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. Luke 24: 18-31
The Internet defines communion as “the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level.” The two travelers we have been following this week, Cleopas and friend, have left Jerusalem “after all this,” after all the rumors circulating on Easter morning about the empty tomb, after the crucifixion and after the resurrection. They are walking to Emmaus about seven miles away and are deep in discussion when a stranger joins them and joins their conversation. He asks, “What’s up?” What are they are talking about? They share about the events of the weekend and he “opens Scripture” pointing out that it was all a fulfillment of prophecy. I would have loved to listen in on that conversation. I’m guessing this was not a chit chat about weather or politics but the conversation delved into their personal thoughts and dreams that perhaps Jesus was the promised Messiah and the woes of being an occupied country. The two people were deeply moved for they invited Jesus to stay with them. They offered Jesus food and he “broke bread” and blessed it and their eyes were open. And they “recognized” Jesus.
Holy moments involve a sharing of our lives in fellowship but then there is that “communion” when the talk becomes something more than an exchange of words but becomes an exchange of hearts when we explore the reality of what is going on inside ourselves. Christians celebrate communion, a sacrament or a ritual, that involves depending on your tradition, a confession of sins, forgiveness, breaking of bread that reminds us that God is building our lives, and a drinking of wine or juice that reminds us that God is as close to us as our blood flowing through our veins and giving us life.
The ritual may seem routine to many even as our fellowship is often superficial and time filling. But then there are the times when we open our heart and we not only fellowship with God but we also commune. We hear the words that we are forgiven, that we are God’s child and that we can face the coming week because he goes with us. At the end of the service, the pastor raises his hands and says, “Go in peace.”
Like Cleopas and friend our eyes are opened and we recognize that the risen Christ has been with us.
We encounter the risen Lord in personal moments like with Mary Magdalene. We encounter the risen Lord in the explanation of Scriptures that put our lives into perspective. We encounter the risen Lord in the sacraments that walk us through the events of our lives and remind us we are a child of God. May you be blessed as meet him on your journey this week.
On the Way to Wonder 