The Good News!

Welcome! I am the Rev. Ken Saunders. I serve as the rector of St. James Episcopal Church in Greeneville, Tennessee (since May 2018). These sermons here were delivered in the context of worship at the various places I have served.

[NOTE: Sermons (or Homilies) are commentaries that follow the scripture lessons, and are specifically designed to be heard. They are "written for the ear" and may contain sentence fragments and be difficult to read. They are NOT intended to be academic papers.]

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

RCL Year A (Easter 3) - May 8, 2011

The Rev. Kenneth H. Saunders III
Trinity Episcopal Church
Towson, MD

RCL Year A (Easter 3) - May 8, 2011

Acts 2:14a,36-41
1 Peter 1:17-23
Luke 24:13-35
Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17

Have you ever noticed that many of the post-resurrection stories… those “post-easter” stories about the risen Jesus are centered around meals? We know from today’s lesson that the disciples knew the Lord Jesus in the breaking of the bread at Emmaus…

Jesus comes among the disciples on the road but they don’t recognize him. The disciples are sad, and are moping around on the road between Jerusalem and Emmaus, and disappointed because Jesus and his ministry didn’t quite seem to be what they expected…

He wasn’t the savior that they had hoped for. He wasn’t the one that had ridden into Jerusalem on a colt just a week prior... he wasn't the one that they expected to be the militant messiah… They felt that he was taken and crucified before he could make a difference… before he could free Israel from Roman oppression. You can feel almost feel their disappointment in the story… And then Jesus reveals to them everything that was spoken about him by the prophets… but… they still don’t know it’s him – they don’t recognize him…

They get to Emmaus, and it’s quickly becoming evening… So in an act of hospitality and welcome, that is so common in that region of the world, they invite this total stranger into their home to share some dinner and a bed… They didn’t recognize that it is Jesus. To them, this man walking along the road was just a stranger… a stranger that has now revealed the prophetic scriptures to them. They don’t recognize Jesus until he takes, blesses, breaks, and gives bread to them like he has done so many times before.

It is not a mistake – Meals are very much a central part of Jesus’ ministry. And we know that some of the dinners that he has with folks get him into all kinds of trouble… like when he eats with “sinners” and tax collectors and harlots and those outside the circle of faith. Other meals shared with Jesus feed the multitudes… like when Jesus feeds the five thousand by taking what is available and blesses it, breaks it, and distributes it until ALL are fed – Providing enough for everyone and having enough left over to fill 12 baskets.

On his last evening with this followers, Jesus shared a meal with them, during which he offered his whole self… At his last supper with his friends, Jesus takes bread, blesses it, breaks it and shares it – and tells them, this is my body – and he takes the wine and blesses it and shares it and says that this is my blood… And this offering of his WHOLE self became the act - which becomes for us the greatest celebration and expression of thanksgiving to God… that which would sustain them and continues to sustain us and feed us after he is gone.

Our eating together is always a sign of celebration… It is a celebration of our relationships being lived out. It doesn’t matter if we are feeding or being fed. Most church communities (especially Trinity) like to have meals together. They like having meals together because they like being with each other, and they like eating good food. You will also see this in most families. Those that may be gathered at Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Mother’s Day, or any other bright occasion on the calendar that may allow us the opportunity to share a meal.

But I want us to think for a minute about the many sacred and holy things that underlie a meal that we share together. Or better yet, the meals that we share with strangers who aren’t family... In communities of faith, these meals become sacramental for us… signs of risen Christ here with us and among us. They become meals that bring us all to a common table, in order to be in right relationship with God and with each other.

That is why, from the very beginning of times when Christians began to worship in their homes and in the catacombs… a meal becomes central act of our Christian life. It is a meal of nourishment for our Christian life together. For the journey of faith that we are all on. In this meal that we share, we experience the risen Christ as a community in the breaking of the bread and then we receive that spiritual nourishment of Christ’s whole self… just what we need to sustain us in our Christian lives and on our journey of faith…

At the center of the Resurrection story is this meal shared at Emmaus: the bread taken, blessed, broken, and given and the risen Jesus is recognized. Christians understand all meals in relationship to the Eucharistic feast… Haven’t you ever wondered why we pray… and give thanks to God before we eat? The Holy Communion, and in fact all meals are for us a foretaste of that heavenly banquet that we will ALL one day share as we feast with Jesus in paradise.

The disciples knew the Lord Jesus in the breaking of the bread… May the risen Christ be known to us today as the bread is broken and the meal is shared.

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