March 30, 2008

March 30, 2008

Is Your Heart On Fire?

Luke 24:13-35 Pastor Garrison

They had followed Jesus into Jerusalem a week ago fully expecting that his time had come. This was it. He was going to rescue Israel and set up his kingdom. But then everything went wrong. He was arrested and brought before the Jewish religious leaders and the Roman authorities. He was beaten and sentenced to death, a most cruel death on a cross. It’s been three days now, the Passover celebration was completed, and their hopes were dashed. In spite of a few unbelievable rumors they had heard from some other followers of Jesus, they decided there really was no reason for staying in Jerusalem any longer, so they decided to take the seven mile walk back home to Emmaus.

Yet they couldn’t get out of their minds all of the events of that past week. They had spent a lot of time following Jesus and you just don’t forget in such a short time something which had given rise to such a powerful hope within you. So they set out for home, deep in conversation about all that had happened.

What began as one of the longest walks they would ever take became the shortest seven miles ever walked. What had been a conversation of pain and confusion turned into a conversation that left the hearts of these disciples “burning within them.” What once seemed unbelievable had become reality.

There is a print of a painting called the Way to Emmaus hanging in my office. It shows these two followers of Jesus walking on a beautiful sunlit day talking with Jesus. I sat there the other day just looking at the picture and trying to imagine how it all happened. In my mind I could hear them talking, so preoccupied with their conversation and unaware of what was going on around them. Then suddenly seemingly out of nowhere there was this stranger walking with them.

Have you ever had an experience like that – where you are so involved in something that you loose track of time and what is going on around you? That’s what I think happened to these two travelers.

And the stranger came up to them and asked, “So what are you two talking about so intently?” They were so astonished by his question that they stopped dead in their tracks. The expression on their faces must have given away their sadness and surprise at his question. “You don’t know about all the things that have happened in Jerusalem the last few days?” they ask. The stranger acted as if he knew nothing so, as they resumed their journey, they proceeded to fill him in on those events.

It’s interesting how they describe Jesus, because their description reveals something about the reasons why their “eyes were kept from recognizing him.” They described Jesus as “a prophet who did powerful miracles…a mighty teacher.” They said, “We had hoped he was the one to redeem Israel.” But now it was the third day and at this point all seemed lost. Who they expected Jesus to be and what they expected Jesus to do didn’t happen and now disappointment and disillusionment had overtaken them.

The chief issue these travelers were struggling with was lost hope. They had “hoped he was the Messiah,” they had hoped he was the one who had come to redeem Israel.

The problem was they hoped for Jesus to do something that he had no intention of doing. They were looking for Jesus to restore Israel to its former glory as a nation in the kingdoms of this world. They were looking for the Romans to be sent packing back to Rome and for Jesus to assume the throne of his ancestor David. And it didn’t happen. It didn’t happen the way they thought it should happen and so their hope was gone. The only thing they had to hold on to was this astonishing report that Jesus’ grave was empty, but what did that mean?

These two travelers were ordinary people like you and me. Cleopas – whose name we never hear again in scripture – and his friend were just simple people who had the amazing experience of following Jesus in the flesh. Based on what they thought they knew, based on what they thought they understood and what they had seen, this was the one – this Jesus of Nazareth – and now he had disappointed them, he had let them down and their hope was gone. Yet here he was, Jesus risen from the dead walking with them and they didn’t recognize him.

Their expectations of Jesus blinded them to the real Jesus. It’s not much different for people today is it? People think if this Jesus was really who he said he was then this world should certainly look a lot different. If he was the one who came to “save the world” then why is the world in such a mess? There is this restlessness within us that wants Jesus to do something, to change things, to make it all right. When things seem to go from bad to worse we too can loose hope, just like those two travelers on the road to Emmaus. The lack of some visible redemption of this world challenges our faith and hope just as it did for Cleopas and his friend. And our problem might also be like theirs –our expectations of Jesus can keep us from seeing the real Jesus. Our eyes are kept from recognizing him.

Some of you may remember Sgt. Shultz, the prison guard on the old Hogan’s Heroes television show. His favorite line was, “I see nothing, nothing!” He didn’t see because he didn’t want to see. Many people don’t see what God is doing in this world, not because they can’t see, but because they choose not to see.

