Year A Easter 3 2026 All The Way Home

 Year A 3rd Sunday of Easter, 19 April 2026

St George’s Episcopal, Fredericksburg, VA

“All The Way Home”

Collect: O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Luke 24:13-35

Now on that same day two of Jesus' disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. Then 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?” He 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, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But 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. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and 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. Some 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.” Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

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, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. 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. They 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?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

I have always loved this story. But it is a bit problematic. I cannot fathom walking with someone 7 miles and having no clue who they could be, especially if they are someone I love. But here we are. Luke tells us that their eyes were kept from recognizing him. Cleopas and the other disciple of Jesus were walking from Jerusalem back to Emmaus, some 60 stadia away, which is about 7 miles in our measurements.

They are wrestling with what took place over the previous days, and the preposterous claims from that very morning that Jesus’ tomb was empty and there were claims that he rose from death. And Jesus joins them for the walk, asking what they were talking about. They expressed their incredulity that this stranger had not heard of the events about Jesus of Nazareth, and in response Jesus says this…

“Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

So for about the three hours that it would take while they walked that distance, these two disciples were given the greatest lesson in prophetic utterances ever made. The very one about whom so much was written and hoped for schooled them in what had been foretold and accomplished in him. If I could be a fly on a wall, or on a backpack, or whatever, in Scripture, this would be one of my top choices. To hear Jesus walk his way through the salvation history from the books of Moses to the fulfillment of the Messiah, what a gift! The two disciples even said later how impressive and soul-touching it was:

“Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?”

Alas, we will never get to hear it. Maybe in heaven Jesus holds a Master Class that we can sign up for and hear it from him directly.

I love that Jesus just did that. Maybe it was a debrief for him, too. He had lived his life, suffered a cruel death stemming from an illegal trial, and he had an eager crowd that was not hiding away in some room, and he could walk and talk and remember. Remember all he did. Remember why he did it. Maybe he was unpacking for himself and Cleopas and friend the purpose and import of his life. So despite how “foolish [they were]” and “slow of heart to believe” Jesus still walked them through all that was done.

Cleopas and friend were not the only ones Jesus cared for. I take great comfort that Jesus treats us in much the same way he did those two disciples on the road to Emmaus. 

Two years ago I had the distinct pleasure of walking the Camino de Santiago across Spain while on my sabbatical. While I was walking alone, you meet a lot of people along the way. Fellow pilgrims walking the same path have an instant bond. And they are quick relationships, often because my pace was slower with older knees. But often I would come into the next town and hit the coffee shop where I would see pilgrims taking a break, and take a rest myself. Often my reputation preceded me, and someone would say, “So you are Father Rock from America! I was hoping I would meet you!” They say when the student is ready the teacher appears. That happened more times than I can remember, and would be asked about a theological question stuck in someone’s spiritual cud, or just to meet this person they had heard about. They were looking for me if I arrived.

The Road to Emmaus was the opposite of that. No one expected this biblical expert to show up. No one expected him to be there at the right time and place. Yet he was. I have often found that in my life. If I start planning on a miracle I feel too much like I am putting God to the test. But so often, repeatedly, when I wondered what I was to do, or where I was to go, God stepped in and took me to where I needed to be or gave me the lesson I did not even know I was missing.

100% of the effort, 100% of the work was on Jesus who sought these disciples out. Like the Lost Coin, or the Lost Sheep, or the Lost (a.k.a. Prodigal) Son, the seeking and searching might seem like we are doing it, but the one supposedly being sought is already there ready to swoop in.

I think Jesus says things like this…

“Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” [Matthew 7:7-8]

He says things like that because he is already there waiting. He is not summoned or beckoned, he is already there anticipating our needs, maybe even before we are.

Jesus goes with us where we need to go. There are times and places where I have to go somewhere, but I have no desire to do so. Like stepping on the scale after the holidays, I do not want to go there. But if I do not know where I am, I will never get to where I need to be. Cleopas and friend may have been expecting a political messiah, someone who would come in and kick out the Romans. But Jesus needed to take them to a place where they did not want to go. The issue was sin, and its wages, death. The Romans were bad, no argument. But the real issue, the problem in the human condition was sin. The first story involving humans in the Bible is all about sin and how that snowballed throughout human existence. Jesus walked them, figuratively and literally, through the course of human history so they could see what he was really about and what he had actually done. 

Not only did Jesus appear when least expected, and bring them what they needed, I love that Jesus walked with them all the way home. Jerusalem to front door service. Pretty cool. This might seem trivial, they were already headed there. But that the Master took them to where they were going shows again his care for them and even more his love for them. He does not leave them hanging or in the lurch. Even when he started to go on, they pleaded with him to come in. Hospitality being a hallmark of Middle Eastern culture, even to this day, he even came in and supped with them and got them to where they were enabled to have their eyes opened, fully seeing him finally for who he was.

It was when he broke the bread that he was revealed. That most human of activities, sitting down and sharing a meal. We come to Christ’s table still, sharing the one bread and one cup. My prayer for all of us today and every time we come to this table is that Christ will open our eyes. I believe he is already here, welcoming us and meeting us where we are.

When I got to the Cathedral in Santiago at the end of the Camino, I laughed. I cried. I celebrated. It was a gift to be able to walk so far, and it was a gift to be done. Like the road to Emmaus, I was able to see how Jesus had been with me the whole way, whether I knew it or saw it at the time or not. Life is that way. Jesus walks with us. Jesus is with us at our birthday parties. Jesus is with us when we make the biggest mistakes of our lives. Jesus is with us when we receive our greatest honors or joys. Jesus is with us when our worlds fall apart. He is with us in the ICU. He is with us in the hour of our death. Jesus walks us all the way home.

At the end of Matthew [28:19-20] he even promises us this:

“And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Jesus walks us home, too. In this Easter season, cling to that. Let it be your new normal. Don’t ever be distracted from that, no matter the circumstances. Now and always, Jesus is here. Amen