A Special Meal

Rockville United Church
The Rev. John Cooper-Martin

May 7, 2006

Over the Thanksgiving weekend of 1990, my wife Elizabeth and I went to New York City to celebrate with her brother’s family and her parents. On the first evening we were there, we all went out to eat in a teeny, little cozy restaurant, which only had seating for four tables. As we began to eat, Elizabeth’s father, unexpectedly, asked, “Elizabeth, do you have something to tell the family?” Elizabeth almost choked she was so surprised. But she gracefully recovered and said, “Yes, we are expecting a baby,” to which Elizabeth’s mother, uncharacteristically shouted out in joy, “Three cheers for the mother-to-be!”

Elizabeth and I now both almost choked, as we were so surprised and a little embarrassed, as now the whole restaurant knew what had been kept private between the two of us until that moment in time

Even with those unexpected events, it was such a wonderful meal! We have cherished the memory of that meal over the years, because it reminds us of the memories our families and we had of awaiting Laura’s birth. It was no ordinary meal. It was a special meal!

Meals are central in Christian discipleship. Throughout Luke’s Gospel and in his other volume, the Book of Acts, the importance of meals is demonstrated time and time again. Luke pictures Jesus almost constantly eating with people. In the Gospel of Luke, it’s almost like Jesus is either going to a meal, at a meal, or coming from a meal.

Jesus called Levi the tax collector, and then he goes to a banquet to celebrate. Jesus eats at the home of Mary and Martha. He eats with tax collectors such as Zacchaeus and Pharisees such as Simon. Luke portrays Jesus eating with everyone, because he accepts everyone

And this is also true of Jesus’ followers as well. In the first pages of Luke’s second volume, we find the disciples gathered together in the Upper Room, and you guessed it – they’re eating. The Book of Acts ends with Paul under house arrest, which more likely means that when visitors came they could sit down to eat with him. I imagine, in my own mind, that Paul probably penned some of his epistles with food in his mouth.

On the night in which Jesus is betrayed, he eats the Passover meal with his disciples. There he institutes our Holy Communion, a meal to remember him by.

Then, Jesus dies, and Luke says nothing about any eating. Two of Jesus’ disciples are on the road to Emmaus. Some say Jesus is risen, but you would have had a hard time convincing these two disciples on that.

Then, Jesus joins them, only they don’t know its Jesus. “Why are you two so down?” They can’t believe he hasn’t heard. They explain the events of Jesus’ crucifixion.

The person with the disciples explains what the Scriptures mean to the disciples, to show how it was necessary for the Messiah to die and be raised. The disciple’s listen, but who knows what they’re thinking or if they believe the stranger or not. It’s evening. They’re tired. Dragging their feet, shoulders slumped. Archaeologists have never been able to locate Emmaus. Luke says it was seven miles from Jerusalem. Might as well have been seven thousand for these two disciples. And here we are about two thousand years later. Sometimes we feel like it might as well be two million.

Easter is the highest and holiest day of the Christian year. Let’s face it. Every other Sunday is not. These Sundays after Easter sometimes can leave us feeling like those disciples on the road to Emmaus – tired and dragging. Let’s see. Is today the third, fourth or fifth Sunday of Easter? Would you have known without looking at your bulletin?

In the Scripture text, the two disciples are home now. And the person they don’t recognize seems like he is going on. Then, they invite this stranger to eat with them.

The stranger breaks bread, and then it happens – the story climaxes! The disciples realize the person they’re with is Jesus. They recognize that the person is Jesus! He startles them and then reassures them. He is risen! The two disciples run back to Jerusalem. “Jesus is risen! We recognized him!” He conquered death! We saw him!

Post-Easter Sunday let-down got you? Tired, dragging? Well, there’s good news today. We are going to share in a meal – a special meal – a holy meal. By partaking in this holy meal today, if we invite Jesus in, just as the two disciples did, if we invite Jesus into our lives, we too can see that Jesus is risen for us – today, and we can celebrate that good news. Jesus is alive! He is risen! Jesus has conquered death – for you and for me!

So, just like that meal Elizabeth and I had in New York was a special meal, the one we are going have today is a special meal too. Only this meal today is even more special. This meal proclaims the good news is that Jesus is risen for us today, just like it did for the two disciples thousands of years ago! Like the two disciples, about two thousand years ago, the good news is that we too can recognize Jesus in the blessing and the breaking of the bread today! Thanks to God for this good news, today!