Third Sunday in Easter – May 8th, 2011

Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!!

Well, Jesus keeps showing up. Even when the disciples are en route to a completely different town than where they were supposed be going to see the risen Christ, He shows up. And he keeps doing this. First with the women at the tomb when Jesus said, “Do not be afraid.” Then the disciples in the locked room when Jesus said “Peace be with you.” And now here on the road when Jesus is storytelling with these two disciples.

Does this make anyone else think of the parable about Jesus as the shepherd, searching for the lost sheep? Except this time, there seem to be quite a lot of lost sheep. Quite a lot of confused, scared, fleeing sheep. And Jesus is still the shepherd, finding each one. Going to them all one at a time.

And he goes about it in a unique way, each time. Fitting each circumstance to the person or people. Finding new ways to reassure them, comfort them, clarify things for them. Because let’s be honest, this resurrection from the dead is no ordinary thing. They watched Jesus die on a cross. They put him into the tomb and sealed it up. They were all deep into their grieving. Deep into their despair. Just listen to the disciples conversation on the road.

They lament: We really had hoped that Jesus was the one to redeem Israel. Yeah, and besides all of that, it’s been three days since all of that happened.

You can hear their disappointment. It is palpable. And then, da da da dah – Jesus to the rescue!! Except this time, instead of calming words of peace and comfort, Jesus responds with a bit of tough love: “You idiots! Where’s your faith? You’re weeping and wailing when there’s absolutely no reason to! You are upset because you don’t have the whole picture. You don’t have the whole story. Here, I can help.”

And it’s at this point that Jesus starts storytelling. I’m not sure how long that walk was but I imagine it was lengthy. Or maybe they sat by the roadside under a nice shady tree and kicked off their shoes. Whatever the setting, I know the storytelling must have been amazing. Starting from the very beginning of scripture and retelling the story through every prophet so that the disciples could finally make sense of this whole confusing mess. I imagine his story ended something like, “So do you see now why Jesus had to die on the cross? Does it make more sense? And about those rumors about the resurrection, do you see how they are actually quite real? Can you trust that Christ is risen?”

I like that Jesus takes their story and reworks it with the story of scripture. Jesus blends them together into one faith story and makes their personal story part of the greater story. Their story has shifted. In psychological terms, we call that “reframing.” Where you take some piece of bad news like, say, the company you work for closing, and choose to see it instead as finally being free from a job you disliked and an opportunity to begin something new that you enjoy. You have reframed the situation.

Jesus did that for the disciples. Took their despair and reframed it. So much so that they wanted to invite this random guy over for dinner. It was only then, sharing a meal, that they finally saw Jesus. And I like that they didn’t know it was Jesus from the start. That even though their hearts were burning within them as they listened attentively to Jesus storytelling, they still didn’t quite get it.

But then that just leads me to wonder, when is Jesus speaking to us and we have absolutely no idea? I wonder when has Jesus showed up for me and reframed my despair, or calmed my fears, or walked with me when I was completely unaware?

When I was visiting one of the dementia care cottages this week I read them the story about Thomas wanting to touch Jesus hands and told them that Jesus was such a great guy that he showed up with outstretched arms. Better than a hug any day, right?! And then I said, but do we have Jesus with us today? After some initial furrowed brows and confusion, we decided that yes, Jesus was with us today. But Jesus was with us in ways that were not so obvious on the outset. Kind of like this Road to Emmaus story. Jesus was everyone of the caregivers who watched over the elders. Jesus was every visitor who came in to say hello and share a kind word or a hug. Jesus was the other elders sitting around the table, sharing lunch.

And though it is easier to see Jesus in the breaking of the bread at our table today, I wonder if you can begin to see Jesus in the people around you, as well. In people that come in and ask for your story. People that offer a kind word or a smile. A colleague. A driver on the road. A friend. A stranger. There’s a wonderful quote attributed to Flavia Weedn that goes like this: “Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same.”

I know I have seen Jesus in people whose names I never knew and in friendships I’ve had since I was a little girl. I’ve seen Jesus in my mother and father, in my sibling, in cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents. I’ve seen Jesus in the kindness of the Mexican people last summer when I went with a group of youth to Mexico City and Cuernavaca and we sat down and listened to their stories. I’ve seen Jesus in social justice workers and community organizers in inner city Chicago. I’ve seen Jesus in the staff and elders at St. John’s. I’ve seen Jesus in you.

And though our eyes may be kept from recognizing Jesus in those circumstances like the disciples, we might take a cue from them and recognize when our hearts are burning within us. And if we do not often find our hearts burning within us, we might step outside our usual circles and begin searching for new stories. Not just in the scriptures, but in the living examples of Christ in this world.

We can begin to hear the stories of all the people who have a story we’ve not heard. Someone who is elderly. Or someone from my generation. Anyone outcast due to diseases like HIV/Aids or Malaria. Any person on an Indian Reservation or who has Native American heritage. Anyone with a different ethnic heritage than you or a different sexual orientation or gender identity. Someone of a different faith. Someone with face tattoos and piercings that appall you. A neighbor including any of the people at Alcoholics Anonymous just across the parking lot. Someone at IHN or with any of the programs we support. Basically anyone outside your comfort zone will do.

We can walk with them. Walk with them even in the wrong direction. Walk with them as they walk away from church. Sit by the roadside with them. Sit in a coffee shop or a tattoo parlor. Wait in a check out line. Share a park bench. But wherever you find them, listen to their story. Try to listen without some kind of motive or agenda. If you have an agenda, you aren’t listening.

But know that as you listen, Christ walks with you. Not only in your conversations with people but in each little unique specific moment of your life. I promise that Jesus meets you there. Sometimes with tough love, sometimes with comfort and peace. But not always in ways that are so easy to see.

Jesus changed the stories of these two disciples forever. And Jesus has forever changed our stories with his life, death, and resurrection. Should we let Jesus continue to reshape our stories in the stories of others?

Whatever you answer, we declare loudly the presence of Jesus with us now: Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Amen. +

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 10th, 2011 at 5:40 pm and is filed under Sermons. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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