The Collect for Monday after Easter
O GOD, whose blessed Son did manifest himself to his disciples in the breaking of bread; Open, we pray thee, the eyes of our faith, that we may behold thee in all thy works; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Gospel
St. Luke xxiv. 13.
13 And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. 16 But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. 17 And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” 19 And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him. 21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. 22 But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.” 25 And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.28 And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther. 29 But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them. 30 When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. 32 They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” 33 And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, 34 saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.
In the Gospel reading for Monday after Easter, St Luke gives his account of two disciples on the road to Emmaus. It is Sunday, the day of Jesus’ resurrection. The two disciples are talking with each other about the tragic events of the past several days. They were disconsolate … all their hopes about Jesus and the Kingdom of God were shattered. They had looked for Jesus the third day and had not seen Him. Now Jesus joins them in their journey but they do not recognize Him.
The disciples did not recognize Jesus when they saw Him.
The text indicates that their eyes were prevented from recognizing Jesus. This is not the first time the resurrected Christ was not recognized. In John 20 Mary Magdelene saw Jesus and thought He was the gardener for the place where Jesus had been buried. Why did the disciples not recognize Jesus? Perhaps in the sorrows and confusion which consumed them, the disciples’ vision had turned inwards and rendered them unable to recognize Him who stood before them. Or maybe their doubts about the Resurrection did not allow them to behold what the eyes of faith are able to recognize. They had heard the reports about the empty tomb but “Him they did not see.” Their eyes saw Jesus but they were prevented from recognizing Him.
The disciples did not recognize Jesus when He spoke to them.
The disciples were incredulous that Jesus’ should ask them about the recent events: “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” The disciples had hoped that Jesus was the new Moses who would redeem Israel by a new Exodus. (See St. Luke 9:30-31 And behold, two men were talking with [Jesus at the Transfiguration]; and they were Moses and Elijah, who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His exodus which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.) And now it was the third day and the hope for Israel’s redemption seemed a lost cause.
The disciples did not yet recognize Jesus when He explained the Scriptures to them.
Jesus rebukes them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. As Jesus explained the Scriptures to them their “hearts [were] burning within [them] while He was speaking to [them] on the road …” to Emmaus. Despite Jesus’ enlightening exposition, His opening of “all the Scriptures” concerning Himself, the disciples still do not recognize Him.
The disciples recognize Jesus in the breaking of bread
The disciples, unaware that it was Jesus with whom they were speaking, invite Jesus to stay the night with them. Jesus, acting more the host than the guest, “When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. Then were their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. Why do they now recognize Him in the breaking of bread? Jesus’ Eucharistic actions were well known to them from the many feeding miracles. But especially these actions would have been known to them from the Last Supper where St Luke records: Luke 9:14 When the hour had come, He reclined at the table …19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of bread! In something of a reversal of Genesis 3 where Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened to their nakedness before God in eating the forbidden fruit, the disciples’ eyes were opened to recognize Jesus when He gave to them the Bread of Life. Having opened the Scriptures to the disciples, Jesus then opened their eyes to His presence in the breaking of bread!
We are to recognize Jesus in the breaking of bread!
In the Church’s liturgical setting we recognize in placing the altar in the center of our vision that we come to church to meet Jesus. The lectern and the pulpit, where the Scriptures are read and exposited, are placed on a plane before the altar, but to the left and right of the altar. The reading and preaching of the Word opens and prepares our hearts to meet Jesus in the Holy Sacrament, that our eyes of faith now opened, we should recognize Jesus in the breaking of bread. This is Jesus’ great gift to the Church on Easter Sunday … the Church throughout the world continues to recognize Him in the breaking of bread. Behold the Lamb of God that takest away the sin of the world.
JSH+