That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus’ disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus.
Christ is Risen! Alleluia!
He is truly risen! Alleluia!
As many of you know, I love to cook, to prepare food, especially for others. One of the best sources of ideas for cooking are the YouTube chefs I like to watch. It might be Chef Jean Pierre, Spain on a Fork, the French Cooking Academy with Stephane, Mad Scientist BBQ, and others. Those will get me making things that might be a challenge but are also fun.
On the other side of my watch history is Tasting History with Max Miller. He does the history of food and prepares dishes as they were prepared in ancient, medieval, and early modern times. Today, we get a food tour.
Today, we find ourselves along with two of Jesus’ disciples traveling to a nearby town. I first wondered, what did they take for road snacks? Did they have a bag of Cheez its or popcorn or pretzels? Likely not. But they did bring food.
No ancient traveler left for any journey without food. There was no 24-hour supermarket anywhere. Vendors closed their stalls in mid to late afternoon. You would find no sustenance unless you brought it yourself.
A typical traveler would bring bread, parched / roasted grain, raisins and dried figs, olive oil, and wine.
Jesus catches up to the travelers. He teaches them along the way. During their travels they noted Jesus had brought nothing to eat, so they invited Him: “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” Great hospitality.
They brought out their store of food and presented it to their Guest. They gave their gifts to Him and He gave them back the Bread of Heaven, the true Bread for our eternal journey. In that they recognized Him and received the grace to really get what He was talking about.
Our gathering here, our gifts, are that important. This bread, which we have brought is returned to us changed – Jesus for our eternal journey. Let our insight and perception ever increase in this Food.
