Illuminations on the Lectionary readings for April 23, 2023 (Easter 3A)

First Reading: Acts 2:14a,36-41

“O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work.” These words in Sunday’s Collect highlight ideas of resurrection and redemption that carry through our Lectionary readings for the day.

Christ on the Road to Emmaus (c.1725-1730), American 18th Century oil painting on canvas by an anonymous artist. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. (Click image to enlarge)

Let’s approach the first reading from Acts with careful attention, though. Peter’s words as told by Luke stem from a time of tension between post-Temple Judaism and early Christians who were hurt and angry over being expelled from the synagogues for their belief in Jesus as Messiah. But hearing Peter blame “the entire house of Israel” for Jesus’ crucifixion could lead Christians down the hate-filled path of anti-Judaism. It’s better to hear this reading as God’s gracious promise that the gift of the Holy Spirit is open to everyone.

Psalm: Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17

Sunday’s Psalm is heard as a hymn of gratitude for recovery. It vividly describes the anguish of illness and the fear of death. But then through prayer the Psalmist’s thoughts quickly turn from grief and sorrow to exultation and thanksgiving, reflecting the transforming joy that recovery brings. Listen closely and you’ll hear an undercurrent of resurrection as the Psalm tells us of escaping the cords of death and the grip of the grave to win the joy of new life.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 1:17-23

Our second readings in Eastertide feature passages from this letter written in Peter’s name. This week’s excerpt gives us some insight into the efforts of the early church to discern the meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection in our lives, working in these verses on its significance as ransom for our sins. This theological quest has continued from the early church through the Middle Ages and even to our times. One point remains clear throughout: Through Christ we trust in God; through Christ we love one another, and through Christ we gain life in the enduring word of God.

Gospel: Luke 24:13-35

The two disciples on the road to Emmaus who we meet in Luke’s narrative this week seem uncertain and worried, much like the apostles fearfully hiding in a locked room who we heard about in John’s Gospel last Sunday. “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel,” the two regretfully told the stranger on the road to Emmaus. They don’t seem to have been convinced by the women’s report about Jesus’s rising, either. But then they stopped to eat, and the mysterious traveler revealed himself as Jesus when he broke the bread. We remember this every Sunday in the Eucharist when the celebrant holds up and breaks the bread with an audible snap as we conclude the Eucharistic Prayer.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for April 26, 2020

First Reading: Acts 2:14a,36-41


We continue hearing themes of resurrection in our Eastertide readings this week.

Supper at Emmaus (1618), oil painting on canvas by Diego Velázquez (1599-1660). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. (Click image to enlarge.)

In the first reading, after repeating the same introductory sentence that we heard last week, Peter has harsh words for his audience. He blames “the entire house of Israel” for crucifying Jesus, the Christ whom God has now made Lord and Messiah. Like the angry references to the Jews in the Passion Gospels, modern Christians must read this kind of accusation, which recurs throughout Acts, in its historical and cultural context. At the time of this writing, there was extreme tension between early Christians and Jews after the destruction of the Temple. In our time, we must erase any echoes of anti-Judaism, and hear instead in this passage God’s gracious promise that forgiveness through the gift of the Holy Spirit is available to all.

Psalm: Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17

Consider this during this time of pandemic fear: This Psalm of thanksgiving expresses the Psalmist’s gratitude for recovery from illness. It is vivid in its description of the anguish of severe sickness and the fear of death; but then it turns and portrays the transforming joy that comes with recovery. We hear a theme of resurrection here, too, the joy that comes with escaping the darkness of the underworld to win the bounty of salvation. In the joy of restored life, we thank God for loosing us from the snares of death.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 1:17-23


In the first of the two letters written in Peter’s name, we can glean some insight into the efforts of the church around the end of the first century to discern the meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection in our lives. In these verses the author is working out the significance of Jesus’ death as ransom for our sins, a theological quest that has continued from the early church through the Middle Ages and even to modern times. The question remains theologically unresolved, but one point is clear: Through Christ we trust in God. Through Christ we love one another. And through Christ we gain life in the enduring word of God.

