Emmaus: In Breaking Bread
Sermon
Come Dine With Jesus
Ten Sermons And Litanies For Lent And Easter
Worship Focus
A large loaf of bread, broken in half and placed so that the broken surfaces partly show. There could be three plates at the table, with the broken bread in front of the center plate.
A Litany For The Ninth Meal
Leader: Great God of heaven and earth, we come to you in praise.
People: We celebrate the joyous news of Jesus Christ, risen from the dead.
Leader: Death could not conquer him.
People: The tomb could not hold him.
Leader: Yet we confess that at times our faith has been too small. Christ our Lord lives, but we have not listened for his word.
People: Our eyes have been upon ourselves, and we have failed to look for him.
Leader: We thank you that Christ came to the disciples in the garden, and on the road to Emmaus, and back in Jerusalem.
People: We thank you that in grace you have sought us and drawn near to us.
Leader: When we come to your holy table, Lord, we sense your living presence.
People: We have heard you in your word; we have felt your presence in the breaking of the bread.
All: May our hearts and minds be always open unto you. Amen.
Emmaus: In Breaking Bread
Luke 24:13-35
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.
Who was this stranger who came up to us
and interrupted us?
We had enough on our minds.
A week before, Jesus had come to Jerusalem.
We went to hear him every time
he came to the city,
but he hadn't been there for months.
Usually he came quietly with his disciples,
but this time was different.
He came with shouts and a big procession,
entered the temples and raised a storm
with the thieving merchants,
challenged the high priests
and told parables against them.
Then came the terrible shock.
Jesus was arrested;
he was turned over to the Romans
to be crucified,
with all the beatings and mockery
and coarse brutality of the Roman
soldiers and that terrible death.
Today the Sabbath was over,
and it was time to go home,
back to Emmaus.
We walked the seven weary miles,
tired,
broken-hearted.
We had enough on our minds:
no Messiah,
no hope,
and this strange story
of the women who said
they found his tomb empty
and had a vision of angels
who said he was alive.
We were talking about Jesus,
how we believed he was the Messiah,
when this stranger came up to us
and asked what it was all about.
How could he intrude when we were grieving,
talking of the terrible things
that had happened?
Where had he been
that he had not heard of this?
Yet he asked politely
and seemed truly interested,
so we told him all we knew.
We told him,
but then he began to tell us,
as if he knew far more of the story
than we did.
He began from the words of Moses,
teaching that the Messiah would come.
Then he spoke from the prophets,
saying the Messiah would suffer --
die --
and would rise --
enter into his glory.
Prophet after prophet,
he led us through the Scriptures.
Seven miles, seven sad miles,
we walked with the strange teacher
who seemed to know so much more:
more than we had ever heard before,
more than we had ever learned
from the priests.
His words stirred us from within.
Somehow his words lifted us up,
and the miles did not seem as long.
Seven miles:
we were home at Emmaus,
late in the day.
We stopped at our house.
He said, ''Shalom,'' and he started on.
''Stay,'' we asked him.
''It's supper time and it will be dark soon;
it's not time to travel on.''
We urged him, and he agreed.
Supper was simple;
my wife had no time to cook.
We had a loaf of bread;
there were cheese and dates in the chest.
Then it happened.
I am the head of my house,
the host at the meal;
it's up to me to say the blessing.
He looked at me,
reached over,
picked up the bread;
and he said the blessing,
as if it were his house.
He spoke as if he were speaking
to his own father;
and he broke the bread.
Then we knew!
I'd seen those hands break bread before:
break bread and pass it to 5,000 men.
We saw his face.
It was as if my eyes had been clouded
all afternoon!
Why hadn't I seen him?
We saw Jesus.
We knew it was he,
no one else.
It was Jesus -- alive!
He vanished,
but we knew it was he.
Suddenly, it all fit together:
his words on the way,
explaining the Scripture;
his hands at the table,
breaking the bread.
They were all part of one truth.
He prepared us by opening the Scripture;
he confirmed it by breaking the bread.
There was no staying at Emmaus.
We rose up and walked back to Jerusalem,
no longer tired,
for we had to tell the disciples our news,
joyous news.
We had seen Jesus,
risen and alive!
