Dear Friends
Third Sunday of Easter
The Gospel story this week is about the experience of two followers of Jesus in the late afternoon of Easter Day. They were travelling on the road to Emmaus and encounter the risen Jesus. It is a meeting that speaks much to us of the Risen Christ, and his relationship with those first disciples, and all of us, in our journeys through life
The daily reflections for the coming week will be taken from the book ‘Seeds of Trust’ written by some of the brothers of the ecumenical Taizé Community. Some of you may know of the community, its music, and writings; some of you may have visited it. In the mid-1980’s I was fortunate to live there for two years, and it is a place that continues to strongly influence me and my family. If you would like to know more about the Community their webpage is http://www.taize.fr/en
I hope you are continuing to keep safe in these uncertain times. Both Tony and I continue to keep you very much in our prayers.
With all good wishes
Alan
Revd. Canon Alan G. Marley
Easter 3 Luke 24: 13-35
In the Old Testament we encounter the pilgrim God … A God who is on the move, a God who is in relationship (covenant) with people
• Who walks with Adam & Eve in the garden of Eden
• Who invites Abraham to journey with him – to a place He will show him
• Who guides Moses and the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt
The understanding, later within the Old Testament, grew to realize the relationship is about an ‘interior attitude’ not ‘exterior law keeping’
In the prophet Ezekiel (36:25) …. God says he will put “… a new heart within you” …… A heart of flesh not a heart of stone
Therefore, a sense of the NEW relationship – a different way of being with God
In Jesus we see the NEW Covenant
Jesus talks about a NEW commandment …. A NEW type of Kingship …. A NEW type of living and in the Easter events a NEW understanding of death and resurrection
• It is a whole NEW way of life – one that is so radical its likened to being ‘born again’
Us today –
Its also interesting to note that the early followers of Jesus were known as ‘… the followers of the Way’ rather than Christians (Acts 24:14)
• Still today the call is of the pilgrim God who walks with us on our journey
• In Jesus God walked along our roads in human form
• The Way of God is fully traced out in human history by Jesus – one like us
• This too is seen in Emmaus in today’s gospel
• Christ accompanies two disciples travelling on the road
• Jesus doesn’t impose himself on them
• only stays at their invitation
• He opens their eyes to the scriptures to everything that points to him
On the road of our lives we will encounter Christ …
• He is often to be found in the stranger on the road – the traveler, the refugee
• He will stay with us if we ask and invite him
• He will share his bread with us … the New relationship (Covenant) celebrated in Holy Communion
• He will open our eyes to know him
• He will walk with us and show us the path of life to the Father