3rd of Easter – Emmaus & Heartburn (4)

    How might heartburn (from Jesus opening the scriptures to them) and broken bread be related?  Seems to me…

Heartburn revealed their experience of purification from their idolatry – their demand that Jesus be the kind of redeemer they wanted.  They were choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life and remained immature.  Jesus opened the scriptures to them why he had to suffer so to enter into his glory.

Luke 24:31f          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’s how they got heartburn.  That’s how they recognized him in the breaking of the bread.  That is, we all cling to our will, our ‘stuff’, and our goodness and don’t share because we may not have enough.  Jesus broke the bread and each half was full, not less!  Heartburn purified them from their attachment and from the fears of not having enough.

Their fears made Jesus (and others) pay the price for not dealing with all that.  He gives to you idolaters, blind, unwilling to see & believe.

The mystery of our lives as broken is revealed to us as he feeds us with his body and blood.  It’s a sign of reconciliation.

They recognized him in the breaking of the bread.

And, here’s the audio version of my homily.