or have trouble believing?What is the significance of Jesus' death? What is the significance of his resurrection? How can anyone best learn and understand why he had to suffer and enter into glory?What keeps you from “seeing” Jesus? As you reflect on yourself, is there anything that may prohibit you from recognizing him, his presence, the meaning of his teachings or what he did?Have you ever had a spiritual experience where you sensed God's presence or activity? If so, what was it like? What did you experience? What were the circumstances?If you begin to see how all things come together in Jesus, and that God and His plan are more remarkable than you could have imagined – what would you expect to experience?How does the gospel bring joy? What in the story of Jesus' sufferings and glory can bring you gratitude, wonder, hope, or some experience of goodness?How can you deal with the questions you still have, or the confusion you still experience? What are healthy ways of trusting God, following Christ, and living faithfully even when it is hard, or you lose a sense of its purpose?

Have you ever found yourself saying, "But we had hoped..."?

Group Guide Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week. TranscriptGood morning. Happy Easter, y'. All. We are In Luke chapter 24 today, verses 13 through 35. Nearly 2000 years ago, almost like. Exactly like 30, 33 AD is when the resurrection happened. Nearly 2000 years ago, some women who were followers of Jesus, they walked to the tomb expecting to carry the spices and to take care of his body and the humbling act of service that they were going to give. But when they arrived at the tomb, they were startled because the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty.> He is not here, but has risen. 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.And then they went back and they told the company, they told the rest of the followers of Jesus. And then some of the 12 disciples came and they verified his body is not there. And then began to unfold this message that went forth throughout the day and for all the days that followed up until this day that Jesus is alive. That for 2000 years that message has spread and spread, that it's so immersed in so many different parts of the world. It's so immersed here in the South. There are churches all around right now that are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, that are singing songs that make much of the empty tomb, that are preaching messages about his resurrection. There's a familiarity with this message. So much so that if we did call and response like this, if I said, he is risen, you would say, he is present in me. Y'. All. We don't even do that here. I'm not against it. We just don't. But it's. You're so familiar with it that you just are prompted. You jump right into it. We know this. We know this message. It's so clear here. But what I want us to see this morning as we look at Luke 24, is that it's more than just a message that we are. That we know, that we're familiar with. This is something that has to hit us deeper. And that's what we're going to see this morning. So I'm going to pray for us. Then we're going to walk through this wonderful story from Luke 24. Pray. Heavenly Father, I pray that you might help us be present in a way where your good news that you are alive, that you resurrected, and all that comes with that would come to bear on our hearts. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen.So, same day, the message that his body is gone, and they're trying to figure out what's going on, there's some confusion. And then we get to Luke 24, to a story that's only in this gospel. And we're going to pick it up in verse 13 says that very day, two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. Let's pause there. Two of them. So we're going to learn the name of one of them in a moment. It's Cleopas. Okay. And then the other one we never get the name of. We don't know much about Cleopas. We don't. He's not talked about a whole lot. And then another unnamed person which could have been his wife, could have been just another guy, we don't know. But these two, it's going to be clear from the context as we read followers of Jesus, they've been following Jesus quite some time. They are walking on their way to a village called Emmaus. And they were talking with each other, verse 14, about all these things that had happened. So they begin to discuss all of these things on this seven mile journey to this village called Emmaus. Now, seven miles, that's about a two hour plus walk if you stop to do anything, maybe a little bit longer. But they've got the time and they're talking about all the things that have happened. A Good Friday, that we just celebrated on Friday, the events of the morning on Easter morning.> And he said to them, "What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?"In verse 15, while they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. So they're talking about all the confusion of where, where is Jesus? Is he actually risen? Is he alive? And all of a sudden Jesus, who's walking from Jerusalem, just starts walking with him. And in that moment you would think they're just going to be so overjoyed. We found him. He's here. He is risen. But it says, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. So Jesus supernaturally puts a veil over their eyes. He's a stranger to them, some type of Jedi mind trick. Just, just, I am not Jesus, I am a stranger. And he just starts walking with them.