It was a tough time for the two men walking that long road that day. Their hopes and dreams had been completely devastated when their friend and mentor had been executed. They would never have believed it could end like this, but it did, and now they were lost, aimless and confused.
When the stranger started walking beside them, they may well have been tempted to ask him to leave them alone, but they weren’t so far gone that they couldn’t fulfil the basic requirements of hospitality. So, they talked, and since their grief was foremost on their minds, they couldn’t stop the conversation turning to recent events and their struggle to deal with it all. But then the stranger began to explain things to them. He made it sound like there was a purpose to everything that had happened, that it wasn’t the great failure they thought it was. In spite of themselves they were captivated by what he was saying – so much so that when it came time for them to leave the road and settle into their accommodation for the night, they invited him to join them.
Then, as they sat down for the meal, the stranger did an unusual thing. He took the bread and lifted it up, speaking a word of blessing and thanksgiving, and then he broke it. They had seen this before, and as they realised what he had done, they suddenly knew that this was no stranger. This was their friend, their mentor, alive and with them. Before they could say anything, he was suddenly gone, but they knew what they had experienced, and they were changed. They now knew there had been no failure, that death had not been able to silence the one whose words had made such a difference to their lives. And they also knew that they would be forever changed, because in that one miraculous moment when they had thought that all was lost, they had discovered, through a simple meal, that the Rabbi Jesus was alive and would be forever with them.
This story from Luke’s Gospel (24:13-34) demonstrates the significance of meals in the life and ministry of Jesus. We know more about what Jesus taught at the table, than what he said in the synagogue. Jesus enjoyed meals with the wealthy and the poor, with religious leaders and with sinful outcasts. In fact, Jesus enjoyed a good dinner party so much that some of his opponents even called him a glutton (Matthew 11:17,18). I suspect that Jesus knew how powerful meals can be in building relationships, in giving space for conversation and connection, and in opening us to new ideas and experiences. It’s hard to sit at the same table with someone with whom you are in conflict, or to share a meal with someone with whom you would rather not associate. But, it’s equally tough to write someone off when you’re eating with them. More than this, meals also provide a chance to really get to know someone. Watch how a person eats, how they interact with others at the table, and how they organise their space, and you learn an incredible amount about them.
Which is why the Scriptures remind us that the risen Jesus was often recognised at meals, notably here, in the Emmaus road story, and in the early morning fish breakfast in John 21:1-14. This is probably also why Jesus instructed us to remember him in a meal, and why one of the central acts of our worship is a meal called Holy Communion. If you long to know God better, if you’re yearning for a deeper connection with Christ, and with a community that follows him, perhaps you could begin with joining a meal at your local church. You’ll find that it’s more than just your body that gets fed, and it’s more than just people you’ll be sitting with.
__________________
John van de Laar is a Methodist minister, liturgical consultant and the author of the book Food for the Road – Life Lesson from the Lord’s Table. He holds a Master’s Degree in theology from UNISA, and is the founder of Sacredise.com, an international worship training and resourcing ministry. John is married to Debbie, and they have two sons.
Visit www.sacredise.com for more articles by John, as well as resources for personal and public worship – music, prayers, liturgies, images and drama scripts.