Maximino Cerezo Barredo (Spanish, 1932–), “Emmaus” (triptych), 2014. Carvalhos, Portugal.

April 19, 2024: May God’s words be spoken, may God’s words be heard.  Amen.

Happy Easter everyone!  Yes – it’s still Easter. In fact, while we celebrate Eastertide for 50 days, in reality we are always a resurrection people.

Now, the New York Times had a headline this week about the Vice President that read “Vance Says The Pope Should Be More Careful When Talking About Theology.”  Does anyone else feel like the real news these days sounds more like something the parody news outlet, The Onion, would put out?

Seriously though, the Vice President said about the Pope, I kid you not: “If you’re going to opine on matters of theology, you’ve got to be careful, you’ve got to be sure it’s anchored in the truth and that’s one of the things that I try to do and that’s certainly something I would expect from the clergy…” Says the guy who converted only 7 years ago about the man who has been a priest for 3 decades and is now the Vicar of Christ? 

Well, Mr. Vice President, I am not the Pope, just a priest in Christ’s one holy catholic and apostolic church, but I do intend to speak on matters of theology, and I suggest you stay in your lane of – well, whatever it is you do.  If you have a problem with that – bring it on.  I would be happy to have a theological dialog with you, because Lordy, you seemed to have skipped some of your RCIA classes when you were prepping for your conversion.    

Now, if you think that was the most outrageous thing that happened this past few weeks, you may get the same head scratching stares Jesus got on the road to Emmaus when he asked Cleopas and the other disciple “What news?”

So, let’s talk about this beloved Easter story. 

It begins with Cleopas and his companion walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus, comforting one another in their deep grief over the death of their teacher and friend, Jesus.  Now, before we go any further, I want to remind everyone about the identities of these two folks. 

So many just assume that these are two men walking on this road, but as most of you who have been here awhile know by now, that assumption is a reflection of our society, not the scriptures. 

The text says “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.” Nowhere does it say these were two men!  The Greek is gender neutral.  Given that the bible is rife with examples of women going unnamed, and given that the bible authors have no problem usually telling you the names of every single man in any story, it is far more likely that it is a woman with Cleopas, not a man.  This is not just my own opinion, of course, but that of many scholars who argue as much.

So, there you have it – Cleopas was walking the road to Emmaus with his wife, girlfriend, sister, female best bud, wing woman, or whatever. Now that we have that cleared up, let’s give her a name…how about Zoe, from the Greek word for life.  Now, back to the story.

Remember, Cleo and Zoe were leaving Jerusalem – leaving the place where the disciples were cowered in fear, where Jesus had been crucified, where those associated with him were in danger.  Tensions were high.  People, including these two, were grieving and fearful.  And as they talked among themselves about the situation and all that had happened to them, Jesus came near and went alongside them. 

Now, they didn’t recognize him.  This was a stranger on this road, and not only that, but that same stranger basically says “Heyt, what’s up?” First, let’s look at the word choice of the author here to describe Jesus.  It is the Greek word πάροικος (paroikos) which means migrant, or a resident foreigner.  It often refers to a temporary resident lacking citizenship in a particular place.

And they tell this stranger, this foreigner, everything – who they thought Jesus was, what had happened to him, and who was responsible for it.  That they had hoped he was the one to “redeem Israel,” which may not mean much in our context, but then was the same as saying overthrow the Empire and free the oppressed.  They told him things that could get them crucified if he happened to be someone connected to power.  It was risky.

And knowing that risk makes the next part even more astounding – they invited this stranger to stay with them.  Welcoming the stranger was the law of God, and one that was a matter of life or death in that time.  There were not Wawas on every corner to grab food, and roads at night were prime places for robbers to lay in wait.  They did not know Jesus, but they knew their God and what God expected of them.  They invited him in, this man on the road.  They took another risk.

Today Jesus, the paroikos, the migrant, the resident foreigner, needs us to take a risk.  To risk having the conversations that may put us in danger with those in power, to risk welcoming him as we would if we could have the veils lifted from our eyes and saw the Christ walking alongside us.  And that is exactly what Pope Leo the XIV was doing that prompted responses from both the Vice President and the President.

First, let’s step back a bit to get the full scope of all that has happened just since Easter Sunday.  On that most sacred and holy of days for Christians, the President posted on his social media this heartwarming message: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran.  There will be nothing like it!! Open the F’in’ [he used the full word – I will not)…anyway] Open the F’in’ Strait you crazy [a b word I also will not repeat], or you’ll be living in Hell.” And then, in all caps (for reasons known only to him) he continued “JUST WATCH!” Praise be to Allah. President Donald J. Trump”

This was the President’s Easter message – a pledge to commit war crimes against the Iranian people, and mocking their faith.  But wait, there’s more… The Secretary of Defense called this a holy war, and this week, in a worship service at the Pentagon, he prayed for “overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.”  I should note, this same “Christian,” also asked everyone to pray while he quoted a passage of scripture – except what he read was from the movie “Pulp Fiction,” and not the bible.  This was on top of his declaring that journalists were like the Pharisees who opposed Jesus…implying that the President was Christ himself.