> "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?"Verse 17. And he said to them, what is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk? So he's a stranger who just jumps in to the conversation, uninvited, I might add. He just jumps on in. I was at Peacewise with someone from our church about a month ago. And if you're at the main cafe area of Peacewise, all the tables are on top of each other. So I'm sitting at a table talking to someone from our church, and then someone beside us is listening in on the conversation. And then all of a sudden, she's like, I can't help but overhear your conversation. And I've gotten older and maybe a little bit grumpier in some ways. And I'm just like, I bet you can't just. We're having a conversation. You don't have to. You don't have to. But I fought it. I put it down. Because I'm like, that's selfishness. We're called to be everyday missionaries. Yes. Join the conversation. Kind of weave her way into it. That's fine. But Jesus does this. He just kind of weaves his way into the conversation and just says, what are you guys talking about? And it says, and they stood still, looking sad, which could be because they're introverts and don't want them in the conversation. Probably not more. Has to do with the substance of what he's about to say right here. Then one of them named Cleopas answered him.> "What things?"So Cleopas looks at Jesus and says, basically, are you living under a rock, bro? You're coming with us from Jerusalem. This is all that anyone has talked about for a week. That Jesus of Nazareth came down on the Sunday before, and he traveled in the city, and they shouted hosanna. There was this great hope for this great prophet, for this great leader, for this great rabbi. And then they crucified. Where have you been? Do you not know what has happened these days? And y', all. Jesus responds with one of my favorite responses in all of the gospels, says.> "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet, mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened."I'm just going to be honest. Jesus is playing dumb. He knows good and well what things. And as God, he foreordained them as man. He lived them out and felt all the suffering and the power that came with the cross and the resurrection. He knows good and well with things, but he's being coy and he's playing dumb, which for me is helpful because I play dumb with my kids. Sometimes I will witness something that I see them, you know, fighting. And I've. I've. I've seen it all. And I kind of come up and I'll say, hey, what's going on here? Why is. Why. Why is there crying? What. What happened? Just because I want to hear. What do you have to say? And I hear some version of, well, what happened was, is that I was here, and then she was running, and she ran, like, right into my fist. And it's like, oh, that's a. That's a spin. We're gonna have to talk about that after you get disciplined. Like, that's. He says, what things? He plays dumb. He wants to hear what they have to say. Which I think gives us a partial permission structure to do this if it's for a good thing. So if you're ever wondering, is that sneaky? Kind of. But Jesus does it, and he's perfect, so we'll rock with it. He says, what things? And this is where we see the sadness come out. This is where we see their dashed hopes and the confusion. They give a pretty succinct summary from Palm Sunday to Easter. And they said to him concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet, mighty indeed, and word, and before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death and crucified him, which is what we celebrated on Good Friday, that Jesus Christ gave himself over to be arrested, to be condemned, to be nailed to a cross. They say they crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one who would redeem. To redeem Israel. We had hoped that he was the Messiah, the one who was going to fix all of this. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these. These things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it, just as the women had said. But him they did not see. So they tell it all. They tell all the events from Palm Sunday to Easter. And now that Jesus is caught up on the matter, he has something to say about this.> "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself."Now, mind you, they still don't know it's Jesus. He's just a stranger. Supernaturally, he's got their eyes veiled. And these two followers of Jesus hear from this stranger, you foolish ones, O slow of heart, to believe all the prophets have spoken. You thought that hope was lost at the cross. You thought that was the end of hope. You don't know that was the very beginning of it. And then he Begins to walk through the Old Testament, begins to walk through from Moses, the law to the prophets, this is going to be Genesis to Malachi, and it begins to interpret to them all the things in the scriptures concerning himself. Y', all. There are moments in history that I just wish I could have been a fly on the wall to witness greatness, to witness a conversation like this happen. Like, if you could have been there. The moment that two people who were talking together realized that if you milked a cow, that you could actually systematize milking and have tons of milk, and the whole history of humanity was blessed because someone discovered something like that. And