Emmaus and the Everyday Divine - The Third Sunday of Easter - April 19, 2026

Summary

In this Easter season sermon, Mother Suzanne walks us through the road to Emmaus, reminding us that the risen Christ shows up quietly and humbly in the small, ordinary moments of our lives — often without us even realizing it. Just as the disciples only recognized Jesus when he broke bread in his own unmistakable way, we too are invited to open our eyes and hearts to his presence in the everyday rhythms of our lives. Mother Suzanne calls us to lay down what no longer serves us, trusting that in that surrender, space opens up for new life, new love, and personal resurrection.

THE GOSPEL                                                                                                                                                Luke 24:13-35

Now on that same day two of Jesus' disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. 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?” 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, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 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. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 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. 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.” Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 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. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 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?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread. 

Artwork: “The Road to Emmaus” Robert Zund, 1877

Transcript

Mother Suzanne:

I love the Lord because he has heard the voice of my supplication, because he has inclined his ear to me whenever I called upon him. In the name of the one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, amen. Please be seated. Well, right now we are liturgically speaking in the great 50 days of Easter. It is a time in the church here when we get to give thanks and consider the wonder of Jesus being raised to new life. And on this third Sunday of Easter, we find ourselves on the road to Emmaus. On this side of the gospel story, we have the perspective of knowing that Jesus was resurrected. But remember, the disciples still don't quite seem to understand what's going on at all.

So Emmaus, it was a village about seven miles outside of Jerusalem. We find here two disciples. They were deep in conversation going over all the things that had just happened. In the middle of their conversation, Jesus shows up. Out of nowhere, just comes. But they were unable to recognize who he was. So I'll ask the question. Does that in any way sound remotely familiar? In the middle of our lives, busy and full, chocked full of goodness. Jesus shows up and yet, oftentimes, we don't recognize or even acknowledge he is there. Well, in today's gospel, the disciples are scared, consumed. They really don't know what to do. And so Jesus shows up, comes to them exactly where they're at and offers words to set them at ease. He offers them peace, words of calm and ease. And even still, they were on edge. They didn't understand that it really was Jesus.

Instead, they thought they were seeing a ghost.

Hi, Haley May. And then in his Jesus-y kind of way, in a moment of relational transformation, Jesus says this to his friends. "Look at my hands and my feet touch them. I'm not a ghost. I'm real. These scars will prove it. Believe it that it's really me. I'm here with you. I'm not going anywhere. "After revealing, showing himself to his friends, exposing his scarred body, his companions, his friends, his students, the disciples, they begin to have a change of heart instead of fear, joy, but still confused and wondering what all of this means. So when listening to the story, I asked myself the question," How many times in my life has Jesus companioned with me? And just like our friends this morning, I had no idea it was him and that he was right there the whole time.

"We sometimes wish God should show himself to us more. And since he doesn't do it in the way we might think or hope, he must not be real or that he's so far removed that there could never be any kind of interest in me or in my life. In a moment of honesty, perhaps we might be willing to admit that many of us are longing and looking for a lightning bolt or flashing lights, a signal of some kind to show us what we need to do next or what direction in life we need to go.

I think about how many times I've asked, maybe even begged God for a sign. "Please, please show me a sign as to what I'm to do or which direction in life I should go. " But again, if we were honest with ourselves and charitable towards God, we would realize, well, that's not really how it works, is it? Sure, anything is possible. Believe me, I know God can work in any way, but in general, Jesus isn't one usually to show up in a flashy attention getting kind of way. Instead, he shows up ever so slightly that it would be really, really easy to miss.

What we see on this road is that the resurrected Jesus comes along quietly, unassuming, humbly, but engaged in a meaningful way, providing presence, providing insight. He comes to his friends, enters into exactly where they are at, engages them, disarms them, shows his scarred body, shares a mill, and then reminds them of what is true and why what happened had to be. And what's interesting to me is that these companions had no idea it was Jesus until he engaged in something small, ordinary. They knew it was him when he did something everyone does, but yet no one did quite like him.

He took bread and he broke it in the way Jesus did. That is what made their eyes and hearts open. Maybe some of you have experienced what that is like when someone you love does something that's so unique to them and only them, that when they do it or say it without thinking you know it is them. Although the disciples didn't realize it, Jesus was very present with them on their walk, walking, something quite mundane and ordinary, something we all do, and oftentimes we take for granted. Step after step, he provided presence, patience, instruction, and then their eyes and hearts were opened to the truth of who he was and why he had come.

This wasn't something that they just understood. He enlightened their hearts so they could. And then they did understand that he was alive and certainly not a ghost. What started as a walk led to Jesus revealing himself and his scars, which led to a shared meal, which led to Jesus teaching and illuminating their minds and hearts to the truth, which eventually led to their understanding of the revelation of the resurrected Jesus. All of these are pretty simple things, and yet so profound. The story of the road to Emmaus speaks to the power of the small and commonplace to reveal the divine.

God makes himself known many ways during a quiet evening walk, when a red bird flies by, God reveals himself by orchestrating events so that you show up exactly when you are needed. God is made known around our kitchen tables, sharing cups of hot coffee with those whom we love or delighting in a delicious meal that fills the belly and creates a beautiful memory. God reveals himself when we take, bless, break and give. We do this every week at the mobile food pantry where unity and shared purpose create a modern day story of Jesus' loaves and fishes.

God is present in the rhythms and rituals of our seemingly ordinary days, which just like ordinary bread and wine turned into a heavenly banquet. He changes our ordinary lives and habituations into holy and sacred spaces. God is with us when we lay things down, when we bury them and promise to never pick them up again, because they haven't served us well. Because when we do that, space is created for something new, new life, new love, new ways of being, all of its small, simple things that collectively are so profound. God is also with us when we bravely take something on. We pay attention to that nagging feeling or voice that just won't go away. So you say, "I'm not going to be afraid. Whatever this may entail, I'm going to be brave. I'm going to be open to explore and see where God is leading me.

" If the Emmaus story tells us anything, it tells us that the risen Christ is not confined in any way by the seeming smallness of our lives. Wherever and whenever we make room, guess what? Jesus is going to come. So I ask this week, lay down, bury, let go of those things that you need to. You know what they are? I know what mine are. When you do, trust that space will open up for other things, things that bring you life, things that bring you joy, and things that ultimately will bring you personal resurrection. Amen.