Luke 24:28-35 Common English Bible
When they came to Emmaus, he acted as if he was going on ahead. But they urged him, saying, “Stay with us. It’s nearly evening, and the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. After he took his seat at the table with them, he took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he disappeared from their sight. They said to each other, “Weren’t our hearts on fire when he spoke to us along the road and when he explained the scriptures for us?”
They got up right then and returned to Jerusalem. They found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying to each other, “The Lord really has risen! He appeared to Simon!” Then the two disciples described what had happened along the road and how Jesus was made known to them as he broke the bread.
Throughout the story of Jesus --- there is one common thread that seems to bind most of the important stories in Jesus’ life together
FOOD
Think about it
It seems that whenever something major is happening or being taught it is centered around a table
In the Gospel of Luke alone there are 10 stories of Jesus dining with people
And that is not counting all the meals that are found in the parables
Just to name a few:
Mary & Martha story
When the disciples argue over who is most important
When we are asked who should be invited to a party (our story last week)
Prodigal son
The last supper
Virtually every post resurrection story of Jesus centers on food --- including our story today
Why is food --- or maybe we should say TABLE FELLOWSHIP
Why is it so important?
It certainly isn’t a new question --- Mark tells us this story
Jesus sat down to eat at Levi’s house. Many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples. Indeed, many of them had become his followers. When some of the legal experts from among the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples, “Why is he eating with sinners and tax collectors?”
When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do. I didn’t come to call righteous people, but sinners.”
(Mark 2:15-17 CEB)
What I find fascinating in this story is that Jesus seems to be proclaiming --- that table fellowship is vital to his mission.
And that by accepting his invitation --- his guests are invited to partake not only in the meal --- but also his mission.
This emphasis on table fellowship was not the invention of Jesus --- it was a part of the fabric of first century Jewish life
New Testament scholar Joachim Jeremias described it this way:
“in Judaism in particular, table-fellowship means fellowship before God, for the eating of a piece of broken bread by everyone who shares in the meal brings out the fact that they all share in the blessing which the master of the house has spoken over the unbroken bread.”
Last Sunday I shared how Jesus tried to turn some of the boundaries of table fellowship upside down --- reminding us that the table MUST be open to everyone --- not just a particular group or class.
EP Saunders, in his book The Historical Figure of Jesus, suggests that the existing importance of the meal in first century Palestinian culture as a communal, bond-strengthening events for guests and hosts --- provided the perfect vehicle for Jesus to express his central message of the kingdom of God in a way understandable to all levels of socio-cultural society.
Sarah Sahu in her article Life in the Kingdom: Meal as Realization of Jesus’ Mission writes:
Jesus’ table fellowship was a symbol of the Kingdom of God that he preached. His open fellowship was symbolic of the joyous union that God intends for his creation, and demonstrated the praxis by which the realization of the Kingdom can be fulfilled—through the mercy and grace of God shared with creation. Through the meal, Jesus broke through the boundaries constructed by his socio-cultural society, and even in the hearts of the ‘sinners,’ proclaiming a Kingdom whose arrival should not be dreaded through fear of chastisement, but through welcome and in hope of transformation. Modern day disciples are called to continue this open fellowship—to do otherwise would be an act against hope, and thus contrary to Jesus’ own actions and teachings. His dinner guests may continue to respond throughout the ages to Jesus’ invitation, “Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”
That was a mouthful
Meals are important for Jesus because they are transformational.
When we gather together around a table ---
When we share in a meal
We break down the barriers that can hold us back from experiencing the power and glory of God’s kin-dom.
When I think back on my life
--- some of the most important events happened around a table.
And for me
It all started at the family dinner table
A place that was safe
A place where opinions could be shared
And even tried out
For many of us --- the family dinner table was that place where we grew up
Where we were transformed from being a kid to being an adult
Because I was blessed to learn the importance of table fellowship --- many, many important events in my life have happened while breaking bread with a brother or sister.
Close to 20 years ago, John Mybeck, Steve Rogers and I, sat down for breakfast at the Commander Restaurant in Munster Indiana.
The Commander was one of those typical Greek family run breakfast places that had some of the best (and reasonably priced) food around
We gathered to dream.
At that point I had been at Ridge UMC for at about 4 years
We had grown
And were facing the limitations that our current building had on our imaginations
At that meeting --- we dreamed of building a fellowship hall type of building
One that could be utilized by BOTH the church and the community.
