Do you have anything to eat?

This week I am returning to St Gabriel’s Church in Popley to share in some resurrection stories.

Twice this week I have attended funerals; both services for people who had lived good and full lives, and had come to a timely end. I am always fascinated to discover so much more about someone at their funeral than I had thought I had known, or assumed to have known about them in life. One of the funerals was of a retired priest who had broadcast Christian messages across the Iron Curtain back in the 70s and 80s, the other had worked for MI5 before she had married a high ranking soldier. Some of the stories were shared during the church services, but many more were shared over tea and cake afterwards.

I like to think that was what the disciples were doing in the upper room as they came to terms with Jesus’ seemingly untimely death, sharing stories and memories of what it had been like to have shared their lives with a Messiah. Perhaps Mary, his mother recalled the time he had formed a bird from mud and somehow made it fly, or the time he wandered off only to be found teaching the elders in the temple. Perhaps Martha spoke about the time she had been reminded that doing dishes and keeping a clean house wasn’t quite the most important thing a woman could do after all. Peter might have been subdued, but still pondering over the time he had offered to build tents for Jesus, Elijah, and Moses; Andrew, the time that he took a boy’s packed lunch and Jesus turned it into food for thousands. Thomas was perhaps questioning everything, ‘didn’t I say he would meet his death?’

The two disciples who had given up and returned home, were now back amidst them, claiming to have met with Jesus himself. As they were reminiscing on the long walk, something glowed within them, but only when they sat down to share food, did everything fall into place. Despite having walked for hours to get away from Jerusalem, they immediately turned back to share their story with the other disciples, and as they do they discover that they aren’t the only ones to have had impossible encounters with Jesus.

‘Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’ And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish and he took it and ate in their presence.

Luke 24: 36-43

And here he is once again, bringing peace upon their startled, frightened, doubtful hearts. Naturally they are full of questions, and Jesus answers them by showing them his hands and his feet, inviting them to touch him. They are not mistaken, he was indeed crucified, his scars are still healing, but they are healing and his body is warm, and in need of food. As Jesus eats, their wonder and disbelief doesn’t disappear, but is overshadowed with the joy of Jesus’ presence in their midst once again. Joy that he is here, and they have missed him so much, joy that he is alive, joy that his teaching has not been nullified by crucifixion.

Jesus eats with his disciples. It isn’t quite the heavenly banquet we hope for when we picture the 23rd Psalm, but it is food, and it is real, and the need for food is a sign of company, or hospitality, and life that endures. As they eat together, they find a new sense of life, a deeper faith, a purpose as disciples even greater than before. So it is with us.

As we gather round the communion table this morning to share in the bread and wine, we share in Jesus’ resurrection, we share in his presence; and as we gather around the bible readings and the sermon, as we gather over tea and coffee afterwards, we build each other up with our stories of faith, or our reminiscences of Jesus, and despite our doubts are encouraged to go out into the world again, full of Christ’s peace, re-purposed to share his truth and his love.

You can read the story of the disciples who returned to Emmaus here, and how Jesus asked to eat some fish here.