Another reason the two travelers didn’t recognize Jesus is they weren’t looking for him. They had already concluded he was dead, and the reports of his body missing left them confused and full of questions. Something as unbelievable as visions of angels and rising from the dead seemed to be too unbelievable. So they had no expectation at all that they would meet Jesus.

The famous theologian, Karl Barth, was on a streetcar one day in Basel, Switzerland, where he lectured and taught. A tourist to the city climbed on and sat down next to Barth. They two men started a conversation with one another. “Are you new to the city?” Barth asked. “Yes,” said the tourist. “Is there anything you would particularly like to see in the city?” asked Barth. “Yes,” the traveler 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, made his way back to his hotel thinking to himself, “I met Karl Barth’s barber today!”

Sometimes what we are looking for is right in front of our noses and we don’t see it. That happens to me all the time – I’ve been told. I’m searching the house for something and Cathy shows it to me and it was right there in plain sight all along. For these two confused and disappointed travelers, what they desired the most was right there – Jesus was walking with them – and they didn’t recognize him. But we shouldn’t come down too hard on them because we are not much different. When we experience a loss – a loss of health, the loss of a spouse or parent, the loss of a job – any kind of loss – those are the times when we also are most likely to experience periods of questioning and confusion. Those are the times when we may be most susceptible to loss of faith and hope. But such times can also be the times when we, like the two travelers, are most receptive to Christ revealing himself to us.

So to help open their eyes, Jesus catches their attention. “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the scriptures.” And then he takes them through the scriptures – from Moses through the prophets – “explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”

Jesus probably helped them recall such scriptures as these.

Genesis 3:15 (NRSV) – God is speaking to the serpent and says, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” This scripture is interpreted as meaning the serpent will tempt Christ (“strike his heel” – which is non-lethal) and Christ will crush the serpent’s head – Jesus will win the final victory over evil.

Deuteronomy 18:15 (NRSV) - Moses is speaking and says, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet.” Moses is telling the people that another will come who, like him, will rescue the people from bondage, in the case of Christ, from the bondage of sin.

Most certainly Jesus referred them to some of the prophecies in Isaiah.

Isaiah 7:14 (NIV) – Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Isaiah 9:6-7 (NRSV) – For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The seal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Certainly he would have cited all of chapter 53 in Isaiah (NRSV), the prophecy of the Suffering Servant. “He was despised and rejected…a man of suffering…surely he has borne our infirmities and healed our diseases…he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities…like a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth…it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain…out of his anguish he shall see light…he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

He may have taken them to Malachi 3:1 NIV) – “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.

Jesus took them through these and many other scriptures concerning himself and “their hearts burned within” them as he talked. They still didn’t see it was Jesus, but something was happening.

And then they arrived in Emmaus. And then Luke says something interesting. He says Jesus “walked ahead as if he were going on.” The NLT says, “Jesus acted as if he were going on.” The Greek word which these two versions translated “as if” and “acted” literally means “pretended.” Jesus pretended he was going to keep walking, but he really had no intention of doing so. Cleopas and his friend had a choice at this point, they could say their farewells, thanks for walking and talking with us, and send Jesus on his way. Or they could ask him to spend the night with them. Jesus compelled them to take some action. He wasn’t going to force himself on them, rather the choice was entirely theirs. They asked Jesus to stay with them and it made all the difference.

So he went home with them. As they sat down to eat, [Jesus] took bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. (Luke 24:29b-31a NLT)

Let’s try to understand what was taking place here. What did the two travelers and Jesus do that opened the eyes of the two travelers?

They began their journey in sadness and full of questions. Along the way this other traveler joined them and joined in their conversation. They listened intently and found something happening within them as this stranger explained to them the scriptures concerning the Messiah. It was through two actions they took that enabled to see that it was Jesus who was with them. Their first action was to welcome the stranger. They could have ignored him and subtly encouraged him to pass them and go on his way. They could have seen him as an intruder into their important conversation, especially since he didn’t seem to know anything about the events of which they were speaking anyhow and, therefore, obviously he wasn’t “one of us.” But instead they welcomed him as a fellow traveler.

