EASTER EVENING, TELLING, SINGING, SEEING
‘Open Our Eyes’ All God’s People Sing, #195 (Bob Cull)
Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus
To reach out and touch Him and say that we love Him.
Open our ears, Lord, Help us to listen.
Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus.
Easter morning services shout the story of the empty tomb. We sing glad alleluias and delight in the fact that a woman was the first to see, the first to be sent, and the first to tell. Then we skip right over the rest of the day to the appearance in the upper room, Thomas not being with them so we can call him Doubting Thomas and feel superior again. Foolish disciples, to continue mourning when Christ was risen.
Mark and Luke sandwich the story of the two on the road to Emmaus between these Easter Sunday book ends. Listen as, first Mark, and then Luke tell this story.
Mark 16:9-14
When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons, She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping, when they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.
Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country, these returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.
Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.
Luke 24:9-32
When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.
Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.
He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
“What things?” he asked.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body, they came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive, then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”
He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” and beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening, the day is almost over.” So he went within to stay with them.
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.
They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.”
Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.”
There are many among us, even on Easter, who mourn and weep. We mourn loved ones who are no longer with us. We mourn those we cannot see because of travel restrictions. We mourn our own sins, our own personal losses, our own fears of the future. And while we mourn, we question God. We long to see Jesus in our own time. We yearn for comfort, for a future calm and peaceful.
Listen now to a new hymn by Herman G. Stuempfle. You may recognize the tune, your heart might sing, ‘Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus.’ (Lutheran Service Book, #338). These new words speak to us today.
‘Who Are You Who Walk in Sorrow’ Lutheran Service Book, #476
Who are you who walk in sorrow
Down Emmaus’ barren road,
Hearts distraught and hope defeated,
Bent beneath grief’s crushing load?
Nameless mourners, we will join you,
We who also mourn our dead;
We have stood by graves unyielding,
Eaten death’s bare, bitter bread.
Who is this who joins our journey,
Walking with us stride by stride?
Unknown Stranger, can You fathom
Depths of grief for one who died?
Then the wonder! When we told You
How our dreams to dust have turned,
Then You opened wide the Scriptures
Till our hearts within us burned.
Who are You? Our hearts are opened
In the breaking of the bread –
Christ the victim, now the victor
Living, risen from the dead!
Great companion on our journey,
Still surprise us with Your grace!
Make each day a new Emmaus;
On our hearts Your image trace!
Who are we who travel with You
On our way through life to death?
Women, men, the young, the aging,
Wakened by the Spirit’s breath!
At the font You claim and name us,
Born of water and the Word;
At the table still you feed us,
Host us as our risen Lord!
“Alleluia! Alleluia!”
Is the Easter hymn we sing!
Take our life, our joy, our worship
As the gift of love we bring.
You have formed us all one people
Called from ev’ry land and race.
Make the Church Your servant body,
Sent to share Your healing grace!
Thanks to Contributing Writer
Natalie Hartwig for this Easter post.