for those who are lactose intolerant, someone eventually discovered that you could milk almonds. And now we have that. There are moments of greatness that you get to witness that you just wish you could be there to see it. This is one of those moments where Jesus begins to walk through the Old Testament to point to all the different places where he is there. There's so many pictures and images and covenants and moments throughout the Old Testament that point to Jesus Christ. Some would call them Easter eggs. There you go. That are hidden, that point forward to what he is doing in his word. So for a moment, I just want to dream a little bit. We don't know what the substance of this conversation is, but for the moment, I just want to imagine what are some of the places he went to. Where in the Old Testament did he go to to point to himself? Did he start in Genesis 3? Did he start when the curse is being handed down to Adam and to Eve? And all of a sudden, in the middle of this curse, there's this declaration of hope, really the first declaration of the Gospel, that one day that the seed of Eve, the offspring of Eve, would crush the head of the serpent, which is the first declaration that there is a day coming that someone in the line of Eve will come and he will crush the head of evil and Satan and defeat the power of sin and death. Did he start there? Did he keep flipping through Genesis and he gets to the story of Abraham and Isaac on the mount, and he said, do you. Do you remember when Isaac was put on the altar being sacrifices Abraham's one and only son, the promised Son. But then God intervenes and says no and spares him. Do you not see that? That pointed one day to the day when God the Father would not spare his one and only Son, that he'd be raised up on an altar, on the cross to be crucified for the sins of man. That he keep flipping through the Old Testament and get to Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and see, hey, do you see Moses? Do you see how Moses, this mediator, which is a man in the middle between God and man, mediated this covenant, that they would follow the law and they'd be in the promised land. It would go well for them all. That was pointing forward to the day when one day the mediator of a better covenant, Jesus Christ, would come and he would stand between God the Father and mankind, taking on the sins and fulfilling all the perfect righteous requirements of the law. Did he go We've been walking through first and Second Samuel. Did he go to Second Samuel 7? We went through that about a month ago, which is the Davidic covenant, the covenant with David. We looked and we saw how there was a promise that in the line of David there would be someone who would bring an eternal throne, an eternal kingdom, an eternal house, that he take them there and say, do you see how that points forward to the day that one day Jesus Christ would establish an eternal kingdom, an eternal throne. Did he keep taking them through the prophets to show how all the prophets spoke of him? Did he reference how Isaiah called him the man of sorrows, of how Jeremiah called him the righteous branch of how Ezekiel called him the one shepherd, how Daniel calls him the Son of Man, how Hosea calls him the Son who was called up out of Egypt, how Joel calls him the Lord who pours out his spirit, how Amos calls him the tent of David, how Obadiah calls him the Lord who brings his kingdom? Did he go to the story of Jonah in reference back what he taught in the Gospels, that the sign of Jonah, Jonah being in the belly of the fish for three days, points forward to when he would be in the belly of the earth for three days and he would conquer death by stepping out? Did he go to Micah and say that he calls him the ruler from Bethlehem? Did he go to Nahum that says that this is the stronghold and the day of trouble? Did he go to Habakkuk and reference how Habakkuk calls him the Messiah, the Anointed One, which is the language of expectation, that they've been sitting in the for hundreds of years before Jesus comes? Did he go to Zephaniah that calls him the King of Israel, to Haggai, that calls him the Greater Temple, to Zechariah that calls him the king who rides in on the colt, which just happened the week before on Palm Sunday? Did he finish in Malachi, when Malachi talks about How John the Baptist prepared the way for him. He could have gone anywhere from the Old Testament and said, this all points to me that the entirety of the Old Testament is pointing forward to the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, man. To be there and to witness and to wonder, what did he walk them through? What a glorious moment to see. And it made quite the impression on them, whatever he walked them through. Because at the end of all of them, they asked him, why don't you spend the night with us?> "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent."So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent that Jesus has left such an impression on them, this stranger, that they can't know who he is. Yet they said, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, you're coming with. You're staying with us tonight. So he comes. He stays. So he went to stay with them.