This week’s Readings and Sermon for the second Sunday of Easter
The Collect for This Week
Risen Christ, you filled your disciples with boldness and fresh hope: strengthen us to proclaim your risen life and fill us with your peace, to the glory of God the Father. Amen
The Post Communion Prayer for this week
Living God, your Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: open the eyes of our faith, that we may see him in all his redeeming work; who is alive and reigns, now and for ever. Amen
The Psalm for this Sunday is Psalm 116, verses 1 to 3 and 10 to 17
1 I love the Lord, for he has heard the voice of my supplication; because he inclined his ear to me on the day I called to him. 2 The snares of death encompassed me; the pains of hell took hold of me; by grief and sorrow was I held. 3 Then I called upon the name of the Lord: ‘O Lord, I beg you, deliver my soul.’
10 How shall I repay the Lord for all the benefits he has given to me? 11 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. 12 I will fulfil my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. 13 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants. 14 O Lord, I am your servant, your servant, the child of your handmaid; you have freed me from my bonds. 15 I will offer to you a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call upon the name of the Lord. 16 I will fulfil my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people, 17 In the courts of the house of the Lord, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Alleluia.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and shall be forever. Amen
The First Reading for this Sunday is taken from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 2, verses 14 and 36 to 41
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say.
36 Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.’ 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’ 38 Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.’ 40 And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ 41 So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
This is the Word of the Lord Thanks be to God
The New Testament reading for this Sunday is taken from the First Letter of St Peter, Chapter 1, verses 17 to 23
17 If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. 18 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. 20 He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. 21 Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God. 22 Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. 23 You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.
This is the Word of the Lord Thanks be to God
The Gospel reading for this Sunday is taken from the Gospel of St Luke, Chapter 24, verses 13 to 35
Hear the Gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ, according to Luke Glory to You, o Lord
13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, ‘What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?’ They stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, ‘Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?’ 19 He asked them, ‘What things?’ They replied, ‘The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22 Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23 and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed 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 as the women had said; but they did not see him.’ 25 Then he said to them, ‘Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?’ 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29 But they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.’ So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?’ 33 That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34 They were saying, ‘The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!’ 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, o Christ
Note :All readings are shared from the Church of England Lectionary App and are subject to copyright . © The Archbishop’s Council
This week’s talk is delivered by Lorraine Ashworth
Every now and again I look at the pile of ironing, the washing up, the grass getting longer and the dust on the ornaments and I think about what needs doing first; I can’t decide which is the most important so I flick through my phone, playing games or watching videos on YouTube suggested by posts on Facebook. You too? Or sometimes I'll start channel hopping with the TV.
Some programmes catch my eye and I stay with them for a little while but as soon as there’s a dull moment or an advert break, flick the switch and on to the next channel. The kids channels, cartoons, music, it’s all there. Then there are one or two ‘God’ channels. I don’t know how many of you have watched any of these; there’s usually a discussion on one, maybe an interview, worship. But the channels that make me turn over immediately are the Bible Bashing, THOU SHALT REPENT kind of preaching. Turns me right off! I don’t need the gospel pushing down my throat like a battering ram. If I want that I’ll come to church and listen to.... never mind! It makes me wonder though, how many people have actually met with Christ via the TV; through that familiar box in the corner.
Of course they didn’t have TV until quite recently when you think about it. Certainly not in Bible times. Today our reading from Luke’s Gospel focuses on the day when people met face to face with the risen Jesus. These two we read about were disciples, not of the 12, but followers none the less. They would have heard him preach, seen his miracles, they may even have shared meals with him, but as they left Jerusalem that Sunday, they didn’t recognise the man they met. The events of the past couple of weeks had been traumatic, they knew all the events that had taken place, were able to relate them back to the stranger they were talking to. It’s interesting to note that the disciples called Jesus ‘a prophet’ rather than ‘the Son of God’. Maybe they didn’t realise exactly who Jesus was.
They did share with this ‘stranger’ the wonder of the empty tomb but had no reason why this should be so. Perhaps it isn’t so surprising that the disciples didn’t recognise their leader. The gospel says that ‘their eyes were kept from recognising him!’
And so Jesus was given the opportunity to talk to the men. He interpreted the scriptures, talked to them about what the good news meant. The events were explained as the fulfilment of so many prophecies, but the disciples still didn’t recognise Christ. Sometimes when I was teaching in schools, especially during a maths lesson, I saw blank faces. The explanations just hadn’t sunk in. So I’d tell the children not to try to understand, but just to follow the procedure step by step. When they’d done it a few times you could see the lights going on. The children were beginning to understand WHAT they were doing, so then I’d explain the why’s and how’s again and the explanation that went over their heads just a few minutes before suddenly made sense. Perhaps the explanation went over the heads of the disciples – no matter how eloquently Jesus spoke. They understood the facts now but not their significance.
