When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. – Luke 24:30-31

Today’s Scripture Reading (October 25, 2014): Luke 24

The earliest mention of the communion ritual in the Bible is actually found in the Letters of Paul. The gospels were all written later than the Letters of Paul. And there is good reason for that. The early church really expected that Jesus would be coming back soon. The eyewitnesses to the story of God coming down to earth were still present in the churches. The stories were told from person to person throughout the early years of the church. What the church really needed were theologians who could explain what the stories meant to the everyday life of the church. Enter Paul. He became the predominate teacher of the first century – and he was the prime shaper of early Christianity.

The celebration of the Last Supper was one of the earliest rituals of the young church. And it is a ritual that Paul examined closely. His description of the ritual in the Corinthian Church (found in 1 Corinthians 11) is not all that complementary. The theologian of the early church is sure that the Corinthians are missing the point. Specifically, the Corinthians seem to celebrating the supper in a very individualistic way, when the celebration that Jesus taught on the night before his crucifixion was designed for the community. Paul chastises the church for not being aware of others in the worshipping community as they celebrate the ritual. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep (1 Corinthians 13:29-30). The phrase “discerning the body of Christ” in Paul’s thought meant recognizing the Christian Community in the ritual. Only when communion is celebrated in community, and we are willing to see Jesus in the other, do we really understand the full significance of the ritual.

And it is this idea of Paul that seems to be echoed in the story of the two men on the Road to Emmaus. The two man were travelling together when they are joined by a third. The three men pass the time on their journey by telling the stories of Jesus, especially the events that had happened in Jerusalem during the past few days. But while the third man seems to be ignorant of these recent events, but he does seem to understand the teachings of Jesus. And he brings a bit of understanding for the disciples, insight into the life of Jesus and the connection he had with the scripture, as they traveled together.

But when they arrive at their destination, the two disciples invite the third man to eat with them. And as he breaks the bread, they recognize their new friend as being the risen Jesus– and then he disappears from their sight. It is interesting that according to Luke, the body of Christ was not recognized or discerned until the bread was broken and celebrated in community of others. And in Emmaus, it was not until that moment that Jesus was finally recognized.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: John 20