The President seemed to think so, as he re-posted on social media a blasphemous meme of him depicted as Jesus, healing a sick man, as avenging beings fly in the skies above, and a bunch of white people hold their hands in prayer around him.  And – he claimed that Leo owes his election as Pope to him.  Yup – you can’t make this stuff up.

But let me make one thing perfectly clear – while some of this is farcical, this is no laughing matter.  This is what Christian Nationalism does.  It perverts the gospel of the Prince of Peace into a bludgeon for war, hate, violence, and oppression.  Christian Nationalism is a heresy and it must be stopped whenever and wherever it rises up.

Now, back in “Sane-ville” – the Pope made it clear that “God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.”  While traveling to Cameroon, actually to a city I spent time in years ago – Bamenda – Pope Leo said even more.  Now, he was speaking about the long and violent civil war that had wracked this beautiful nation, but of course a certain President and Vice-President didn’t see it that way.  The Pope said, “The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild…” And quoting actual scripture, not the Gospel of Quentin Tarantino, he said “Blessed are the peacemakers!” which we know was a part of the sermon on the mount.  Then Pope Leo added “But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.”

Why am I telling you all this? 

Because Pope Leo is having a risky conversation, in a risky place.  The Pope is exhibiting moral courage at a desperate time in the lives of so many around the world.  Don’t mess with a guy from the South Side of Chicago.  Seriously. 

And supporting him in this is our own Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullaly, who said “I stand with my brother in Christ, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, in his courageous call for a kingdom of peace. As innocent people are killed and displaced, families torn apart, and futures destroyed, the human cost of war is incalculable. It is the calling of every Christian – and of all people of faith and goodwill – to work and pray for peace. We must also urge all those entrusted with political authority to pursue every possible peaceful and just means of resolving conflict.  As I prepare to visit Rome later this month to meet and pray with Pope Leo, I am mindful of his call to keep our eyes open to the suffering of the world, and our gaze fixed on our crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ – the image of the invisible God, in whose image and likeness every human being is made.”

Let the people say “Amen.”

Folks, the Road To Emmaus is what we are walking now.

People are fleeing empire today and we, the followers of Jesus, sometimes may feel like those first converts in the passage of Acts we heard this morning, who asked of Peter “what should we do?” 

The story of Cleo and Zoe provide the answer.

We should have the risky conversations – proclaim the gospel even when it may be dangerous to do so.  Proclaim it in what you say and in what you do. Proclaim it in places others might not go.

We should welcome the foreigner – not bomb them, not shoot them, not unjustly imprison them, not rip their children from them.  We should invite them in, for they are made in the image of God, and they are the crucified one in our midst.

We should come here to experience Jesus in the breaking of the bread – to hear the scriptures (again – real ones not from a movie) – to have our hearts burn within us.

That is what we should do – have the risky conversations, welcome Jesus in the stranger in our midst, experience him in the breaking of the bread – for that is our faith!  That is our Easter life.

Cardinal Tobin, who I have had the pleasure of working with here in New Jersey, said in an interview in response to what Pope Leo is doing “I’ve had the privilege of working closely with four popes, very different people in a lot of ways. But each one in some way was the right one for that moment in time.  I believe that — Pope Leo is the right man at this time.”

Now, I am not a Cardinal, but I can assure you this:  Pope Leo is the right one for this time…and so are each of you.  All of you are in this moment – this road to Emmaus moment – because you are the right person for this time.

There will be people, sometimes powerful people, telling you to stay in your lane, perverting the gospel, trying to crucify Jesus. But you must continue on that Emmaus journey.

You must recognize Jesus in the stranger, who yearns to draw near to you.

Welcome him, share your pain with him, listen to him, experience him in the breaking of the bread, and then proclaim the gospel – even when it’s risky.

For that will always be a risk worth taking.

Amen.

For the audio, click below, or subscribe to our iTunes Sermon Podcast by clicking here (also available on Audible):

Sermon Podcast

The Rev. Diana L. Wilcox

Christ Church in Bloomfield & Glen Ridge

April 19, 2026

The Third Sunday of Easter – Year A

1st Reading – Acts 2:14a,36-41

Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17

2nd Reading –  1 Peter 1:17-23

Gospel – Luke 24:13-35