We left that breakfast no longer with a dream --- but the beginnings of a vision
Many breakfasts later
With more and different people included
Ridge Church built their fellowship hall
--- it has been a godsend to the community
But those same transformational meals have taken place here
Sometime --- Pre-pandemic, Geoff DeSmit and I had lunch with someone we felt God was leading us toward
The purpose of the lunch was to see if she could help us find someone to manage the communications of the church
To be honest --- neither of us knew her very well
But we were both feeling a tug from God
It was a marvelous lunch --- and transformational
For shortly thereafter – Kristin Sims (aka Special K) joined the staff
What a blessing
Have I told you before how blessed you are with the lay staff here at Meridian Street?
All of them are AMAZING!
Next Sunday we get to honor one of them for their commitment to Meridian Street Church
We get to honor Miriam and thank her for years of dedicated service to Meridian Street and the Bell choir.
I not only get to work with them --- but I get to call them FRIEND!
There is no greater gift!
In our crazy resurrection story today --- two men are walking from Jerusalem toward the village of Emmaus --- it is a strange, bizarre story that has some crazy twists to it.
If you haven’t already --- I encourage you to read all of Chapter 24 of Luke
It is post resurrection, and we find two men walking --- they are leaving Jerusalem because it seems as if they have no reason to stay
Jesus is dead
The mission is over
As they are walking a stranger joins them
And we get the first real twist to this story
Luke tells us that “their eyes were kept from recognizing him.”
The verb is in the passive voice
And even more strangely --- we are not told WHY!
Why could they not recognize Jesus.
Were they so grieved by their experience and so sure that Jesus was gone that they simply didn’t expect him?
Did Jesus look different after the resurrection?
Was his face transformed?
Was Jesus wearing a mask with a goofy mustache?
We just don’t know.
Luke does not tell us.
And if that wasn’t strange enough --- this stranger asked them what they have been talking about.
They are stunned
Does this person not know what has happened?
Again listen carefully to the verb tense Luke uses:
“we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.”
HAD HOPED
They KNOW the tomb is empty and had heard stories of his resurrection
BUT THEY HAD HOPED!
Then, to and another of layer of weirdness to this story --- this stranger begins to explain how Jesus fulfills Jewish expectation
But they still don’t know who this person is.
Night is drawing close, and they are almost to Emmaus and the stranger appears like he is going to continue down the road --- when they invite this stranger to come and stay with them for the evening.
Listen as Eric Barreto describes the scene in his commentary on this passage:
They exhort Jesus to stay with them. They offer hospitality to one whom they believe is a stranger. They offer to be hosts to this traveling companion and “new” friend.
But as soon as the table is set, Jesus upends the expected social roles. He becomes the host by blessing the bread and sharing it. Now, remember, they still don’t know that they are dining with Jesus once again; they don’t realize that their dashed hopes are restored in the resurrected body of this “stranger.”
But when Jesus does the most Jesus thing of all, everything changes.
He continues:
One of the most characteristic activities of Jesus’ ministry in Luke is eating. He is accused early in the Gospel of being a glutton and a drunkard (7:34); worse, he eats with all the wrong people! So, it’s instructive that it’s not his teaching that open their eyes. It’s not his presence. It’s his sharing of bread with his friends. It’s his blessing of food. In this sharing of bread at an ordinary table, we catch a glimpse of Jesus’ transformative kingdom.
In Luke, eating is a radical act because it breaks down cultural boundaries. In Luke, the resurrected Jesus shares that bread once again with his followers. And in feeding them, Jesus opens their eyes, helping them see that Jesus was with them the whole time.
I am convinced that our job --- mine and yours --- is to create opportunities for table fellowship.
To help people to SEE Jesus
And we can do that in a variety of ways:
Whether that is putting together dinners to welcome Pastor Rachel
Or helping to ensure the success of our summer camp program
SOLD OUT!!!!
105 families --- over 85% are not connected to Meridian Street.
God is giving us a HUGE opportunity to share the love of Jesus
And it will happen over snacks more than anywhere else
As Frank reminded us last week --- some of the most foundational groundwork of faith take place at the snack table at VBS or things like Summer Camp
How many of you FOUND Jesus around a table at Camp Otto that changed your life forever?
So please --- keep this exciting new ministry in your prayer
And if you can
Volunteer your time to help at camp or VBS
Or support them by purchasing items on the wish list
I am convinced that our job --- mine and yours --- is to create opportunities for table fellowship.
To create safe spaces --- for people to experience Jesus
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