Charles Amis Sermon for Easter 3 - 26 April 2020
Luke 24:13-25
We are all living in very strange times - nothing is normal - lock down - coronavirus has changed everything. The roads and the High Street are almost empty. People are doing their best to avoid each other and keep their distance - isolating.
But today I want to look back and forward to times when we could meet together, share time together and eat together. A glorious trip into nostalgia. A topic we can all relate to is food. Mealtimes are the heart and centre of relationship and family. The Bible has many stories of meals shared and we read of Jesus eating with religious leaders, with sinners and with friends and disciples. We also read in the Book of Job 'God gives us food to make our hearts glad'.
The implication is that when we share communion together Jesus is present with us so it is when we share a family meal, but of course we have to invite him perhaps by simply saying grace or a short prayer. But we often miss out because other things get in the way - time - TV - irregular eating patterns. One of the lasting memories of my childhood were family meals. We always ate together sitting round the dining table with lots of chat and laughter and on Mondays when we had the cold meat from Sunday's roast we used to fight for the gravy at the bottom of the bowl of dripping!
Sadly for many today the family meal has been taken over by a quick meal in front of the TV - no High Street is complete without a 'Golden Arch', Kentucky Fried Chicken or a dozen pizza takeaways.
I know that for many of us the pressures of life and time make long lingering meals hard to fit into our day yet I also know that it is important to make time to sit and relax and enjoy a meal, but more, much more than that, to make time over a meal to talk, to share your day - the good thing and the bad. How much better too if we are also sharing that time with Jesus.
In our reading today there are two people who are not having a very good day. They are in fact in a state of depression. As they walk along the road they are joined by a stranger and as the conversation develops they are amazed that this stranger did not seem to understand what had happened. It is a bit like one of us meeting someone today who does not know that there is a financial crisis in the world caused by a strange virus. You or I might say 'Don't you know? Don't you understand the problems we face?'. So these two men say to the stranger 'Don't you know about the crucifixion of Jesus - about his death and then the empty tomb?'.
They were sad and depressed because they simply did not understand why it had all happened and what had gone so terribly wrong. They had hoped for so much, been so excited by all the things Jesus had done and it had ended like this. But then the stranger began to explain the scriptures and to show them that this was how it had to be - this was how God had planned it. As they approached the village they were making for, Jesus acts as though he is going on to continue walking but they persuade him to stay. 'Stay with us' they say.
So Jesus went in with them and they made a meal and they sat round the table together. He took the bread, gave thanks and broke it. As he passed it to them the Bible says 'Their eyes were opened and they recognized him'. They understood and at that point Jesus disappears. They look at each other and their hearts burned with joy. They immediately leave and return to Jerusalem. There they find the other disciples talking excitedly. 'It is true the Lord has risen', he appeared to Simon. Then they tell the others how he joined them on the road and how he sat and broke bread with them.
Surely it is not just a coincidence that Jesus chose a mealtime to reveal himself to them - to open their eyes - or that at their last meal together, the Last Supper, he says to them to remember him. 'Do this in remembrance of me'. NO because he wants our remembering to be of good times and good company, because the picture he leaves us with of heaven is one of a great banquet. On more than one occasion the picture is of us all enjoying a great festive feast in heaven. (I can't wait!)
The root of the word 'feast' in Latin is 'convivium'. So a feast, a meal shared is a convivial occasion a coming together to enjoy good food and company. The thing that brings families and friends together round the tale is hunger for food - for company and for the Lord.
The two friends on the road urge him strongly to stay with them, but Jesus pretends he wants to go on on his journey. He will not force himself on us, so we need to welcome him and to invite him in. We know the truth is he longs to be with us and to sit with us to enjoy our company. Incidentally, it is also nice that if through circumstances we live alone, we don't have to be alone. We all like to be invited and it is nice to receive a 'phone call or a card inviting us to join the celebration. It is the same with Jesus. He longs to be invited into our homes - into our lives.
Food is important to us. We all need to eat. It is too good to rush and spending time together, sharing our thoughts and dreams, our joys and sorrows gives us hope and support. So if Jesus is the invited guest at our meals then we are fulfilling his last wish, 'Remember me'.
The essence of this is simply that God longs for us to enjoy life, enjoy each other's company as we enjoy his company with us. For the simple message of the Bible is that God really wants to be part of each and every one of our lives.
