God’s Family History

by the Rev. Nancy Christensen

My great-grandfather (x4) on my mother’s side, Frederick Rice, was a spy under General Washington in the Revolutionary War, and fought in the Battle of Trenton. Another of my great-grandfathers (x4), Conrad Auble, also on my mother’s side, was a Hessian mercenary who fought for the British in the Revolutionary War. He was captured in the Battle of Trenton, and was later released in a trade-off of prisoners, at which point he promptly deserted the British ranks. About one hundred years later, the great-grandaughter of Frederick Rice (Irene) married the great-grandson (Edwin) of Conrad Auble, and my grandfather was born!

Oh, I love family history! I am intrigued by the stories of both triumph and struggle, and I am fascinated by the connections across so many lines, through so many generations.

When I seek to sort out the pieces, and uncover the stories, I discover an intricate puzzle, filled with wonder, sometimes horror, and always surprise. Every name is important to unlocking the connections; every piece of evidence is essential in understanding the whole. There is unity, and there is diversity – rich layers of meaning revealed with each new detail.

So, in hearing the story of Jesus on the road to Emmaus with his disciples after the resurrection, I am immediately drawn in to the retelling of history that is so central to this narrative. “And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27) Our text goes on to tell us that their hearts were “burning within,” as Jesus opened the scriptures to them, and their eyes were opened in the breaking of the bread.

Word and Sacrament are intricately bound in this post-Easter text! Generations of God’s people, woven throughout God’s story, all connect with and contribute to the fulfillment of God’s purposes in Jesus Christ! He is revealed to his disciples, and to us, only after he unfolds the layers of God’s “family history” and then shares a common meal of human experience.

There is triumph and there is struggle, there is unity and there is diversity, in the story of God’s people throughout time. Every mistake, every revelation, every child born, and every act of creation is essential to the outcome of new life and salvation.

We are all included in this family! We share this common ancestry, forever made complete in Easter victory!