FROM DASHED HOPES TO EYES OPENED!

That very day, two disciples of Jesus were walking to a village called Emmaus. Looking downcast, they said, “We were hoping that Jesus would be the one  to redeem Israel, but he was handed over to death and was crucified.

Luke 24

This gospel story, by the way, is the gospel story that was read at my "First Mass." Fifty-six years later, it still speaks to me in a very powerful way. It still reminds me that things are not always as bad as they may appear on the surface. In fact, today's gospel is yet another version of the "empty tomb" story we read on Easter Sunday - another example of a great big breakdown preceding a great big breakthrough. 

In this story, it is Sunday evening and two disciples are walking away from Jerusalem. With eyes cast down, they are dragging their feet in a depression toward a small town called Emmaus. Some commentators believe they may have been a married couple – the disciples Cleophas and his unnamed wife.  Jesus had died a humiliating death just three days ago. Earlier that very morning, some women had returned from the tomb, claiming that the tomb was empty and that they had seen some angels who had told them that Jesus was alive! Obviously, these two either had not heard the "good news" about Jesus' resurrection or had dismissed such reports as just the wishful thinking of his distraught women friends.

“We had hoped,” they told the mysterious stranger. “We had hoped that Jesus was going to be the Messiah, but obviously we were duped. It did not pan out as we were expecting. We were hoping and now we have no hope. We just had to get away from the whole scene. We are disappointed. We were badly misled. We are angry. We don’t have any idea what to do next, but we certainly not going to be taken in again by this latest bit of crazy news. “Hurt me once, shame on you. Hurt me twice, shame on me.”

This story symbolizes all people who have had their hopes blown away. Just as our church has been doing for the last several years, these two demoralized disciples pour out their despair, their anger, their sadness and their resentment. This mysterious stranger listens and then begins to review the scriptures, reminding them that God has always intervened to save his people when they hit bottom.

As they walk along, Jesus goes over story after story from the scriptures and shows them how God had always come to their rescue and could even overcome the death of their master. As these two demoralized disciples listened, Jesus made his case. The fire in their hearts that had all but died out, was fanned into flame again. Little by little, their eyes were opened by the explanation of Scripture and in the breaking of the bread. They came to understand that this stranger was indeed Jesus himself! Having left the gathered disciples back in Jerusalem a few hours earlier, they rushed back to rejoin the faith community who had their own stories of restored hope to share.

We, as a church, in many ways are still in a depression, especially after a sexual abuse scandal, a shortage of priests and now more parish closings. We are still sharing our anger, resentment and sadness at all that has happened to us in the last few years. This Easter, in the midst of all these dashed hopes, we 21st century disciples gather again to share the scriptures and break the bread, hoping that we will recognize the presence of Jesus and have our faith renewed and our hope restored. Renewed by this Easter faith, maybe some of those who have left our faith community will, like these two disciples, someday soon get up and come back to rejoin our faith community again. When they do, they may be surprised to find out that more than 150,000 new members a year have joined us each Easter across the country through baptism and profession of faith.

One of my favorite ways to explain the message of Easter is an image I discovered many years ago.  In that image, the church is pictured as a gigantic egg. We woke up a few years ago to realize that this egg was covered with fine cracks. Each year the cracks have seemed to get bigger and bigger. Some people have simply walked away from it as they would a hopeless case. Others have been hysterically running around with ropes and tape and ladders trying to glue it all back together.

Having raised chickens as a child, I know that there is a response that we need to make! We can stand back and let it hatch! The cracking egg shell is not a sign of death, but a sign of new a chick being born!  I know from experience that the dumbest thing you can do is to tape it shut!  Easter reminds us that the church is not falling apart, but giving birth. The church is not dying, it is being reborn and renewed. Breakdown is a sign of an imminent breakthrough. There is no rebirth and renewal without pain. 

The Easter message is both simple and profound: in the long run, no matter what you are facing (cancer, addiction, divorce or even the loss of a loved one), there is absolutely no reason to lose hope when one puts one's trust in the man who conquered even death to rise again! He promised us, in the process, that good will ultimately triumph over evil when all is said and done!  

I will end by quoting the words of one of those old gospel songs I heard a few years ago, entitled “Joy Comes in the Morning”

If you’ve knelt beside the rubble of an aching broken heart,

When the things you gave your life to fell apart,

You’re not the first to be acquainted with sorrow, grief or pain,

But the Master promised sunshine after rain.

Hold on my child! Hold on my child!

Weeping only lasts for the night.

Hold on my child! Hold on my child!

The darkest hour means dawn is just in sight!

Yes, it is true, it is darkest right before the dawn, the old eggshell has to crack and fall apart before new life can come out, there is always a great breakdown before a great breakthrough and there is no resurrection without a death!  That's why real Christians never give up! No matter what happens! They never give up....and neither should you!