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Last updated on
Aug. 6, 2005
Transforming Grace
Delivered April 10, 2005
by Pastor Werner De Jong
Text: Luke 24:13-35
Main Idea: In his grace and kindness the risen Jesus comes to his sad, despairing disciples and transforms their sadness to joy and their despair to life giving hope.
Purpose: To encourage the listeners that the risen Jesus still takes the initiative to transform our sadness and despair into joy and hope. To challenge the listeners to release unbelief and accept the good news of Christ's love in faith, for we meet Christ only in faith.
Introduction: The Walk to Emmaus: Today's reading from Luke's gospel tells the beautiful story of the occasion when Jesus, on the very day he rose from the dead, appeared to two of his lesser known disciples who were walking to the village of Emmaus. One was named Cleopas, the other one is not named. They were slowly and sadly winding their way home, with heavy hearts and broken dreams, for Jesus, whom they thought was the Messiah, had recently been crucified. Earlier, when he was still alive, and they listened to his teaching, he had stirred great hope and longing in their hearts, like they had never before experienced. But the cruel cross robbed them of their good teacher, and their expectations died with him. How could Jesus help his people now? He was executed by the governing authorities and died a shameful death. To make matters worse, this very day they had heard reports of the mysterious disappearance of his body. That only added insult to injury. It was a desecration of the dead. Confused and depressed, they trudged home, and the seven mile country road between Jerusalem and Emmaus never felt longer.
But as they were discussing these things, a stranger joined them on their journey. Little did they know that this stranger was Jesus himself, for their eyes were kept from recognizing him. He engaged them in conversation, and as he spoke they felt their hearts strangely warmed. By the time their journey ended in their home, with Jesus as their supper guest, everything had changed. For their eyes were opened to recognize Jesus as he broke bread with them, and immediately their sorrow and despair were transformed to new heights of joy and gladness. The implications of this good news had only just begun to wash over them when Jesus vanished from their sight, but it filled them with such renewed energy that that very hour they set out on the long journey back to Jerusalem, in order to share the good news. What did the seven miles matter now? And what did it matter that they would have to travel in the dark? Gone were the heavy feet and sorrowful hearts, replaced by light feet and singing hearts. Those seven miles had never passed faster! For Jesus had risen from the dead–they feared that they had hoped for too much, but as it turned out, they had actually hoped for too little! Jesus was far greater than they had imagined.
Our Emmaus Experience: Throughout the history of the church this story has occupied a special place in the hearts of the followers of Jesus. And deservedly so–for it reminds us that Jesus cares about ordinary disciples–disciples who struggle with questions of faith, disciples who sometimes doubt and who sometimes allow feelings of sadness and despair to overcome them. The story of these two travellers resonates with us. For like them, we have our own Emmaus experiences, times when Jesus seems distant and unavailable to us as we journey through life. We may even have come to church this morning with feelings of sadness and dejection. If on the one hand we can relate to the emotions the two travellers experienced on the Emmaus Road, on the other hand our risen Lord delights to encounter disciples who are walking along that road. We have before us a story of how Jesus encounters struggling disciples, and of how struggling disciples can be transformed through Jesus. Therefore it is ultimately a story of hope, for it holds out hope to all who struggle on the journey of life.
The Disciples' Condition: Before we look at how Jesus dealt with his two disciples, let's look a little more closely at their condition. We first learn that things are not well with them when Jesus approached them and asked, "What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?" After this question Luke simply records that the two stopped short and stood still, with sadness written across their faces. Jesus' question cut straight to the heart and stopped them dead in their tracks. It was as if they could not answer his question and at the same time summon the energy to walk along. If you have ever had a feeling that you have lost your joy for life, you are like these two on their journey to Emmaus. Anyone who has ever suffered through a depression, for example, knows that a primary symptom is a lack of energy. Those who are depressed can scarcely summon the energy to do the most basic of tasks. When Jesus questioned these two disciples it was as if all the energy drained out of their bodies at once. It reawakened them in a new way to their devastating loss, for they were talking about the death of their beloved master. But they didn't tell this to Jesus right away. Perhaps they found it too difficult to do so. Instead, as they stood there looking glum, Cleopas responded with a question of his own: "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?"
