Luke 24:13-35
April 19, 2026
There is a legend about a king who decided to set aside a special day to honor his greatest subject. When the day arrived, there was a large gathering in the palace courtyard in which 4 finalists for the honor were brought forward and from these 4 the king would select a winner. The first person presented was a wealthy businessman, who was highly deserving of the honor because of his humanitarian efforts. He created a homeless shelter and a food bank in his community, and he had given much of his wealth to the poor.
The second person was a celebrated doctor. The king was told that this doctor was highly deserving of the honor because he had faithfully cared for the sick and had dedicated his life to care for those with terminal illnesses. The third person was a distinguished judge. The king was told that the judge was worthy because he was noted for his wisdom, fairness, and his brilliant decisions.
The fourth person presented was an elderly woman. Everyone was surprised to see her there, because in the eyes of the crowd there was nothing special about her. She was humbly dressed and as far as anyone knew she hadn’t done anything spectacular. But seeing the simple look of love on her face, the king was intrigued and asked who she was and what she had done. She said, “Do you see the businessman, the doctor, and the judge? Well, I was their third grade teacher in elementary school.” This woman had no wealth, no title, and she hadn’t done anything extraordinary, but she had unselfishly given her life to educate some great people. Unfortunately, the king could not see the value in this humble lady and he immediately dismissed her. Sadly, he missed the significance and love of the teacher. And many times we miss the value of those around us. In fact, I think we would be surprised to know just how often we miss the presence of Christ in the ordinary things of life.
Our Gospel lesson for today tells of 2 people who are making a trip from Jerusalem to Emmaus. It is Easter and as they walk along, a stranger joins them. He wants to know what they’re talking about. These two guys are amazed that this man hasn’t heard about Jesus’ crucifixion, so they begin to tell Him all about it. It’s rather ironic that these two travelers were actually talking to Jesus, the only one who really knew what happened on those 3 days between Good Friday and Easter, thinking they were informing Him of what He needed to know.
When the two travelers arrive at their destination, it’s late in the day, so they graciously invite Jesus to join them for dinner and to stay with them overnight. At dinner, Jesus takes some bread, gives thanks for it, and shares it with them. All of a sudden, in that action, the two travelers finally realize that this stranger is indeed the risen Jesus. He had been with them all this time, but it is only now that they realize they have been in the presence of Christ. As soon as they recognize Him, though, He disappears.
Some people see God through spectacular events. Throughout the history of the Christian Church there have been those followers of Jesus who have seen visions and have witnessed some incredible miracles. But I’m sure for most of us, if we see God at all, we see Him in the ordinary things of life. Like the two people traveling along the road to Emmaus, we often find Christ right there beside us, in the common events of our day.
We certainly don’t have the privilege of actually seeing Jesus alive in our midst, but when we sit next to a stranger at our child’s sporting event, or offer simple hospitality to our neighbors, or when we begin a conversation with someone we don’t even know while we’re waiting in line at a store – those are the common experiences in which the presence of God can touch our lives.
The two men who were walking on that road to Emmaus were grieving. Jesus, their Lord, the one they followed, the one they thought was their Savior, had died. Sorrow and grief can certainly affect us when a relationship with someone we love falls apart or when a close friend moves away, but think about the grief and sadness we feel when someone we love dies.
On the old television series, MASH, Dr. Charles Emerson Winchester finds himself in a state of depression one day as he struggles to find an answer to death. One of the soldiers he had operated on had technically died for a few moments, but was then revived. After surgery, when he awoke, Charles wanted to know if the soldier could remember being dead – what was it like, what did he see. The soldier couldn’t remember anything. Later on, Charles was operating on another soldier who was seriously wounded when the soldier said, “I can’t see anything, hold my hand.” Charles grabs his hand and says, “I am.” The soldier then says, “I’m dying.” Charles then immediately asks, “Can you see anything? Can you feel anything? I have to know.” We learn later on in the episode that when Charles was a child his younger brother died when he fell through the ice while playing on a lake. So he’s trying to understand what his brother may have experienced, but all the soldier says before he dies is, “I smell bread.”
There was actually a powerful significance concerning heaven and eternal life in that statement. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, which means, “House of Bread” and He often described heaven as a banquet feast, with God as the host, who invites us to come and enjoy His gracious hospitality. Just as Jesus came to these two men and revealed himself in breaking bread with them in a meal, so Jesus comes to us in a meal of simple bread and wine here at this altar every Sunday to give us life.
The point is, God doesn’t always make Himself known to us through spectacular events. He often touches us through the ordinary, everyday things of our lives. In fact, we must never forget that God first came to us in a very simple, ordinary way. Jesus was born in a manger, to 2 very ordinary people, in a small village. There was no royal procession with blaring trumpets and cheering crowds. No dignitaries, no festive bands, no red carpet rolled out to welcome the new king. Instead, it was some shepherds and animals gathered together on a cold evening. Jesus was not a mighty warrior sitting on a stallion, taking a city by storm. Instead, He was a loving teacher who captivated the crowds with simple stories about God’s love and forgiveness.
If you are having trouble seeing God or hearing God or experiencing the presence of God in your life, then don’t look at the impressive, fancy things of our world. Listen, instead, to the comforting word spoken by a friend. Listen to our children who gather here in the answers they give and in the simple words they pray. See the life and forgiveness given to a person in simple water and the Word of God in baptism. Or sense the gentle touch on your shoulder of a friend offering support and care.
Many years ago a friend of mine received a call from his wife telling him that their baby son was being rushed to the hospital because he was terribly sick. He immediately raced to the hospital and met his wife as the ambulance pulled in. As he and his wife sat in the waiting room, a friend from their church, who heard about the emergency, walked into the room and sat with the couple at the hospital all through the night. Fortunately, the baby was much better by the morning and was released from the hospital a few days later. My friend later talked about how he had experienced the presence of God that night and that in the midst of all the worrying, he knew God was going to take care of his child. He said his friend’s presence with him that night made a tremendous difference for him. I asked him, “What did your friend from church do or say that was so helpful?” He answered, “I don’t that he said or did anything, but he was there. He stayed with us all through the night.” That is the presence of Jesus.
I pray that as all of you come forward today to receive Jesus in ordinary bread and wine, that you will hear Him whispering to you. And although He may disappear quickly, know that you have experienced the power and presence of the risen Lord, so that as you leave this place, you can go out and tell the world: “Christ is risen, alleluia!”
