LESSONS FROM EMMAUS

Open, Listen and Yield

Third Sunday in Easter Time - April 23, 2023

Acts 2: 14, 22-33; 1 Peter 1:17-21; Luke 24: 13-35

The famous passage of the Gospel today, is a wholesome treat for a catechist or a catechete or a pastoralist. It lends itself to their discussions and theorisations and serves as an exceptional metaphor for explaining the ideals such as the process of catechesis or ministry, the role of various agents involved in the said process and so on. Of course, that would be an interesting discussion, but maybe we will not remain on that plane.

We shall instead reflect on the event reported, from the point of view of the two disciples pictured in the event - for two reasons. First of all, they represent us. As we are right now, they were living in the post resurrection period and they were still continuing to grasp what resurrection really meant. Secondly, they exemplify us. Just as we are all taken up with so many concerns of life and live within the caged world that we have created for ourselves with our preoccupations and doubts, anxieties and cares, worries and responsibilities, so too were they lost in their concerns and fears. So much lost, that they were not able to perceive even the most obvious... Jesus spoke to them, walked with them and prayed with them... but it took time for them to open their eyes! However, from these two disciples who are explicative of our own situation, we can draw the following three lessons.

Lesson 1: Accept the Strangers

When Jesus came to them, and wished to join their conversation and their walk, they accepted him, even though they did not know who it was, much less that it was Jesus. This is a pertinent call for us Christians today - to truly accept others, although we may not know them, with respect and regard. Although and specially because the migration today is becoming more and more, we see that there is a growing suspicion among the so-called mainstream in accpeting persons who are new and from elsewhere. There are societies which have been traditionally hospitable and sociable, which are losing this texture due to various internal and external factors. As Christians, can we stand out as counter witnesses promoting hospitality to 'strangers'? 

We do not know who is joining us, or who is offering to speak to us, or who is truly concerned about what is troubling us. It could after all be a God-sent person coming to make sense for us, about what is going on in our lives.

Lesson 2: Listen with your heart

When Jesus spoke to them, although they were not conviced or the truthfulness or the validity of what he was saying, they were listening to him. They were listening to him although they did not immediately understand what he was saying... they began to understand it later, recall it later, because earlier they had listened to him. Today the capacity to listen to the other has reduced drastically. Everyone wants to speak. Every one wants to say or display what they wish too. The amount of social network posts - instagram, reels and shorts - are indicative of how much persons today wish to shout out! But if there is a similar willingness  and eagerness to listen to the other, is a pertinent question. 

We may not understand what we are listening to, or we may not agree to it. That should not matter much, when it comes to our attitude or disposition to listen. We need to become listening persons, listening communities, if we wish to behold the Word from the Lord. 

Lesson 3: Yield to the Truth

When Jesus broke the bread, they understood their folly. They realised how blind and deaf they were till then. They did not make any effort to justify their inability nor explain their failure away. They took responsibility for their action and with humble admission accepted to change. That was shown in the decision they made... they walked up all the way to Emmaus from Jerusalem and the moment they realised the deep experience that they had just had, they started back all the way from Emmaus towards Jerusalem, merely to announce to their brothers and sisters the experience that they have had. The world today presumes that it knows the truth, just like the disciples were deriding Jesus in the beginning...are you the only one in Jerusalem who does not know what is happening around? In fact, he was the only one who knew what was "really" taking place. 

We may not know the truth, we may have an imperfect understanding of it, but what matters is that when we are given the grace to get in touch with the Truth, we are called to yield to the Truth. That is what will make us people of the Truth, people of the Lord, people of the Spirit!

Every day in our lives, we meet persons and we experience events, that have fragments of the Truth that can make sense of our lives. All that we need to do is accept the new with respect and regard, listen to everyone with whole heart and mind, and yield to the Truth when the Lord deigns to reveal it to us!