Cleopas and his companion were not only sad. It becomes clear that their hopes and dreams were shattered. For when Jesus asked "What things?" they replied: "The things about Jesus of Nazareth. He was a prophet who did wonderful miracles. He was a mighty teacher, highly regarded by God and all the people. But our chief priests and leaders condemned him and crucified him. And we had thought that he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel." In their minds, Jesus did not turn out to be the one they thought he was. There was a time when Jesus made them feel alive with hope, when the future looked great, when they dared to look to Jesus to make things better for them and for their people. But now their Lord was lost, and so were their hopes. If you have ever looked to Jesus with eager anticipation of the future, if Jesus was ever very real to you, and made you feel alive with hope, but now, for whatever reason, your hopes have faded and the promises of Jesus seem distant and unreal, then you are like these two travellers on the Road to Emmaus. They represent a certain state of discipleship that Christians sometimes experience. It is a state of disillusionment, a state when we question whether or not Jesus can really help us, and perhaps it is even accompanied by feelings of abandonment. If you read the biographies of some of the great Christians of the past, you see that many of them talk about times when God felt distant, and they began to question their faith, only to encounter Jesus again. Life can be an Emmaus Road, when our spiritual journey has sharp ups and downs. As we mature our faith becomes more settled and less turbulent, but there will still be times when we experience God's absence more than God's presence. There will be times when we have more questions than answers. But during such times the mature Christian will not panic, but will remember that Jesus always "returns" to his sincere followers as they journey through life.
Encounter with the Risen Lord: The most important part of this story is how Jesus dealt with his desolate disciples. In the first place, it is a wonderful picture of grace that our newly risen Lord would take the initiative to draw alongside these two heartbroken travellers. It is a beautiful example of the love of God. Here were two travelling companions who were ordinary, undistinguished disciples. We don't know anything about them other than what is written in verse 13, where they are simply called "followers of Jesus." They were not part of the group of twelve who accompanied Jesus on all of his travels, they were not prominent leaders in the early church, but they had heard Jesus teach and were attracted to him, and now Jesus deliberately seeks them out to meet them in their hour of need. Jesus always deals that way with those who sincerely try to follow him. Their faith may have been weak, but they had lost none of their desire for Jesus. He was all they talked about as they walked along. Therefore, on the very day he rose from the dead, Jesus appeared to Cleopas and his companion. Their grief was a priority to him. This resurrection appearance reminds me of the birth story of Jesus, when the angels in the field announced Jesus' birth to lowly, humble shepherds. These common people were the first ones to visit the newborn King. And now Jesus himself announces his re-birth, his resurrection, to plain, ordinary disciples. Why? Because God always responds to a heart that yearns for his Son. And also, simply because Jesus loved them. Even as Jesus loves us. Surely Jesus deliberately reached out to these humble followers, not only for their sake, but also as a sign that he cares for all of us. He knows when we are sad. He knows when our hope grows dim. And Jesus still takes the initiative to reach out to us to transform our sadness and despair into joy and bright hope for the future. Even during those times when Jesus feels distant, we can be sure that he is with us, because that is the very nature of his character. He does not leave his distressed disciples alone, but he comes to them, he comes to us, in order to turn our blindness to sight, and our sadness to delight. If we have even a small desire for Jesus, we can be sure that he will not leave us alone.
Beyond this wonderful reassurance, it is most instructive in this account to see how Jesus went about ministering to his two followers. He not only appeared to them, but when he did so he engaged in two specific actions which led to their transformation. First of all, he interpreted the Scriptures for the two travellers as they walked along the road. And secondly, after this groundwork had been laid, he fully revealed himself when he broke bread in their home.
Jesus interpreted the scriptures: Let us begin by looking at his teaching. It is foundational to this whole event. After Jesus' two followers dejectedly told him of their disappointments regarding the crucifixion, and of the missing body, Jesus said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?" Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures" (Luke 24:25-27).
