The Long Road that Leads to the Table - Jeremy Conway - April 19, 2026

The narrative moves from familiar gratitude into a sustained reflection on disorientation and hope. Life often takes unexpected turns—relationships, careers, health, family rhythms, and communal life shift in ways that unsettle previous expectations. Those long roads away from what once was can breed doubt, disappointment, and a temptation to measure the kingdom by cultural power and victory. The Emmaus encounter reframes that trajectory: the disciples’ walk of confusion becomes the place where Christ meets them, listens, interprets scripture, and ultimately reveals himself at the table. Resurrection appears not as abstract proof but as proximity—Christ present in the midst of bewilderment and ordinary shared bread.

Theology here refuses empire-shaped faith. Instead of advancing by coercion or political dominance, the kingdom advances through cruciform love: a self-giving, other-oriented commitment that lifts the marginalized rather than seizing influence. Historical voices—Menno Simons and later interpreters—reiterate that true evangelical faith cannot remain private; it bears visible fruit in feeding, clothing, consoling, and justice. The New Testament descriptor “exiles” supplies identity: allegiance belongs first to Christ, which frees the community from the compulsions of cultural victory and permits costly love that persists in real relationships.

Practical discipleship emerges as communal and incarnational. Distinct traditions can hold differences without dissolving unity when a common table and a common center, Jesus, bind them. Love shaped by resurrection flows into peacemaking, humility, and public action for the common good; it looks like both the Anabaptist witness of nonviolence and the United Church’s pursuit of radical inclusion and justice. The turning point in Emmaus is not an argument on the road but the breaking of bread: the table alone discloses the risen Christ and sends the community back into the world renewed. The final benediction frames movement: go as people shaped by resurrection—loving deeply, seeking neighbors’ flourishing, and bearing hope into a world that still longs for new life.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Resurrection meets disorientation on the road When life’s narrative unravels, the place of deepest confusion becomes the locus of encounter. The Emmaus story insists that God often meets people not after clarity arrives but precisely within bewilderment, listening before illuminating. This presence reframes failed expectations and turns a retreat into a pilgrimage toward revelation and renewed purpose. [34:59]
• 2. Kingdom advances by cruciform love The gospel defines power as self-giving rather than coercive domination; true advance happens when communities embody sacrificial, other-oriented love. Cruciformity calls for sustained practices that elevate the vulnerable and resist systems of control. This reorientation requires courage to forgo cultural triumph for faithful witness grounded in the cross. [43:27]
• 3. Identity found as faithful exiles Calling the people “exiles” reorders hope away from cultural dominance and toward steadfast allegiance to Christ. Exilic identity frees action for the common good without capitulating to partisan power-grabs or cultural pressure. This posture cultivates resilience, humility, and a prophetic embodied presence in any polity. [47:20]
• 4. Love that costs and persists The New Testament summons a love that goes beyond politeness into sustained, inconvenient commitment to others. Such love sticks through friction, transforms community life, and witnesses to a resurrection that remakes social habits. It trains patience and shapes practices that heal and bind wounds. [50:48]
• 5. Table reveals the risen Christ Recognition of Jesus comes not by abstract proof but in shared bread and hospitality; the table discloses presence and sends disciples back into mission. Communion reframes history, interprets scripture, and gathers fragmented communities around a common center. The table’s revelation converts confusion into urgent, loving action. [57:22]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [29:54] - Opening gratitude and context
• [31:20] - When life’s story changes
• [34:59] - Emmaus: meeting in disorientation
• [37:19] - Expectations of a conquering Messiah
• [40:44] - Cruciform love vs. empire
• [47:20] - Identity as exiles (1 Peter)
• [50:48] - Costly, persistent love
• [57:22] - Breaking bread reveals Christ
• [79:48] - Benediction and sending forth

1. In Luke 24, what emotions and expectations did the disciples express as they walked away from Jerusalem? How did Jesus respond to them?
2. According to 1 Peter 1:17-23, how does Peter describe the identity and purpose of believers? What actions does he link to this identity?
3. The sermon emphasized that Jesus revealed himself during the breaking of bread, not on the road. What details in Luke 24:30-31 highlight this moment?
4. What contrast does the sermon draw between "empire-shaped faith" and "cruciform love"? [43:27]

1. Why do you think Jesus chose to reveal himself during the breaking of bread rather than during the disciples’ earlier conversation on the road?
2. Peter calls believers “exiles” (1 Peter 1:17). How might this identity free Christians from the pressure to seek cultural dominance or control? [48:30]
3. The sermon states, “Cruciform love gives itself rather than grasps for power.” How does this redefine what it means to “advance” God’s kingdom? [43:27]
4. How does the Emmaus story challenge the idea that clarity or victory is a prerequisite for encountering Christ?

1. When have you experienced Jesus meeting you in a season of confusion or disappointment, even if you didn’t recognize it at the time? What practices help you notice His presence in those moments?
2. The sermon describes “costly love” as sticking with others through friction. Who in your life challenges you to love this way? What small step could you take to lean into that relationship this week? [50:48]
3. If living as “exiles” means prioritizing Christ’s commands over cultural pressures, where do you feel tension between following Jesus and fitting into societal expectations?
4. The table—not arguments—brought clarity to the disciples. How could shared meals or intentional hospitality create space for Christ’s presence in your relationships or community? [57:22]
5. What does it look like to “work for the common good” of your neighbors (e.g., coworkers, family, Brockville residents) without needing recognition or control? [49:17]
6. The sermon mentions unity amid differences (e.g., baptism practices). Where have you seen disagreements divide people, and how might focusing on Jesus as the “center” change those dynamics? [56:32]