> When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight.So they finally get down, ready to eat, and Jesus takes the bread, just like he did a few nights ago when he instituted the Lord's Supper. And he breaks the bread and he hands it to them. And supernaturally the veil is removed and they can see Jesus. And I like to imagine that Jesus was just grinning ear to ear, just, it was me. It was me that walked him through the Scriptures. It was me. And then they don't have a moment to, like, jump across the table and embrace Him. He just gone, just vanishes, supernaturally leaves the building and they're just left hanging, like, what just happened? And then on, in response to this, says,> "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?"And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the 11. And those who were with them gathered together, saying,> "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon."Then they told what happened on the road and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. And they, after he vanishes, they just like, we got to get back to Jerusalem. I don't think it took them two hours. I think they sprinted. I think they sprinted all the way back to Jerusalem and they burst through the door where the disciples and all the followers of Jesus are trying to figure out what happened. Comparing and contrasting all the events of the day. And there had to be a moment where they just were like, wait, okay, you are. You're not going to believe what just happened. We just spent, like the whole afternoon with Jesus and we didn't even know he's Jesus. Like, we couldn't see him. He did something to our eyes, and then all of a sudden, he broke the bread and boom, he was there. And then he was gone. But I'm telling you, he's alive. He is risen. And that story has been told and retold and retold for the last 2000 years.Now, there's so many parts of this story that you could post up in that you could focus on. There's not one way to approach this text. I want to focus on one phrase as we close out. It's the immediate aftermath of Jesus appearing to them and then vanishing. It's what they say, did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us? The scriptures, they had. Their eyes were veiled the whole time they're with Jesus until then, but they. They make the connection to something that was happening within them. Like, did our hearts not burn within us when he. When he walked us through the Scriptures, when he taught us what all these events were supposed. Did he not. Did you feel it? Yeah, I felt it. Did you feel it? I felt it. Did our hearts not burn within us when we encountered the resurrected Jesus Christ as he declared the message of the gospel to us? That's where I want to spend the rest of our time, is trying to understand this. It's important to understanding this passage. But more importantly than that, it's one of the most important questions that you could reckon with in your entire life. So let's try to understand this. What they're pointing to is something very specific, and it's very rich how they respond. They're not talking about the literal heart. So when the Scriptures speak about the heart, this is not the literal organ that is pumping blood through your body. What they're talking about when in the rest of the Scriptures, when it speaks of the heart, the heart is the inner self. This is your inner self. And what they're tapping into is, did our. Did our hearts. Did our inner self not burn within us? Were those affections that we were sensing not stirring within us? As Jesus, the resurrected Savior, walked us through the gospel throughout the Old Testament, explained to us the story of redemption from Genesis to him? Did you not sense that holy stirring, that holy burn within us as Jesus began to connect all those dots. That is a picture of what it looks like for God to work within us. This is what it means for the. For the Spirit of God to come at work within us and to change us. And it leads us to the most important question that you could ever reckon with. Does your heart burn within you when you hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Does your heart stir within you when you consider the message of this Jesus? Because here's the deal. You can hear that message over and over and over again. You can know it, you can recount it. And I could. I could walk through it all. I could. We could go through the Old Testament and point out all the places where God is weaving his redemption story together, leading to the cross and the empty tomb. That we could talk about how when you flip from Malachi into the Gospel of Matthew, that Jesus, God takes on human flesh and dwells among us. We can look at how he ministered to the people, how he taught the people, all the miracles that he performed. We can go all the way to the end of each of the gospels where he's betrayed by Judas, where he's abandoned by his friends, where he is given over to Pilate, where he is nailed to a cross, where the full cup of God's wrath is poured out on him. And we can keep going to what we celebrate today, that he was resurrected and that he walked out of the tomb. And that the power of the resurrection, the meaning of the resurrection, means that death doesn't have. That's what we just sang. That death doesn't have to have a grip on us, that through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, we can be made new from old to new, from dead to life, that we can step into an eternal life. And we can keep flipping through the pages and we can celebrate that all of this happens by grace, through faith alone in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone. We