He came to us
in the teaching of the Scripture;
he was known to us
in the breaking of the bread.
A large loaf of bread, broken in half and placed so that the broken surfaces partly show. There could be three plates at the table, with the broken bread in front of the center plate.
A Litany For The Ninth Meal
Leader: Great God of heaven and earth, we come to you in praise.
People: We celebrate the joyous news of Jesus Christ, risen from the dead.
Leader: Death could not conquer him.
People: The tomb could not hold him.
Leader: Yet we confess that at times our faith has been too small. Christ our Lord lives, but we have not listened for his word.
People: Our eyes have been upon ourselves, and we have failed to look for him.
Leader: We thank you that Christ came to the disciples in the garden, and on the road to Emmaus, and back in Jerusalem.
People: We thank you that in grace you have sought us and drawn near to us.
Leader: When we come to your holy table, Lord, we sense your living presence.
People: We have heard you in your word; we have felt your presence in the breaking of the bread.
All: May our hearts and minds be always open unto you. Amen.
Emmaus: In Breaking Bread
Luke 24:13-35
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.
Who was this stranger who came up to us
and interrupted us?
We had enough on our minds.
A week before, Jesus had come to Jerusalem.
We went to hear him every time
he came to the city,
but he hadn't been there for months.
Usually he came quietly with his disciples,
but this time was different.
He came with shouts and a big procession,
entered the temples and raised a storm
with the thieving merchants,
challenged the high priests
and told parables against them.
Then came the terrible shock.
Jesus was arrested;
he was turned over to the Romans
to be crucified,
with all the beatings and mockery
and coarse brutality of the Roman
soldiers and that terrible death.
Today the Sabbath was over,
and it was time to go home,
back to Emmaus.
We walked the seven weary miles,
tired,
broken-hearted.
We had enough on our minds:
no Messiah,
no hope,
and this strange story
of the women who said
they found his tomb empty
and had a vision of angels
who said he was alive.
We were talking about Jesus,
how we believed he was the Messiah,
when this stranger came up to us
and asked what it was all about.
How could he intrude when we were grieving,
talking of the terrible things
that had happened?
Where had he been
that he had not heard of this?
Yet he asked politely
and seemed truly interested,
so we told him all we knew.
We told him,
but then he began to tell us,
as if he knew far more of the story
than we did.
He began from the words of Moses,
teaching that the Messiah would come.
Then he spoke from the prophets,
saying the Messiah would suffer --
die --
and would rise --
enter into his glory.
Prophet after prophet,
he led us through the Scriptures.
Seven miles, seven sad miles,
we walked with the strange teacher
who seemed to know so much more:
more than we had ever heard before,
more than we had ever learned
from the priests.
His words stirred us from within.
Somehow his words lifted us up,
and the miles did not seem as long.
Seven miles:
we were home at Emmaus,
late in the day.
We stopped at our house.
He said, ''Shalom,'' and he started on.
''Stay,'' we asked him.
''It's supper time and it will be dark soon;
it's not time to travel on.''
We urged him, and he agreed.
Supper was simple;
my wife had no time to cook.
We had a loaf of bread;
there were cheese and dates in the chest.
Then it happened.
I am the head of my house,
the host at the meal;
it's up to me to say the blessing.
He looked at me,
reached over,
picked up the bread;
and he said the blessing,
as if it were his house.
He spoke as if he were speaking
to his own father;
and he broke the bread.
Then we knew!
I'd seen those hands break bread before:
break bread and pass it to 5,000 men.
We saw his face.
It was as if my eyes had been clouded
all afternoon!
Why hadn't I seen him?
We saw Jesus.
We knew it was he,
no one else.
It was Jesus -- alive!
He vanished,
but we knew it was he.
Suddenly, it all fit together:
his words on the way,
explaining the Scripture;
his hands at the table,
breaking the bread.
They were all part of one truth.
He prepared us by opening the Scripture;
he confirmed it by breaking the bread.
There was no staying at Emmaus.
We rose up and walked back to Jerusalem,
no longer tired,
for we had to tell the disciples our news,
joyous news.
We had seen Jesus,
risen and alive!
He came to us
in the teaching of the Scripture;
he was known to us
in the breaking of the bread.
