A Ministry of Listening: Luke 24:13-35 - Third Sunday of Easter

¹³Now on that same day [when Jesus had appeared to Mary Magdalene,] two [disciples] were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, ¹⁴and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. ¹⁵While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, ¹⁶but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. ¹⁷And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. ¹⁸Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” ¹⁹He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, ²⁰and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. ²¹But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. ²²Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, ²³and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. ²⁴Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” ²⁵Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! ²⁶Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” ²⁷Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
  ²⁸As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. ²⁹But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. ³⁰When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. ³¹Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. ³²They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” ³³That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. ³⁴They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” ³⁵Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread. (NRSV)

Lonely by Bernd Sowa on flickr. CC BY-ND 2.0

Over the last seven weeks, staying home has become a civic duty. But what if you don’t have anyone to stay home with? If you live alone, or if you are taking care of children or a loved one on your own, you have been forced into making a tremendous sacrifice for the common good. And it’s not just at home where people are lonely.

If you’re in a hospital or care home, your loved ones can’t visit you. If a loved one dies, you can’t have any more than ten people gathering at the funeral home. And it’s not safe to visit others’ homes or invite them to visit you. It’s helpful to be able to make phone calls and send cards, but those things cannot substitute for having someone there with you.

In the Gospels, we encounter Jesus and his disciples facing danger and death—alone. Consider Jesus: Out of twelve disciples, one betrayed him; one denied him; ten deserted him. Jesus said it himself: “It is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered’” (Matthew 26:31 NRSV).

After Jesus’ death, the women go to the tomb, alone. The ten disciples hide out behind locked doors; cut off from the outside world. Today, we encounter two disciples walking along the road to Emmaus, trying to console one another. The Jesus whom they loved, trusted, and believed in was crucified. But then, they hear news that “some women” saw a vision of angels who told them that Jesus was alive. But they didn’t know of anyone who’d actually seen him. Regardless, the one thing about Jesus they’d been counting on did not come to pass: “we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.” That didn’t happen, so they go home. The way I see it, they’d given up on Jesus.

We are in a good position to comprehend the magnitude of loss these disciples had suffered—and the ways that loss can devastate (if not destroy completely) one’s faith in Jesus Christ. But the good news is that when God’s children are crushed, devastated, and alone, Jesus shows up.

For Cleopas and the other unnamed disciple, the first thing Jesus does is listen to them. To me, the number one reason why “their eyes were kept from recognizing Jesus” was so that they would be honest and forthcoming about their doubts and disappointments. Jesus doesn’t want you to hide or deny your doubts. Jesus knows what you’re feeling anyway—and he never rejects doubters. He loves them.

The second thing Jesus does is that he teaches them—taking them way back into the Scriptures to remind them of everything God had been promising since ancient times.

The third thing Jesus does is that he eats with them—and as soon as they see him taking bread, blessing it, breaking and sharing it, they recognize Jesus—and he disappears from their sight.

It was Jesus’ ministry of accompaniment that raises them up into faith.

Unfortunately for us, we can’t break bread together. You can’t really even walk along a road together, unless you’re part of the same household.

Yet there still can be meaningful accompaniment in these times.

One of the most important things you can do to accompany someone is to listen to them. Before the Coronavirus, we were terrible listeners. A big reason for this is that we are so bombarded with information that comes to us through the media and through advertising, that when the time comes to actually listen to a person, our brains can’t take it in. It’s difficult to listen when you’re desperate to speak.

Even worse, the church has a lousy reputation when it comes to listening. We pay so much attention to what we proclaim through word and deed—but do we really listen to people?

We’re afraid to give voice to our own doubts and disappointments because we’re ashamed of them. But Jesus isn’t ashamed. When you share what’s on your heart, and embrace your own vulnerability, you give someone else permission to do the same.

Everyone needs to speak, and everyone needs to listen. God made you that way.

Healing is a process of sharing and listening. The pain of loneliness and the power of fear are broken when you are heard. When you are heard, you are no longer alone. God gives you the power to heal another with your ears. By listening, you become living proof that Jesus is listening.

Listening and hearing are among the greatest gifts we as a church can give to the neighbor. This is how we create a safe space for the Gospel to be proclaimed and for broken lives to be healed. And it is by listening both to the Gospel and to the neighbor that we hear God’s call be church in this season of crisis.

Listening is the first step on the road to resurrection. We’re all in this together. Speaking honestly and listening attentively, we build trust. We grow closer to each other and closer to Jesus Christ. We find strength in each other and strength in Christ. Out of pain, loss, and devastation we rise with Christ into healing and new life.