With these words Jesus gets to the heart of the problem. Cleopas and his companion were in deep distress because they could not understand why Jesus died. They had not grasped the fact that the Messiah promised in their scriptures would have to suffer. But now, using these very same scriptures, Jesus teaches them that his death was a necessity. We are not told which scriptures he turned to, whether he talked of the Passover lamb or the bronze serpent lifted up in the wilderness or the suffering servant who laid down his life for his people. He may have spoken on all of these texts. But what we do know is that the hearts of the two listeners began to warm within them as he spoke. Have you ever felt your heart warmed when you heard someone speaking about God's love for you? Imagine then what it would be like to hear Jesus himself teaching from the scriptures about the love of God. A congregation has never been more excited to hear a preacher than those two were to hear Jesus teach. Their hearts burned within them as he spoke. For he made it sound like the Jesus who died really was the Messiah, and that his death was not an accident, but an act of love. It began to dawn on them that perhaps Jesus had voluntarily laid down his life for his people. They were sinners who had rebelled against their Creator and could not rescue themselves, but God in his love provided a Saviour, who was the basis of their peace with God.
Jesus broke bread: But was it really true? Could it actually be? How could they know for sure? As these thoughts raced through their minds, they arrived at the village where they were going. And so they turned aside. But when it looked as if Jesus was going to continue down the road, they strongly urged him to remain with them, saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." They were certainly being hospitable, but they also didn't want to let this stranger go, for his teaching was causing their sadness to lift and their hopes to reignite. They were not yet completely convinced that what he taught them was true, but they desperately wanted to hear more. Jesus accepted their invitation, and entered into the home with them. Then they sat down at the table together. And Jesus took the loaf of bread from the table, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to them. It was at that very moment that the last of their doubts melted away, for their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. Jesus had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
There is great significance in this. For Luke relates this story in such a way that allusions to the Lord's supper are inescapable. This small gathering, of course, was not a sacramental meal. They were not celebrating communion together, in a formal way. Rather, this was simply a frugal supper in a village home, shared by weary travellers. But readers of Luke's gospel cannot help but make the connection between the broken bread and the body of Jesus which was broken for them. This becomes even more apparent when we remember that the eyes of the two travellers were kept from recognizing Jesus until this moment. But when the bread was broken, their eyes were opened. What does it mean? It teaches the great lesson that people are only truly able to see Jesus when they see him as the one who in love suffered for them, as the one whose body was broken on their behalf.
Application and Conclusion: In this way Jesus was able to dispel the gloom and despair of his followers, and to fill them with joy and renewed hope. The same holds true for us. When we go through difficult times, when God seems absent and uncaring, when life feels like an Emmaus Road experience of disillusionment and despair, there is no better thing to do than to return to the Scriptures and contemplate how much God loves us. For Jesus who loves us and who died for us always comes to us like he did to these two disciples; he has promised never to leave us. We will recognize him when in faith we again appropriate the good news that he really did suffer in order that we might live. The challenge for us in this text is that we meet Christ only in faith, in the belief that he gave himself for us in love. We must put away our disbelief and open ourselves to the good news. This is why Jesus gently rebuked the two travellers, saying, "Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe....that the Messiah should suffer...and then enter into his glory."
Of course we don't only place our faith in Jesus' death for us, but also in his resurrection. For it is the resurrection of Jesus which verifies that the one who died for us truly is the Son of God. He forgives all who recognize their need of him. And he refreshes the spirits of those who sincerely seek to follow him. What is most needed on our part is faith. When we go through difficult periods in our Christian journey, the eyes of faith recognize that Jesus is still with us. When our energy is low, and we feel we cannot find God, faith remembers that Jesus takes the initiative to seek out his disheartened disciples. When we grow sad and God feels distant, faith reminds us how much Jesus loves us. Having faith does not mean that we will always experience God's closeness. Sometimes God allows us to experience difficulties in order to strengthen our faith. But having faith does mean that deep down we have the reassurance that no matter how things appear to be, and no matter how we may feel at the moment, God truly does love us, and in the end all manner of things will be well. So let us be people of faith, people who search the Scriptures to study the love and goodness of God, and people who gladly break bread together, in joyful recognition of the grace and goodness of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.