Luke 24:13-25
We are all living in very strange times - nothing is normal - lock down - coronavirus has changed everything. The roads and the High Street are almost empty. People are doing their best to avoid each other and keep their distance - isolating.
But today I want to look back and forward to times when we could meet together, share time together and eat together. A glorious trip into nostalgia. A topic we can all relate to is food. Mealtimes are the heart and centre of relationship and family. The Bible has many stories of meals shared and we read of Jesus eating with religious leaders, with sinners and with friends and disciples. We also read in the Book of Job 'God gives us food to make our hearts glad'.
The implication is that when we share communion together Jesus is present with us so it is when we share a family meal, but of course we have to invite him perhaps by simply saying grace or a short prayer. But we often miss out because other things get in the way - time - TV - irregular eating patterns. One of the lasting memories of my childhood were family meals. We always ate together sitting round the dining table with lots of chat and laughter and on Mondays when we had the cold meat from Sunday's roast we used to fight for the gravy at the bottom of the bowl of dripping!
Sadly for many today the family meal has been taken over by a quick meal in front of the TV - no High Street is complete without a 'Golden Arch', Kentucky Fried Chicken or a dozen pizza takeaways.
I know that for many of us the pressures of life and time make long lingering meals hard to fit into our day yet I also know that it is important to make time to sit and relax and enjoy a meal, but more, much more than that, to make time over a meal to talk, to share your day - the good thing and the bad. How much better too if we are also sharing that time with Jesus.
In our reading today there are two people who are not having a very good day. They are in fact in a state of depression. As they walk along the road they are joined by a stranger and as the conversation develops they are amazed that this stranger did not seem to understand what had happened. It is a bit like one of us meeting someone today who does not know that there is a financial crisis in the world caused by a strange virus. You or I might say 'Don't you know? Don't you understand the problems we face?'. So these two men say to the stranger 'Don't you know about the crucifixion of Jesus - about his death and then the empty tomb?'.
They were sad and depressed because they simply did not understand why it had all happened and what had gone so terribly wrong. They had hoped for so much, been so excited by all the things Jesus had done and it had ended like this. But then the stranger began to explain the scriptures and to show them that this was how it had to be - this was how God had planned it. As they approached the village they were making for, Jesus acts as though he is going on to continue walking but they persuade him to stay. 'Stay with us' they say.
So Jesus went in with them and they made a meal and they sat round the table together. He took the bread, gave thanks and broke it. As he passed it to them the Bible says 'Their eyes were opened and they recognized him'. They understood and at that point Jesus disappears. They look at each other and their hearts burned with joy. They immediately leave and return to Jerusalem. There they find the other disciples talking excitedly. 'It is true the Lord has risen', he appeared to Simon. Then they tell the others how he joined them on the road and how he sat and broke bread with them.
Surely it is not just a coincidence that Jesus chose a mealtime to reveal himself to them - to open their eyes - or that at their last meal together, the Last Supper, he says to them to remember him. 'Do this in remembrance of me'. NO because he wants our remembering to be of good times and good company, because the picture he leaves us with of heaven is one of a great banquet. On more than one occasion the picture is of us all enjoying a great festive feast in heaven. (I can't wait!)
The root of the word 'feast' in Latin is 'convivium'. So a feast, a meal shared is a convivial occasion a coming together to enjoy good food and company. The thing that brings families and friends together round the tale is hunger for food - for company and for the Lord.
The two friends on the road urge him strongly to stay with them, but Jesus pretends he wants to go on on his journey. He will not force himself on us, so we need to welcome him and to invite him in. We know the truth is he longs to be with us and to sit with us to enjoy our company. Incidentally, it is also nice that if through circumstances we live alone, we don't have to be alone. We all like to be invited and it is nice to receive a 'phone call or a card inviting us to join the celebration. It is the same with Jesus. He longs to be invited into our homes - into our lives.
Food is important to us. We all need to eat. It is too good to rush and spending time together, sharing our thoughts and dreams, our joys and sorrows gives us hope and support. So if Jesus is the invited guest at our meals then we are fulfilling his last wish, 'Remember me'.
The essence of this is simply that God longs for us to enjoy life, enjoy each other's company as we enjoy his company with us. For the simple message of the Bible is that God really wants to be part of each and every one of our lives.