Almost every story in the Bible has meaning that has been lost
over the years, things that didn’t get taught and things people thought was
unimportant.
The two disciples on the road to Emmaus is no exception to this.
Emmaus was a famous place – In 169 BC Antiochus Epiphanes of Syria
besieged and captured Jerusalem.
It was three years before the Jews could regroup; but, under Judas
Maccabaeus, they launched their fight for freedom. In 165 BC the Syrian commander detached 5000 infantry and
1000 cavalry from his main forces to travel by night and to ambush the
Jews. Judas found out and marched against
the main Syrian camp at Emmaus - Judas said to the troops. “Remember how our
ancestors were saved at the Red Sea when Pharaoh was pursuing them. Now let us call on heaven, to remember
his covenant with our ancestors and to destroy this army confronting us
today. Then all the Gentiles will
know that there is one who ransoms and saves Israel.” Judas’s army won the day.
The two disciples, heading for Emmaus, were heading for the site
of the ancient victory. Perhaps
Luke imagines a glimmer of hope in their darkness? Where God had acted before, he might do the same again.
The disciples linked Jesus with Moses, and Moses was linked to
Maccabaeus – In their minds he was from the same stable. In Luke it says that Jesus was “a
prophet mighty in word and deed….and we were hoping that this was the one who
was to ransom Israel”.
This is also how the trouble started in Holy Week. You probably remember me saying before
that it is difficult to understand why the crowds turned from the “hosannas” of
Palm Sunday to the “crucify him” of Good Friday. And why Jesus rode into town on a donkey and not a
horse. With the benefit of
hindsight, I suppose they could have seen that this was a statement to the
people – Jesus is saying “I am not Judas Maccabeaus” He was not bringing political liberation, He was bringing
the better liberation, salvation.
The disciples on the road to Emmaus have hope. They wait for things to be better in
the world. Despite all that Jesus
had told them their hopes of a political kingdom endure – a sort of King Jesus
in the palace idea. They had been
told that the Kingdom of God (according to Luke) cannot be watched for, and
they won’t be able to say “here it is” or “there it is”, it will be in them and
amongst them.
On the evening at Emmaus, they were still in the dark until Jesus
broke bread with them – in that moment they see who Jesus really is.
Perhaps they understood what they must do, and why the last few
days seemed to be terrible.
It’s strange that as soon as they understood, they went about
their work and had huge success.
From the few disciples we are now significantly bigger as a church –
some say as many as 2.1 billion people in 34,000 separate Christian groups.
So what about this journey from Emmaus for people of faith? After the crucifixion and the
resurrection, we have re-grouped taken the message to the world.
For me this means that we are living in the world, but we are also
apart from the world. Looking at
things differently, and proclaiming our faith in many ways.
We need to be different in
what we say and do – caring for the poor and the outcast as Christ did.
So how do we look different?
How do people recognise us.
I always like to see people wearing crosses, crucifixes and other
symbols of faith, because I like to believe that they are ‘standing apart’ from
the crowd – making a declaration that they are one of the army that re-grouped
in Emmaus, and marched on the world.
The truth is though, that most people who wear crosses aren’t
religious, I don’t mind. I like to
pretend that they are ‘one of us’.
I read the church times a few weeks ago, the question was asked “Why do clergy generally wear black and not
bright colours?” I waited patiently for the answers from well meaning
clever clergy to be printed, and I was disappointed with the first few results,
speaking about sin, denial and being miserable. Then to my delight and surprise, The Revd Paul Wilkin from
Essex gave the best answer.
He wrote that the late Johnny Cash the American Country
singer-songwriter (and Christian) known for wearing only black said;
“Well, you wonder why I always dress in
black. Why you never see bright colours
on my back, and why does my appearance seem to have a sombre tone. Well, there’s a reason for the things I
have on.
I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,
livin’ in the hopeless, hungry side of town, I wear it for the prisoner who has
long paid for his crime, but is there because he’s a victim of the times.
I wear the black for those who never read, or
listened to the words that Jesus said, about the road to happiness through love
and charity. Why? You’d think He’s talking to you and
me.”
Johnny Cash was saying that he needed to live in the world and still be apart from the world. He was saying that all our lives need
to be a statement about those who have no voice.
Whatever the world does to us, we will still be part of the
unstoppable force that regrouped after the resurrection to plan for world
domination – not in the name of power, profit or ideology, but in the name of
that great liberation, that excellent freedom – salvation.
Whether you wear black to remind yourself and the world of the
poor and downtrodden, or whether you wear a crucifix or cross, a dove a fish or
a if you have a multicolour tattoo, wear it with pride, because it speaks of
your belonging to the church of God, the army of the Prince of Peace.
I was looking for some modern quotes about Christianity, and I
found one that was quite interesting.
Sam Pascoe said;
"Christianity started out in Palestine
as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy
and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it moved to
America and became an enterprise."
I would like to be able
to add – and it came to Wales and started another worldwide revolution of
justice and peace. I might be a
dreamer, but if we don’t think big….well, it might as well never have happened.
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