can see how you can't earn this relationship with God, that you must trust in what Jesus has done. We can look at all of this and consider it. And, and, and what I would. What I would suppose is that many of us are familiar with that. We know that message. We know it. We've heard it. We've heard it over and over again. The central question is not do you know that message. The central question is, does your heart burn within you when you consider that message? Does God stir in you affections, worship, love, joy towards Him? That is the question that we must reckon with. That's what Ephesians, chapter One is getting at in verse 18, when it says, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you? What are the riches of his glorious inheritance? In the saints, the question is, have the eyes of your heart been opened enlightened when you consider the riches of the glorious inheritance that he secures through through his redemptive work? Does your heart burn and stir within you when you consider this? There's an old Puritan pastor named Jonathan Edwards from hundreds of years ago. He has a work called Religious Affections. It's a collection of his writings that are put together. And in this. In Religious Affections, what he's trying to do is make a distinction between false religion and true religion. So dead religion, that's a name only, and true religion, that is a relationship with God that is uniquely different. And he tries to separate this out, even goes to Luke 24, this passage, to be able to help us see that there's something different about true religion, about true relationship with God. There's something about this zeal and this love and this wonder and this worship and this wonder that he stirs within us that exemplifies a new life in Christ that is true, that is different than this false religion that may know all of these things, but God hasn't stirred within this individual affections for him. And when getting to the description of this false religion, I want to read what he wrote. He says here, their love is cold, their desires languid, their zeal low, and their gratitude small. How they can sit and hear of the infinite height and depth and length and breadth of the love of God in Christ Jesus, and of his of giving his infinitely dear Son to be offered up a sacrifice for the sins of men, and of the unparalleled love of the innocent and holy and tender Lamb of God manifested revealed in his dying agonies, his bloody sweat, his loud and bitter cries and bleeding heart. And all this for enemies. He says that you can know these things. You can sit and hear about the height and the length and the depth of the love of God that you can picture and have pictured before you this infinite, infinitely dear Son who is raised up on a cross. And we can bear witness by reading the Gospels. We can hear about his agonies and his suffering and the love that it took to stay on that cross for us. And that he does this all, all this for enemies, to redeem them from deserved eternal destruction, and to bring to unspeakable and everlasting joy and glory. And hear this and yet be cold and heavy and sensible. And regardless that we can be familiar with that message and have a heart that is cold, apathetic, does not care heavy, does not inspire to move insensible, just lacks complete sensitivity to the message of the gospel, regardless, does not consider it, does not regard it, that that is what he's getting at with this false religion.Friends, I, I, I want you to hear this very clearly. I think there are many of us in the south that are very familiar with this message. We know it, we know this message. But knowing doesn't save you. The question is, is that when you consider this message, if you know it, are your is your love cold? Are your desires? Is your zeal low? Is the gratitude small? Do you know it? But it that knowledge does inspire love and worship and affections towards Christ and faith and repentance and obedience and delighting in him over all things. Because if that isn't the fruit of what you say you believe, then the reality is you don't believe the message. Familiarity with the message of the gospel doesn't save. And Jesus may be looking at you this morning and saying, oh friend, slow of heart to believe. Slow of heart to believe this you might know all the Sunday school answers from growing up, and you might wear a cross around your neck and you might be a good, decent person who lives a good, decent life, will one day have a good decent funeral. Or people talk about you as a good, decent man or woman and none of that saves, none of it. What saves is encountering this resurrected Savior. And then your heart begins to burn within you. Your heart, your affections begin to stir within you. And my hope is on this Easter morning as we celebrate the goodness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, that he is alive, that he is risen indeed, and all of the eternal implications of hope that come with that. My hope this morning is that as you consider this message, that you might sit honestly before the Lord and you might begin to ask yourself, do I have actually believe this in a way where my heart burns for him, where my heart is stirred for him, where my affections are growing for him. And if you come to the maybe painful reality that that is not the case, my hope this morning is that you would begin to burn, that that stirring would happen in your heart. And I've walked with