FIRST READING Acts 2:14a, 36–41
14a But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, 36 Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” 40 And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.
PSALM Psalm 116:1–4, 12–19
1 I love the LORD, who has heard my voice, and listened to my supplication, 2 for the LORD has given ear to me whenever I called. 3 The cords of death entangled me; the anguish of the grave came upon me; I came to grief and sorrow. 4 Then I called upon the name of the LORD: “O LORD, I pray you, save my life.” 12 How shall I repay the LORD for all the good things God has done for me? 13 I will lift the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD. 14 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all God’s people. 15 Precious in your sight, O LORD, is the death of your servants. 16 O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the child of your handmaid; you have freed me from my bonds. 17 I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call upon the name | of the LORD. 18 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all God’s people, 19 in the courts of the LORD’s house, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Hallelujah!
SECOND READING 1 Peter 1:17–23
17 If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. 18 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. 20 He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. 21 Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God. 22 Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. 23 You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.
GOSPEL Luke 24:13–35
13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” 19 He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22 Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23 and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” 25 Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. 28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29 But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” 33 That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34 They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
DISTRACTED BY DISAPPOINTMENT
I recently read a legend about a king who decided to set aside a special day to honor his greatest subject. When the big day arrived, there was a large gathering in the palace courtyard. Four finalists were brought forward, and from these four, the king would select the winner. The first person presented was a wealthy philanthropist.
The king was told that this man was highly deserving of the honor because of his humanitarian efforts. He had given much of his wealth to the poor. The second subject was a celebrated physician. The king was told that this doctor was highly deserving of the honor because he had rendered faithful and dedicated service to the sick for many years. The third individual was a distinguished judge. The king was told that the judge was worthy because he was noted for his wisdom, his fairness, and his brilliant decisions. The last person presented was an elderly woman.
Everyone was quite surprised to see her there, because her manner was quite humble, as was her dress. She hardly looked the part of someone who would be honored as the greatest subject in the kingdom. What chance could she possibly have, when compared to the other three, who had accomplished so much? Even so, there was something about her; the look of love in her face, the understanding in her eyes, her quiet confidence. The king was intrigued, to say the least, and somewhat puzzled by her presence. He asked who she was. The answer came: “You see the philanthropist, the doctor, and the judge? Well, she was their teacher!”
That woman had no wealth, no fortune, and no title, but she had unselfishly given her life to produce great people. There’s nothing more powerful or more Christ-like than sacrificial love. The king unfortunately couldn’t see the value in the humble lady. He missed the significance of the teacher. The funny part is, so many of us are like the king; we too often we miss the value of those around us.
Karl Barth, one of the twentieth century’s most famous theologians, was on a streetcar one day in Basel, Switzerland, where he lived and lectured. A tourist to the city climbed on the streetcar and sat down next to Barth. The two men started chatting with each other. “Are you new to the city?” Barth inquired. “Yes,” said the tourist. “Is there anything you would particularly like to see in this city?” asked Karl. “Yes,” he said, “I’d love to meet the famous theologian Karl Barth. Do you know him?” Barth replied, “Well as a matter of fact, I do. I give him a shave every morning.” The tourist got off the streetcar quite delighted. He went back to his hotel saying to himself, “I met Karl Barth’s barber today.”
That tourist was in the presence of the very person he most wanted to meet, but even with the most obvious clue, he never realized that the man with whom he was talking was the great man himself. It reminds me of Mary’s reaction on Easter morning. In her grief, she thinks the man she is speaking to is the gardener. It, of course, isn’t. That is, until He called her name, only then did she realize that she was speaking with the risen Christ. All this of course leads us to our gospel lesson for this morning. Two of Jesus’ disciples are headed to Emmaus on Easter morning and unbeknownst to them they’re joined by the resurrected Master Himself who engages them in a conversation.
Each of the Gospel writers tells the Easter story in a different way. For many of us this fact adds a note of authenticity to these ancient stories. These were the jumbled reports of eye-witnesses to the most dramatic moment in human history, when Jesus of Nazareth was raised from the dead. None of these were carefully crafted works of fiction. No one tried to reconcile the differing accounts. They had no desire to convince us these events happened, only to report what they had experienced.
