Over the years, many people have asked me who my dog, Benny, is named after. Some may think I named him after Pope Benedict XVI, but I didn’t. As much as I love Papa Benny, my Benny is named after someone else. He isn’t named after the song by Elton John, as catchy as it is: “B-B-B-Benny and the Jets.” I often reference that song when first introducing Benny, so people don’t mistakenly think I’m saying the female name, ‘Betty.’ So who is my dog really named after? None other than my favorite character from the movie, “The Sandlot:” Benny “the Jet” Rodriguez.
“The Sandlot” is probably on my mind because we are now within spitting distance of the summer months, and that is one of my favorite summer movies of all time. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of rewatching it. There is something so satisfying about the story of friendship among this ragtag group of kids in California as they try to rescue a Babe Ruth autographed baseball from the lair of a huge scary dog. By far, my favorite character in the movie is Benny, the leader of the boys. He is admirable because he goes out of his way to protect his friends and unfailingly shows kindness to Scotty Smalls, the main character of the movie.
At the beginning of the movie, Smalls is still trying to find his place in the new town where he has moved with his parents. He is shy and hasn’t made any friends yet. But he is drawn to a group of boys who play baseball together at the neighborhood sandlot. Unfortunately, almost all of them reject him because of his awkwardness and lack of athleticism. That is, all of them but Benny “the Jet.” He chooses to include Smalls, although he can see that he has a lot to learn about baseball. He invites Smalls to join their game even when all the other boys want to write him off. The movie is narrated by the adult Scotty Smalls, and when Benny invites Smalls to join their team, he reminisces that “If it hadn’t been for Benny, I never would have made a single friend that summer.” It’s such a beautiful expression of the power of somebody choosing kindness over rejection, and what a difference that makes. Benny noticed Smalls and made the choice to befriend him.
I don’t know about you, but moments like that resonate with me. We all have a yearning for belonging, a yearning to be part of something bigger than ourselves. As kids and throughout our lives, few things are more difficult than feeling rejected or ignored. This can set us on paths of hatred, isolation, and even despair. To be chosen and brought into the community of friendship is something special, something we all want.
So let’s consider the situation of these poor disciples on the road to Emmaus. They are obviously devastated and reeling because of everything that has just happened. St. Luke tells us that they were “conversing and debating.” I would imagine their debates were along the lines of the question: “So what now? Jesus was supposed to be our king and the promised Messiah, now he’s dead!” They don’t care about sticking together, because they are heading out of Jerusalem, away from where the Apostles are staying. The Apostles themselves were no doubt reeling as well, but at least they had some sense of community, as strained as it must have been in the aftermath of Jesus’ bloody execution at the hands of the Romans.
So here is Cleopas and his friend, and they are obviously not on the same page because they are debating and running away from others. I imagine they barely notice Him as Jesus comes alongside. We hear that He “drew near and walked with them.” This gives me the sense that Jesus has appeared and is following behind them, then catches up to join them. He asks what they’re talking about and we can sense the tension there because Cleopas is a bit rude in reply: “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?” When He asks them to clarify, they talk about how Jesus was a prophet that they had hoped would be the one to redeem Israel. Had hoped–the past tense of this one verb reveals so much. They are confused, hopeless, probably scared, and then Jesus draws close.
This detail about Him joining them as they walk demonstrates the love and friendship that Jesus offers. He is risen and gloriously alive, but He waits patiently to reveal Himself, knowing their hearts aren’t quite ready for that glorious reality. He starts with a rebuke, calling them foolish and slow of heart to believe, but this was the first step in drawing them out of hopelessness, like a splash of cold water to the face. Jesus continues to walk with them and by His grace, starts to break down their hopelessness by showing them the plan of God. He explains the Scriptures and uses the inspired words of the prophets to set their hearts aflame with hope. Compare their arguing and fighting at the beginning with what they say at the end: “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”
This is the way I imagine the transition from despair to hope that occurs with Cleopas and his friend. At first they are arguing and walking fast, trying to get away from the hopelessness in Jerusalem and their community. Then Jesus joins them, walks with them, talks to them and calms their fears. They slow down, stop debating and start listening. They begin to think of all the brothers and sisters they’ve left behind, and how they also need to hear exactly what this “stranger” is telling them. Finally, when they arrive at Emmaus, even though they still can’t recognize Jesus, they beg Him to remain. And of course, out of His love for them, Jesus remains long enough to reveal Himself to them by doing exactly what He did at the Last Supper. He opens their eyes through celebrating the Eucharist with them–taking bread, blessing it, breaking it and giving it to them.
I am so encouraged whenever I take the time to put myself there with the disciples on the road to Emmaus. In fact, in my office there is a copy of a painting by Robert Zund showing Jesus walking with Cleopas and his friend along the road. His hand is raised toward Heaven and the sun shines down brightly through the trees. Brothers and Sisters, we all get to those difficult moments in our lives, those times where we don’t know where we’re going or what we’re doing, when it seems like Jesus has failed us and that He isn’t who we thought He was. Yet it is precisely in those moments that Jesus draws near to walk with us. Jesus loves each of us intensely not only as our Savior, but also our friend. Nothing in our lives is unimportant to Him. In all of our hangups, He draws close and wants to hear us out and give us hope through all the Scriptures: both the Old Testament where He was hidden and preparing to come, and the New Testament where He came to save us all and draw us closer to the Father and each other.
So it is good for us to be here at Mass, where Jesus can once again remind us that He, our Savior, walks with us in friendship. Like Benny “the Jet” Rodriguez, who had eyes to see and reach out to Scotty Smalls, the Lord Jesus, Risen and alive, sees you. He has chosen you to be His disciple, His friend. He is the friend who will always be there for you. As Jesus walks with us, He has called us all to walk together as friends. And in the Mass He draws near: He opens the Scriptures to us so that our hearts may be set ablaze with the fire of His love. Then He remains with us in the breaking of the bread, the Eucharist, by which He nourishes us with Himself! I pray that we all may be filled up every time we encounter Jesus at Mass and in our daily prayer so that we can share our hope with others, like Cleopas and his friend do at the end of the Gospel passage today. They go back to Jerusalem, back to their community and tell others. They don’t keep the Good News to themselves. I pray that each of us has the joyful experience of friendship with the risen Jesus today, and that He brings us to deeper hope as we walk with Him throughout this Easter season and beyond.
+ Heavenly Father, thank you for the love you show us in sending us Jesus to be our savior and friend. Lord Jesus, help us to recognize you when you draw near to us, especially at Mass. Holy Spirit, open our hearts more fully to the hope and joy of the Resurrection so that we can share this with those around us who need it the most. We ask this through Christ, our risen Lord. Amen. +