people long enough to know that sometimes this happens. Sometimes you can feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit beginning to work in your heart. And maybe right now you're trying to convince yourself out of this. Maybe you're trying to say, let's just get to brunch. Let's just get to the rest of the day. I don't want to reckon with this. I don't want to lean into this reality. I just want to move on. I want to press on. But I want to invite you to lean into the heat of that discomfort. Because what Jesus offers you, if he begins to stir and in your heart is a wonderful relationship with him. That is what we say every single Sunday here. That is far better than anything this world has to offer. Everything that you could possibly build your life upon in this world is nothing in comparison to Christ. Paul says it is rubbish in comparison to him. That what you are missing out on is eternally wonderful. So do not deny the heat that is burning within you. Do not run from it. Do not explain it away. Lean into it. I'm going to pray for you in a moment. And my hope is that as I pray, maybe for the first time, you'll lean into the heat. You'll begin to let the Spirit take over your life in a way that transforms you into a new creation in Christ, into someone who loves, worships, follows, and delights in God from now into eternity. But hear this. You must. You must pray. And you must ask Jesus to take over your life. That this cannot be in head knowledge only. This has to be a surrender of the heart to him.So I'm going to pray at the end of all of this. I'm going to be outside that door over there, that connect corner. And as I pray, if you for the first time are choosing to follow Jesus Christ, come talk to me. If you came with a Christian this morning who loves you, talk to him or her. But don't run from the heat. Let it take over. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, I pray that right now you might open the eyes of our heart to the reality that you loved us so much that you came. You didn't leave us in our sin and our rebellion against you, but you came and you went to the cross to die for our sins. And that you conquered, you walked out of the tomb conquering the power of death and sin in our lives. And Lord, I pray if there's anyone here this morning that has known this message from their youth, that maybe is young and knows this message can recite it back word for word, but they've never had the burning desire of the stirring of affections towards you. Lord, would you melt their heart this morning? Would you work in their heart this morning? Would you bring them to life and that life into eternity. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen.Band's going to come up, we're going to sing and we're going to worship Christ because he's worthy of our worship and worthy of our praise. And if this morning, if that moment right now, you just prayed to follow Jesus Christ, I want to invite you again. Come find me out there at the connect corner. Talk to a friend that brought you, but don't run from it this morning, lean into it.

The Jesus Effect: Emmaus Luke 24:13-35 13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

As the Savior's mortal ministry draws to its sacred climax, the New Testament highlights a devoted group of women whose faith and service quietly shape the final hours of Jesus Christ's life. In the days leading up to the Crucifixion, women appear as faithful disciples who minister with courage and devotion. The Gospels describe a woman in Bethany—identified as Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus—who anoints Jesus with precious ointment, symbolically preparing Him for His burial and demonstrating profound spiritual insight. Other faithful women, including Mary the mother of Jesus and Martha of Bethany, had long served the Savior and supported His ministry. Their acts of hospitality, discipleship, and devotion reflect a pattern of covenant service—women who recognized the Savior and responded with love, generosity, and spiritual sensitivity. At the time of the Crucifixion, when many others had fled in fear, several faithful women remained near the cross, becoming eyewitnesses of the Savior's sacrifice. Among them were Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Mary the wife of Cleopas, and Salome, along with other devoted disciples who had followed Him from Galilee and ministered to His needs. Their presence reflects remarkable courage and loyalty as they comfort one another and remain close to the Lord in His final mortal moments. These women would later play crucial roles in the sacred events surrounding His burial and Resurrection, preparing spices and returning to the tomb in loving service. From the preparation of the Last Supper to the sorrowful vigil at Golgotha, the women of the New Testament stand as powerful witnesses of Christ—models of faithful discipleship who served, mourned, and ultimately rejoiced in the triumph of their risen Redeemer.

"Jesus asked them, 'What were you talking about as you walked along?' Then the one named Cleopas asked Jesus, 'Are you the only person from Jerusalem who didn't know what was happening there these last few days?'" - Luke 24:13-35 Listen to other great sleep mediations on Amen.Sign up for a 7-day free trial of Formed.Support this podcast and the Augustine Institute by becoming a member of the Mission Circle. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.