Here in Luke’s account, on that first Easter Sunday, the women took spices and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the mouth of the tomb, but they didn’t find Christ’s body. Two angels ask them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!” When they returned from the tomb, they told all these things to the disciples, but, says Luke, the disciples didn’t believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. So, except for the testimony of the women, things weren’t quite resolved that first Easter morning.
This is why this story of the two men on the road to Emmaus is so important to Luke’s description of the first Easter. Evidently the two men were among those to whom the women shared their story of the empty tomb. These men were on their way to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. We don’t know precisely who these men were, only that the name of one of them was “Cleopas.” It’s been suggested that the other was Luke himself, and that he omitted his own name out of modesty. We simply don’t know. Nor do we know why they were headed toward Emmaus.
Perhaps that was their home. Maybe, in their disappointment, they had concluded that their grand adventure of following Jesus of Nazareth was over, so they were packing it in and heading back to the lives they had before they met the Master. Or maybe they were running from the Jews; we simply aren’t told why they were headed to Emmaus. What we do know is, that as they walked and talked with each other about their experiences, Jesus Himself came up and walked along with them; but, Luke tells us, they were both kept from recognizing Him.
This is the part of the story that has always intrigued me. They’d been followers of the Master, but now He’s walking along with them and they don’t recognize Him. One possibility is, that maybe, as with Mary, their despair stood in the way. Their disappointment with the way things turned out kept them from seeing what was right in front of them. It’s something that can certainly happen. We lose hope, we discard our dreams, and we’re blinded to the good things that still surround us.
Pastor and author Leith Anderson grew up outside of New York City. Growing up, he was an avid fan of the old Brooklyn Dodgers. One day his father took him to a World Series game between the Dodgers and the Yankees. Anderson was excited; he knew the Dodgers would trounce the Yankees. Unfortunately, the Dodgers never got on base, and his excitement was shattered. Years later, he was engrossed in a conversation with a man whom he describes as “a walking sports almanac.” Leith told this man about attending this World Series game and added, “It was such a disappointment. I was a Dodger’s fan and the Dodgers never got on base.”
The man said, “You were there? You were at the game when Don Larsen pitched the first perfect game in all of World Series history?” “Yeah,” Anderson replied, “but uh, we lost.” He then realized that he had been so caught up in his team’s defeat that he missed out on the fact that he was a witness to a far greater event, the first perfect game in World Series history.
Mr. Anderson writes, “I wonder how often the same thing happens to us. We get absorbed in the ‘defeats’ in our lives, caught up in the times when things don’t turn out the way we want them to. We become depressed because an illness continues to linger, or when people don’t treat us the way we think they ought to, or when we face financial difficulties. But we’re often so blinded by the pain and disappointment of our ‘defeat’ that we fail to appreciate the fact that we might be witness to something far greater that God is doing in our lives.” These really are profound words.
We shouldn’t let the temporary disappointments blind us to the good God is doing in our life. We can’t assume that any disappointment is God’s last word on any situation. The followers of Jesus certainly thought their dreams had turned to dust. The last thing they expected was to discover that Christ was alive. Perhaps this is why they didn’t recognize Him. They were blinded by their disappointment. Or maybe it was deliberate on the Master’s part. Maybe He wasn’t ready to reveal Himself to them at this point. Again, we don’t know. But it’s evident this stranger was preparing these two men for an astounding revelation.
He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. Cleopas asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” “What things?” the stranger asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”
Then this stranger begins to admonish the two followers of Jesus. He says to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
What comes next is yet another wonderful passage of scripture: “When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. It was then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and He disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?’ “They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, ‘It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.’ Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.”
