Loading...Sermon April 30, 2017
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, LSW
The Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen, Newport, PA
Easter 3 Year A //lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Easter/AEaster3_RCL.html
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. Luke 24:30-31
Please be seated.
What is your favorite comfort food? I think mine is spaghetti or pasta with meatballs or Italian sausage. You see, we often went to visit my mother’s parents once a year. We lived outside of Mechanicsburg and they lived west of Syracuse, New York. It was about 300 miles and before Rt. 81 was completed, and as a young child, it was an all-day trip.
Usually we’d go for a week in the summer. For some years, my grandmother worked at her brother-in-law’s grocery store. It was just a couple of blocks away. She worked in the produce department. Sometimes when we’d get to her home, she was still working and my brothers and I would run down to the grocery store to tell her we had arrived. And my great-uncle or one of his sons who were managers of the store, often let us pick out some candy.
Yet, even if my grandmother was working, and I really don’t know how she did this, she always served us spaghetti and meat balls for dinner that first evening. I was amazed how she could cook that spaghetti sauce all day on an electric stove. I cheat and use a crock pot. There was always freshly grated Romano cheese in a pretty crystal dish with a small spoon to serve it. There was usually fresh-made Italian bread, which my grandfather baked.
There was a white linen table cloth on the table – can you imagine doing that with three children eating spaghetti? But my grandmother could get out any stain! My grandmother had inherited my great-grandmother’s Syracuse China set that had a pink rose design and gold rimmed dishes. I now have this set of China.
Google defines comfort food as “food that provides consolation or a feeling of well-being, typically any with a high sugar or other carbohydrate content and associated with childhood or home cooking.” My grandmother’s spaghetti and meat balls, along with the beautiful table certainly fits that definition. When I lived in Kentucky and now living here, I have found restaurants to provide me this comfort food meal, which gives me great joy.
Every year on the third Sunday of Easter, we hear this account of the walk to Emmaus. I truly love this story and especially since I visited Emmaus in 2012. Now we really don’t know where Emmaus is and there are at least three possibilities. Yet, the church I visited was lovely and our group celebrated communion there and talked more about this account, so it has more resonance with me.
These followers of Jesus have been through a traumatic time. They loved Jesus and were not at all prepared for his crucifixion. Even though our Gospel accounts state Jesus alluded or outright talked about his death and even though they knew he was challenging the authorities and society of his time, the crucifixion made no sense to them.
Jesus must have appeared to be very rash, in fact, because Jesus knew he was challenging the authorities and did nothing to protect himself. He didn’t flee to another country, for instance. He didn’t stay in Galilee, which would have been safer. No, Jesus, kept challenging the authorities of his time and walking right into the midst of them.
How confusing for his followers who wanted him to be with them always. Who probably encouraged him to protect himself. In this account we heard today, two of the disciples decide to take a walk to a neighboring town. We don’t know why this particular town. It was an eight mile walk at least. They were walking and talking when Jesus appears to them, but they don’t recognize him. Jesus is so comforting to them that they plead with him to stay and have dinner with them. A common element at dinner was bread and it is when Jesus broke the bread, that their eyes were opened and they recognized him.
Bread and wine. This is our Christian comfort food, right? This is the food that opens our eyes. When we eat this bread and drink this wine, we remember how much Jesus loved us. This meal helps us center our lives in Jesus’ teachings. It’s like a reset. It reminds us that even with our imperfections and mistakes, we are forgiven and can always start again.
This bread and this wine provide consolation and a feeling of well-being. This bread and this wine are a familiar meal, reminding us of all of our life in Christ. And we share this meal together…as a community. The meal knits us together. The meal strengthens us in our work together. This meal allows all of us together to be Christ to the world.
In this meal our eyes are opened and we see Jesus.
Amen
