Christ - An Empowering (alien) co traveller

Luke:24:18-35

Christ - An Empowering (alien) co traveller

This is a post resurrection narrative and it explains how the Church is united in Christ. Two things are very important;

1. Almost all post resurrection narratives describe the intervention of Christ in empowering and bringing back the dejected and scattered disciples to make the Church as a united and empowered community

2. Scattered disciples were united around the divine meals.

This text also portrays Christ’s intervention in bringing back the withdrawn disciples towards the ministry and fellowship of Christ. Sequence of this narration is very much interesting. Disciples were moving back, a process of empowerment(teaching, new discourses, a divine meal), community experience has brought back and the disciples started a new journey/back to the previous premise.

Some reflections on this passages are given below

1. A Backward Journey “Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus..”(v.13) Two disciples who were with Christ once came from Emmaus to join with the community of Christ. But now they were going away from the community of Christ by moving from Jerusalem to Emmaus. A change in the premise of their vocation and identity. Once they came out of this premise and found themselves with Christ and the Community of Christ. But the crucifixion and death of Christ forced them to start a backward journey. They were not ready to believe and accept the truth of the resurrection that made them a dejected community which travels away from Jesus’ community. A community which deny the resurrection experience will not be able to make a dynamic and forward journey towards God’s justice, love and fellowship.

2. Unrevealed/ Unrecognised Christ “...but their eyes were kept from recognising him”(v.16). Christ is not revealed himself to the disciples. In most of the post resurrection narratives we could find an unrevealed/unrecognised Christ. Appearance to Mary, Peter were the other examples. The two disciples were very much dejected and their words and body language shows that they were lost the fellowship and faith in their Master as they realised that Christ was died and they were scattered. But Christ was moving with them and started a discourse which helped them to realise Christ in its fullness. God revealed in Christ never leave us alone in our set backs and failures but move with the dejected and discouraged communities. Any community or individuals who experience the set backs/persecution/discouragement/discrimination should realise that Christ is moving in the journey which we may not recognise and reveal in our journeys.

3. Christ - A (nearest and dearest) Cotraveller “While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them...”(v.15) Christ was so close with the two disciples in their discussions. This co-traveller had a few qualities;

a. listening co-traveller

b. One who initiate discourse with the fellow travellers

c. A co-traveller one who teaches the fellow travellers

d. An empowering and encouraging fellow traveller

Christ is a fellow traveller one who knows the pain and agonies of the individuals and communities who are/were dejected, discriminated and scattered. The co-traveller keep on in the discourse to empower the disciples. The discourses was enriching and empowering.

4.Christ - An Alien Co traveller “ As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, Stay with us....”(v.28,29) These disciples were not recognised their co-traveller as Christ. But they welcomed the co-traveller.In a way they welcomed an alien and given him the fellowship and timely rest. Welcoming the co-travellers even though they are alien and unknown is equivalent to welcoming Christ. Welcoming other irrespective of caste, colour, religion, gender, is a challenge to all of us as welcoming others to our fellowship is equivalent to welcome Christ. Christ is hidden in ‘other’. Extending our fellowship to others and sharing our food with others is a Kingdom experience even today.

5. Opened Eyes and Christ Recognised “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 recognised him, and he vanished from their sight”(v.30,31). Eyes of the disciples were opened and they realised that the person who travelled with them was their Lord. This realisation happened after a long journey and a fellowship meal.The discourses, mutual relationship, and a sharing meal, all helped towards this process of realisation. The dinner they ate together was a sacramental meal. The words” he took the bread”,”blessed”, “broke it”, and “gave”, are shows that it was a Lord’s table. Christ was revealed through the Lord’s table. Their perception changed, their faith in Christ got a new dimension and they realised the real presence of Christ in the meal with alien Christ.

6. A New Journey towards the Jesus’ Community “That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together”(v. 33). When the disciples realised and recognised the risen Christ, both of them started their new journey at the same hour. Their body language, words and emotions was interesting. A dejected community transformed in to a dynamic and living community. Resurrection experience always transform the community into a living community. Church should experience this transformation in its everyday life. Ressurrection experience helps us to start a new journey, journey towards the community of Jesus. This was a journey with new vision, mission and discourses. This journey will be a journey towards a new premise which is life affirming

Ressurrection is a living truth. It is an energising truth. It is a truth that helps us to grow in the fellowship with Christ. Backward journey can be a mission and dynamic journey when we would be able to realise the risen Christ in our daily living. We are called to be an empowered and energised community.