It’s a wonderful story of two men who were in Christ’s presence and didn’t even know it until He chose to reveal Himself. The same could be said for some of here today. There may be folks here or who we work with everyday who are distracted from their faith by a great disappointment or defeat. Maybe they’re blinded by their circumstances. Maybe, because of the circumstances, these folks have forgotten that Christ is always with us. That no matter where we go or what we’re doing, we’re never alone and that the risen Christ walks with us. This is especially true when we get together with fellow believers for Jesus tells us “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20)
John Calvin once said that the Bible is like a pair of eye glasses. The Bible isn’t a spiritual encyclopedia where we go to have all our questions answered. There is no doubt that God purposely doesn’t provide all the answers; if we had all the answers there’d be no reason for faith. Even with years of studying the Bible, we may never come to a sufficient understanding of why we have disappointments and defeats. There’s much in our world and much in our faith that we don’t understand. Understanding isn’t the key to life, faith is. Trust in God is key. God’s eyeglasses don’t always allow us to see why we’re going through a certain situation, or why certain things happen, but they do allow us to see what step we should take next and they assure us that whatever the future holds, the One who holds the future will never forget us nor forsake us.
You’ve heard the expression that “seeing is believing.” Most of you have also heard the converse of that, that there are some things that have to be believed to be seen. This is true as well. There are two ways to look at life. One is through the eyes of skepticism and doubt. The other is through the eyes of faith and hope. The only people to whom Jesus appeared after His resurrection were His followers, people who already believed in Him. In other words, you had to believe in order to see. This is a powerful lesson about the nature of faith.
Author Nelson Searcy tells of visiting Disney World with his son some years ago. It was a magical time for them. What they didn’t realize, that is until it was time to leave the theme park, was that the people who first designed the Disney theme parks did something quite creative. They hid discreet images of Mickey Mouse throughout all of the Disney parks and various attractions. The images are simple three connected, intersecting circles that look like the outline of Mickey’s head and ears and they’re everywhere. They’re etched into pavement, painted on the walls of rides, built into the fences, and arranged in the landscaping. Look for them the next time you are in a Disney park.
Disney World is jam-packed with these subtle Hidden Mickeys, but most people don’t see them because they don’t know to look for them. Searcy and his son didn’t. They learned about the Hidden Mickeys just as they were leaving. The point is, simple awareness is a powerful thing. When Searcy and his son said their final good-bye to Dumbo after learning about these Hidden Mickeys and headed toward the parking lot tram, they started seeing hidden Mickeys everywhere. They began popping out of the woodwork, literally. They’d been at the park all day without seeing a single Hidden Mickey, but as soon as they became aware of their existence, they realized they’d been surrounded by them all along. There are some things that must be believed to be seen. So it is with the life of faith.
When something happens, either good or bad, some people see a mere incident, or perhaps, a remarkable coincidence. Others, however, see a miracle or the hand of God. It makes a difference whether you’re seeing through the eyes of faith or the eyes of skepticism. That’s what’s so amazing. When we look through the eyes of faith, suddenly we see God’s handiwork all around us. And once seen, it in turn increases our faith and our awareness of God’s presence.
I don’t think it was a mere accident, that Jesus had these two men on the road to Emmaus recount all the events of the past week. He wanted them to focus on all they’d been through together and all He had meant to them so that they would be prepared for Him to reveal Himself to them. I believe that’s the value of gathering each week in worship to put on once more the glasses of faith. I have no doubt that those who make the effort to be here every week see God’s hand at work in their lives much, much more than those who are casual in their worship. That’s the way it works. In order to see Christ, you need to believe in Him, and you need to be regularly in Christ’s presence.
I also suspect it was no coincidence that these two men became aware of Christ’s presence when they broke bread together. “This is my body which was broken for you,” they had heard the Master say. And people have discovered Christ in their midst for 2,000 years every time the bread is broken and the cup in shared in Holy Communion. Again, that’s why coming to worship when we share in the Lord’s meal is so important. It too strengthens our faith which in turn allows us to see God’s work in and around us. It helps us to put on the glasses of faith.
And in order to put on the glasses of faith we must first take off the glasses of skepticism and doubt. By switching glasses as it were, life will take on new meaning and new wonder. Even those who were closest to Jesus didn’t recognize Him until they shook off their disappointment and despair. But when they put on the glasses of faith and realized that He was in their midst, their hearts burned within them in joy and peace that the Lord Jesus Christ is alive. And for those of us who live by faith, the words Jesus spoke to Thomas are even more of a blessing, “blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
Amen