Scripture Reflections

In their various encounters with Jesus after the resurrection, the disciples didn’t easily recognize Jesus. When he showed up, he had to do something to open their eyes. Revealing his wounds, speaking a specific command, saying a name, breaking bread—they could not recognize him until he revealed himself. If you read the stories in succession, it is difficult to miss the point—unless Jesus takes the initiative, no one knows who he is.

Another weird aspect of these appearances is that Jesus doesn’t stick around. He shows up, reveals himself, then leaves. The longest meeting, when he came to where the disciples were fishing (John 21), seems to have only lasted for an hour or so. Long enough to cook fish over a fire and have a short conversation with Peter and John, but not much more.

From a historical standpoint, it is clear that Jesus’ appearance was changed after the resurrection, so much so that the disciples didn’t initially recognize him. But from a pastoral standpoint, these passages teach the church something profound: We cannot recognize Jesus unless he opens our eyes, and we can’t make our experiences of him last forever.

The appearance of Jesus to the disciples on the road to Emmaus is particularly instructive. As Jesus explained the Scriptures, the hearts of the two were burning within them. The testimony in Scripture about the Messiah lit a fire inside them—it prepared the way for the revealing. Scripture, interpreted as pointing to Jesus, opens our hearts. And then, in the breaking of bread, Jesus suddenly became clear. It is true that other disciples recognized in other ways—Thomas saw the wounds, John heard the command, “Throw the nets on the other side,” Mary Magdalene only needed to hear her name—but these are all personal, rather than formulaic. We shouldn’t expect Jesus to open each of our eyes in the same way. But to the disciples walking to Emmaus, the regular pattern is given, and it is the pattern the Church adheres to: In the proclamation of the Scriptures, specifically as we ask, “What do they say about Jesus?” combined with the breaking of the bread, Jesus makes himself known as he pleases.

We cannot force him to reveal himself to us; and we cannot force him to stick around as long as we want. Momentary epiphanies are gifts, but not the norm. In other words, he is in charge, and recognizing him anew is a gift that cannot be compelled. But we can place ourselves where he tends to reveal himself, if we hope to see him anew. We can immerse ourselves in the Scriptures, looking for Jesus on every page, and we can participate with the church in the breaking of bread, expecting to see Jesus there.

It may not be often. It may not be what we expect. It may not last as long as we wish. We walk, after all, by faith, not by sight. But Jesus does make himself known, and he will open our eyes. And so, turn to the Scriptures, looking for Jesus, and come to the breaking of bread, expecting to see him. Let your heart burn with desire for his unveiling.

Steven+

Reflections on Holy Week

This past Sunday we processed into church (i.e., our living room) from our kitchen, waving our paper palm branches high! And we remembered you all processing into your service also, with likely even more (joyous, of course!) palm branch fights breaking out than in our procession, given the wonderfully large number of children involved. But as we walked through that week in Jerusalem through the Scripture readings, we came to Jesus’ bloody sweat in Gethsemane, Peter’s words of denial, the shouts of the crowd—even our shouts—of, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” How did those crowds—how do we—go from songs of praise and adoration to crying out for the blood of our King? Or rather, how do we not walk in this way of the world and of our natural selves, singing praises when we are pleased with the provision of the Lord, but turning against him when to follow him requires sacrifice, repentance, and no-thanks-given-for-it service?

Every morning, in morning prayer, we recite with Zechariah his words of blessings over his son John: 

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; 
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, 
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies, 
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers 
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, 
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear, 
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, 
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation 
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God 
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness
and in the shadow of death, 
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

And every evening, in evening prayer, we say with Simeon his words of praise:

Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, 
according to your word.
For my eyes have seen your salvation, 
which you have prepared before the face of all people;
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles, 
and to be the glory of your people Israel.

