New Life means Being Grateful – 23 April 2023

Luke 24:13–35

Within this short story, Luke touches on a number of significant themes. Cleopas summarizes most of the essentials of the Christian story. By the power of God, Jesus performed mighty deeds and words. Jesus was rejected by the religious authorities, condemned and put to death. . . For Cleopas, though, this is a story of failure and hope destroyed. . . Cleopas was unable to imagine how [Jesus] could be God's anointed who would set God's people free from bondage. The risen Christ, however, reveals through the Jewish scriptures that it was precisely through suffering and death that God accomplished deliverance.

This story reminds the church that it must always read scripture with Jesus at the center, interpreting the whole.

The scene at the table recalls other meals with Jesus (Luke 9:16; 22:19). While traveling with Jesus, the travelers were prevented from recognizing him. It was not until he assumed the role of host and broke the bread that they knew who he was. The use of passive verbs suggests that God is the one who hides and reveals. . . . With the image of “burning hearts,” Luke suggests the joyful dawning of faith. –– Aaron J. Couch

1 Peter 1:17–23

The parenthood of God serves as the guiding image for this portion of 1 Peter. . . For believers, calling upon God as parent nurtures a reverent and mutually loving way of life. . . Having been set free, there is only one manner of life appropriate to the one who now belongs to God. That life must be mutually loving toward other believers. This is the “purity” of life God desires. There is no sense of moral superiority possible. Rather, one is living out of gratitude, living out of a stance of being deeply indebted to God. This is what it means to have a new life. –– Aaron J. Couch

Acts 2:14a, 36–41

The lectionary includes only the address and conclusion of Peter's speech, reducing the whole to two main points: the responsibility of the hearers for the crucifixion of Jesus and the true identity of Jesus as “Lord and Messiah.” In this way the lectionary focuses the assembly's attention on the response of the crowd listening to Peter. Luke describes a powerful emotional recognition of the truth that they were complicit in the rejection of Jesus as Israel's Messiah. . . The people ask what they must do. Peter directs them to repent and be baptized so that they may receive forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit. In this way, they become part of the community created by God's saving work in Jesus and they escape the destiny of the “corrupt generation” that crucified Jesus (v. 40).

Luke's reference to the “corrupt generation” uses the language of scripture to condemn the Jerusalem authorities who put Jesus to death. . . Luke understands the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. as a sign of God's judgment foretold by Jesus against the religious establishment that rejected the reign of God. The preacher, however, must be careful to avoid permitting the characterization of Jesus' enemies as a “corrupt generation” to contribute to the anti-Semitism that has characterized too much of the church's history. –– Aaron J. Couch

Aaron Couch is a co-pastor of First Immanuel Lutheran Church in Portland, Oregon.

Homily Service 41, no. 2 (2008): 129–136.