Gospel: Luke 24:13-35


What a confusing time the first Easter must have been for those who loved Jesus! This Gospel passage, like last Sunday’s reading about Jesus entering the locked room where the disciples were hiding, suggests that they remained uncertain, uneasy, even scared. “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel,” two of them told the stranger on the road to Emmaus, their phraseology suggesting that this hope, once alive, now was gone. Nor does it seem that they believed the women, any more than Thomas had believed the others, until they saw for themselves. But the traveler, Jesus, revealed himself in the breaking of the bread, just as we discover Jesus when we gather at the Eucharistic table.

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for April 30, 2017

Supper at Emmaus (1648). Oil on panel by Rembrandt van Rijn (1606 – 1669). Musée du Louvre, Paris.

Themes of resurrection continue in our readings for Eastertide. Continuing his first Pentecost sermon, Peter has more harsh words for the Jewish crowd, blaming “the entire house of Israel” for crucifying Jesus, whom God has now made Lord and Messiah. Like the angry references to the Jews in the Passion Gospels, modern Christians should read this only in context. At the time of this writing, there was extreme tension between early Christians and Jews over the status of Jesus as Messiah. We should erase echoes of anti-Judaism and hear in this passage, rather, God’s gracious promise that forgiveness through the gift of the Holy Spirit is available to all.

Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17

Our Psalm is heard as a hymn of gratitude for recovery. It vividly describes the anguish of illness and the fear of death. But then through prayer it quickly turns from grief and sorrow to exultation and thanksgiving, reflecting the transforming joy that recovery brings. We can hear an undercurrent of resurrection in escaping the cords of death and the grip of the grave to win the joy of new life.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 1:17-23

This second reading continues with another excerpt from the first letter written in Peter’s name. It gives us some insight into the efforts of the early church to discern the meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection in our lives, working in these verses on the significance of Jesus’ death as ransom for our sins. This theological quest has continued from the early church through the Middle Ages and even to our times. One point, though, remains clear: Through Christ we trust in God; through Christ we love one another, and through Christ we gain life in the enduring word of God.

Gospel: Luke 24:13-35

Like the apostles fearfully hiding in a locked room who we heard about in John’s Gospel last Sunday, the disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke’s narrative this week seem uncertain and worried. “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel,” they told the stranger on the road to Emmaus. They don’t seem very convinced by the women’s report from the tomb, either. But then the mysterious traveler reveals himself as Jesus when he breaks the bread, just as Jesus is present when the bread is broken at our Eucharistic table.

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sunday, May 4, 2014

The Journey to Emmaus. Ivory plaque from a reliquary, Léon, ca.1115-20. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

These verses call for careful reading, as they stem from a time of tension between Judaism and early Christians who were hurt and angry over being expelled from the synagogues for their belief in Jesus as Messiah. But hearing Peter blame “the entire house of Israel” for Jesus’ crucifixion could lead Christians down the hate-filled path of anti-Judaism. It’s better to hear this reading as God’s gracious promise that the gift of the Holy Spirit is open to everyone.

Psalm: Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17

This Psalm of thanksgiving is understood as a hymn of gratitude for recovery from illness. It is vivid in its description of the anguish of illness and the fear of death, but also of the transforming joy that comes with recovery. We hear a theme of resurrection here, too, the joy that comes with escaping the darkness of the underworld to win the bounty of salvation. In the joy of restored life, we thank God for loosing us from the snares of death.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 1:17-23

In another brief glimpse at the first letter written in Peter’s name by a later follower, we again see the early church trying to work out what Jesus’ death and resurrection means in our lives. This search for understanding would go on for centuries and arguably continues today, but the basics stand through the millennia: Through Christ we trust in God; through Christ we love one another, and through Christ we gain life in the enduring word of God.

Gospel: Luke 24:13-35

What a confusing time the first Easter must have been for those who loved Jesus! Today’s Gospel, like last Sunday’s reading about Jesus entering the locked room where the disciples were hiding, suggests that they remained uncertain, uneasy, even scared. “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel,” two of them told the stranger on the road to Emmaus, their phraseology suggesting that this hope, once alive, now was gone. Nor does it seem that they believed the women, any more than Thomas had believed the others, until they saw for themselves. But the traveler, Jesus, revealed himself in the breaking of the bread, just as we discover Jesus when we gather at the Eucharistic table today.