Do you not know what has happened?

This week’s Family Sunday School is based on the story from the Road to Emmaus. For all of us, this was a very different Easter than usual, but particularly for children, who maybe don’t understand why things are happening the way they are. This story of disciples, confused and rattled, and a Jesus who shows up in an unexpected way, held unmistakeable lessons for them. I know it has for me.

The disciples are walking along a road (Oh, remember going places with friends?) and the risen Christ appears to them, but they are kept from recognizing him. The scriptures say they are distraught, they are processing everything that has happened, the arrest, torture and death of their leader and friend, and now this thing that Mary and Mary are saying, that he’s back from the dead?

When Jesus asks them what they are discussing, one of them responds, do you not know what’s happened? Do you not know what’s going on?

When I read that I can’t help but think about the Zoom and Facetime calls I’ve had, where we’ve talked about projections, peak dates, unemployment rates, and how if someone overheard and asked what we were talking about I might very well respond the same way – do you not know what has happened?

The disciples ultimately recognize Jesus after he reveals himself, and they discuss that it was what Jesus said, what Jesus did, and ultimately how they felt in his presence that verified it was really him. In this Easter season, we believe that Christ is with us too, walking alongside us, opening up scripture to us, and causing our hearts to burn within us, just like he was to those disciples, he just usually shows up in other people. But just like those disciples, the heaviness in our hearts caused by all that has happened, means we may need to be a little more intentional in learning to recognize him.

I hope this discussion with your family is fruitful and life giving and gives you space to recognize the places where Jesus shows up alongside us still.

 

Kat Bair

Director of Youth Ministries

Want to download and print this lesson? Click here to download PDF of Family Sunday School for 4.19.20