Easter 2023
The Road To Emmaus
April 9, 2023 • Rev. James M. Holland • Luke 24:13–35
This Sunday is Easter and, I don’t know about you, but I am ready. Forty days is a long time of waiting! Lent has been a death this year in many ways. It is not that the world is actually worse than it ever was, it is that we know everything bad happening in the world as it is happening. So it is a good thing that, in the midst of darkness, we are reminded of light and hope! That is the purpose of Holy Days after all, is it not? I mean, we celebrate Easter every Sunday, that is true, but setting aside one day to really gild the Lilly, dress to the nines, host elaborate feasts at our scattered tables, and invite people in who don’t have family––that is as it should be and a necessary reminder to us humans who, because of the ordinariness of each Sunday, tend to lose the wonder of the whole meaning of Resurrection! As it is a special day, one hopes to craft something that is well-suited for such a day. But how does one rise to the occasion of this subject? Words just seem too cheap! And, low and behold, our text suggests that just might be the case as well! Anyway, because most everyone in the South comes to church on Easter Sunday, our text has something for everyone. It is a familiar text, almost cliché for an encounter with Jesus, but there really is something here for the sceptic, the sleepy/indifferent Christian, and also for those who have walked with Jesus for a long time. That about covers it, I think! I can’t wait to hear the Easter Liturgy this Sunday. My heart aches for it and, while this is the twenty-fifth Easter at St. Patrick, it never gets old. Remember, we’ll have worship services at 9:00am and 11:00am. As I said, in the South, people show up! So plan for extra guests and be on the lookout for them. Or invite them beforehand! As we will see in this text, the best way to show people the gospel is to invite them to a meal. See you on Easter Morning! Blessings, Jim