Then in the house, Jesus blessed the bread, broke it and gave it to them and their eyes were opened! It clicked. Recognition! You can imagine the scene... ‘I knew it! I thought there was something strange when we were talking, it all makes sense now!’ I listen to a song that says ‘Open the eyes of my heart, I want to see You.’ Their hearts as well as their eyes were opened.
That familiar action, something they had seen done in a Jewish home on so many occasions had helped the two men to see that Jesus, the man who fulfilled all the prophecies had met with them on the road, had spoken with them and had shared fellowship with them.
How have you and I met with Jesus? How have we discovered that he is the son of God, the fulfiller of prophesies, the saviour? Was as a result of being talked to, hearing a powerful sermon by a famous speaker, did we sit down with a bible and commentary, going through passage by passage? Look back now everyone. When did you know that Jesus Christ was your Lord and you wanted to follow him?
Maybe you can’t ever remember at time when you didn’t believe. Maybe you’ve always gone with the flow. Perhaps you have made a conscious decision. For me, I’d always gone to church, had even got permission from the bishop to be confirmed a year early because I was so involved, I’d been part of the “Rossendale For Christ” movement that was sweeping the valley in the early 70’s.
One evening after a praise meeting at Heightside, when it was the centre for the European Christian mission, I was walking home alone singing to myself “now I belong to Jesus” a song I had sung loads of times before, when it dawned on me and I realised it was true. I’d believed in my head but it hadn’t sunk into my heart. The eyes in my heart were opened that evening. Since then, I’ve often needed reminding how wonderful, how amazing, Jesus is, but I’ve always known in my heart that I belong to him. And even when I’m not walking with him he’s walking with me in all those familiar situations.
I look again at that box in the corner – the T.V. We are used to it being secular, God only intruding occasionally to disturb us. Songs of Praise is familiar and reassuring yet I think back to the Manchester Passion in 2006 – 20 years ago but you can still watch it on YouTube - https://youtu.be/UAfLCV9ZeZY?si=z2_OJZtR8FPCStU3
It was groundbreaking, controversial. Jesus walking the streets, wearing today's clothing, speaking in today's language, using secular music of the time, Jesus being locked up in a police van. Did any of you watch that? Are your memories as vivid as mine? If not, give it an hour of your time. Yes, Jesus was a controversial, historical figure, a radical.
The 2 disciples on the road to Emmaus recognised that part of his story, but it was through the breaking of bread, a simple, everyday act, that his disciples came to recognise him.
Today do we still recognise Jesus in the breaking of bread each Sunday that we share communion? Perhaps. But everyday, in all the normality of life, as we look at tiny children and watch them grow, as we look at the countryside around us, we can see the wonderful works of God.
We have Messy Church here, encouraging children and their parents to encounter Jesus in unexpected, yet familiar ways. It’s about looking for Jesus where we don’t expect to find him; in books, films, television, out on the street, in our homes, our schools. Places that are familiar to us. Places where we carry out our everyday lives. Because that is where Jesus is. Not merely in a church, not in the heavens, but in the ironing, the shopping, the music we listen to, the soaps on T.V., the internet, newspapers. In people like you, me, babies being baptised, in illness, in sorrow and in joy. A band I listen to, has a song with lyrics saying 'Our god is on the beach not in the sky'. I interpret that with a Capital G. Our God, here with us.
Each of us here has met Jesus under different circumstances, a different how, when and where. Maybe some of us here are like those disciples on the road to Emmaus. We’ve seen the events of Easter we know the story, have listened to all the sermons, have even had Jesus walking beside us all our lives, but the eyes of our hearts are still closed. Or perhaps we’ve closed our eyes temporarily because life is throwing too many problems at us. Maybe we all need to pray “open the eyes of my heart Lord, I want to see you” so that we will all know that we belong to Jesus “not for the years of time alone but for eternity”.
Let us Pray
Lord God, Help us to see you, see what you have done, see why you died and rose again, and believe in our hearts that You are Lord of all, Holy and that we belong to You.
Amen
(If you want to hear 'Open the Eyes of my Heart', here is another link from YouTube.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAjmd-IZA4s&list=RDFAjmd-IZA4s&start_radio=1