And here we find a pattern, a holy truth that will, as one of our worship songs puts it, help us “be singing when the evening comes.” We are set free from our enemies! Free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our lives. We are visited by the dawn from on high, our eyes see his salvation—a light to lighten the Gentiles, the glory of God’s people—every day, when we ask our Father to lift our heads and open our eyes. And every day we receive again the charge from the one who loves us with an everlasting love: “Take up your cross, and follow me.” When we find ourselves snarling at the person who interrupted our time of prayer and praise, we are invited to sit at the foot of the cross. When we wake up determined to follow the Lord’s ways of life and peace, and find ourselves so quickly slipping back into our ways of death and idolatry, we are invited to sit at the foot of the cross. Every day we are invited to receive the gift from our Father of the knowledge of salvation in the forgiveness of our sins, but we must come to that knowledge through the cross—through the painful, even horrific conviction that yes, my sins and yours nailed our King to this cross. A verse of our boys’ favorite Easter song, Jerusalem, puts us in the role of the soldiers:

See the king who made the sun
And the moon and shining stars
Let the soldiers hold and nail him down
So that he could save them.

We will be inviting some of our friends here to join us for the Holy Week services, and we hope you will join with Incarnation in yours, for this is an opportunity like none other in the Church year to sit at the foot of the cross. And on Saturday, right at the center of that great Vigil, the bells will come out (five in each hand if you, like our boys, have learned from the best) and we will bust out that glorious verse of Jerusalem:

See the empty tomb today,
Death could not contain him;
Once the servant of the world
Now in victory reigning.

Hannah

Holy Week

Our only hope is Jesus Christ, and we need a moment every year when we stop everything to remember this. We need a moment to re-enter into his death and resurrection, to reground ourselves in what he did for us.
 
During Holy Week, we are given this chance. It is our yearly call to remember that our hope is only in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The services work together to draw us into Jesus’ work for us. Each service is beautiful on its own, but together they are more than their sum. By following him from the Triumphal Entry to the Last Supper; from his agony, betrayal, and arrest at Gethsemane to the mockery of his trial; from the darkness of his crucifixion into the glory of his resurrection—by following him in each of these moments, we have the chance to re-center our life on him.
 
Even though life is busy, make a point to set aside every other pursuit during Holy Week. There is nothing more important for us to do! Let following Jesus from the Triumphal Entry to the empty tomb be the only goal for the week.
 
Holy Week Services (March 24-31)
Palm Sunday—9:00am, March 24
Be early! We will begin outside with the crowds, greeting Jesus as he rides through in humility and majesty, cheering him with palms and cries of “Hosanna!” Regular Sunday childcare will be offered.
 
Maundy Thursday—6:00pm, March 28
On Maundy Thursday, we join Jesus as he celebrates Passover with his disciples, offering in the institution of the Lord’s Supper a new Passover covenant established in his blood.  We end the service by following Jesus and the disciples in the dark to Gethsemane through the stripping of the altar. Nursery childcare will be available for ages 6mos – 3 years.
 
Good Friday—6:30pm, March 29
On the darkest night of the year, we gather to confess our sins as we mourn the death of Jesus Christ. We remember and confess that we, too, are culpable as we consider the gravity of our rebellion against our Creator and Lord. Nursery childcare will be available for ages 6mos – 3 years.
 
Great Vigil—7:30pm, March 30
The Great Vigil begins in darkness because Jesus Christ has been slain and lies in the tomb. As we wait in vigil, we listen to the narrative of God’s acts of salvation in human history, and we begin to hope again as we hear his promises. As the vigil reaches its climax, light enters the world again when we learn that Jesus has risen from the dead and left the tomb. We ring bells, sing, and celebrate the victory of our God! Nursery childcare will be available for ages 6mos – 3 years.
 
Easter Morning—9:00am, March 31
The Feast of the Resurrection is the great joy of the Church and has been its principal feast since the beginning. We sing, celebrate, and rejoice because our Lord has conquered death! Our hope is secure because our Lord has defeated sin and the devil! Nursery childcare will be available for ages 6mos – 3 years.
 
Easter Picnic—11:00 am-2:00pm, March 31, at Geoff and Patty Hall’s Home
Bring your chair and a picnic lunch. There will be an egg hunt for children. Join us in this time to rejoice after the service. The church will supply drinks.