• Ordinary Miracles, Luke 24:13-35
  by Rev. Frank Schaefer
   

• We Are The Church—Walking Together!
  Psalm 116:12-19, Luke 24:13-35
  by Rev. Richard Thompson    

• The Living Word of God, 1 Peter 1:17-23
  by Rev. Randy L. Quinn
   
• It's Still Easter, Luke 24:13-35, by HW in HI
   
• "Then and Now", Luke 24: 13-35, by Rev. Timothy DeFrange 
   
• Walking Lessons, Luke 24:13-35, by Rev. Thomas Hall 
   
• Heartburn, Luke 24:13-35, AJM in PA
   

__________________________________________________________________
 

Ordinary Miracles
Luke 24:13-35
by Rev. Frank Schaefer

To me this passage, commonly known as the “Road to Emmaus,” is one of the most intriguing eye-witness resurrection stories, in part because that's one Easter experience I can relate to. Other post-resurrection stories of Jesus happen in such an out-of-the-world miraculous way. I haven't seen a lot of signs and wonders, but, like these disciples on the road to Emmaus, I have looked back and discovered that God had been at work in my life--something I couldn't for the life of me see when it was actually happening.

But there is another aspect that I truly treasure about this Easter story: the hospitality aspect. The disciples welcome this stranger, talk to him, and even invite him to stay with them and share a meal.

That's pretty significant because from very early on in Christianity, there is this theme of hospitality to strangers. In Hebrews 13:2, for instance, we read: “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

And of course, Jesus said in Matthew 25:40 “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

And to me that's the heart of the Easter story too. We live in a world eager to experience the risen Christ. There is so much need, so much suffering, so much uncertainty, war and terrorism. There is not always a need for big miracles, most often ordinary miracles will do.

But we long for God to break into our lives, we long for something meaningful to happen; a sign of hope, a sign of new life, a sign that our lives matter, that there is a higher purpose to all this.

The Road to Emmaus teaches us that there are ordinary miracles happening among us, all we have to do to find them is to reach out and help our fellow human beings in the name of Christ. It was in the moment of showing generous hospitality to a stranger that they found the risen Christ. [continue]