Their action of welcoming Jesus into their conversation reminds me of Hebrews 13:2 – Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it.

The second action was their choice to offer hospitality to this fellow traveler by inviting him to spend the night in their home. Without these two critical choices, they would have never seen that they had walked with the risen Jesus. Similarly Jesus compels us to make some choices. He will not force himself into our lives, we have to welcome him and invite him in.

He says, Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. (Revelation 3:20 NLT)

Jesus created a hunger in these two travelers – a spiritual hunger which caused them to desire to know more. He deepened that hunger by pretending to leave them and go on, but by that time their “hearts were burning within” them and they needed him to stay a while longer. Likewise for us, the more we invite Jesus to come into our lives, the more we will want him to be there, and the deeper he will reveal himself to us.

Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in the city of London, England. On the southeast corner of the park is a major intersection where Park Lane, Knightsbridge, Piccadilly, Grosvenor Place and Constitution Hill converge. This intersection is known as Hyde Park Corner. In the centre of the intersection, or the roundabout as they say in London, stands Constitution Arch, originally built as a northern gate to the grounds of Buckingham Palace.

Hyde Park Corner also has another claim to fame. It is a place where anyone is free to stand on their soap-box and pontificate on whatever is on their mind.

A man once stood on a soap-box at Hyde Park Corner, pouring out his scorn on Christianity. "People tell me that God exists; but I can't see Him. People tell me that there is a life after death; but I can't see it. People tell me that there is a judgment to come; but I can't see it. People tell me that there is a heaven and a hell; but I can't see them." He won a little applause and then climbed down from his "pulpit." Another struggled on to the soap-box. "People tell me that there is green grass all around, but I can't see it. People tell me that there is blue sky above, but I can't see it. People tell me that there are trees nearby, but I can't see them. You see, I'm blind. (taken from David Watson MY GOD IS REAL p79-80)

We can be blind to a reality which is right before our eyes. We are conditioned by the world to think that reality is only what we can see with our eyes, while in truth, there is also a reality we can only know by faith. As Paul said, “For we live by believing not by seeing.”

If we are going to see Jesus for ourselves, to understand who he really is and what he really want us to understand about him, we need to understand how he reveals himself to us. From the story of these travelers to Emmaus we can learn two things. First is what Jesus did on the roadway. Jesus opened the scriptures to their understanding. He …took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Like the two travelers, if we are going to see the real Jesus we need to get into the Word and allow the Holy Spirit to enable our understanding. We need to regularly be reading the scriptures and praying for understanding. Then, just maybe, we also will find our hearts burning within us as we get to know the real Jesus.

The second was in the breaking of bread. Their eyes were opened as they experienced Jesus in a way which was familiar to them. They had been with Jesus enough to know his practice of breaking bread and giving thanks. The more we get into the Word, the more we allow Jesus into our lives, the more experiences we have with him, we will become more familiar with him and we will be able to recognize him at work in our lives and in the world. Then, just maybe, we also will find our hearts burning within us as we experience Jesus in real and powerful ways.

Jesus revealed himself to the travelers through the Word and through the Meal – through his story and through his actions. So also he will reveal himself to us.

I am personally intrigued by the fact that the eyes of these travelers were opened to seeing Jesus through the breaking of bread. Last May when I was in England with my Sustaining Pastoral Excellence cohort group, the first worship experience we had in one of the emerging churches was with a group called Grace Church. The worship that evening used this scripture - the walk to Emmaus - and concluded with communion. There was a young lady who was attending for the very first time and I don’t know what her experience was with Jesus prior to this night, but something brought her to Grace that evening. During the worship we sat around tables in groups of four and engaged in ten activities each of which focused on different parts of the story. Our worship concluded with us sharing a time of communion with those around our table. The young lady – in her late teens or early twenties – had her eyes opened to the reality of the risen Jesus and she accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior during that time of communion – she saw Jesus, she was touched by Jesus through the breaking of bread.

Brothers and sisters, are your hearts burning within you? Does his word cause your heart to burn. Do you know him so well that you recognize him at work in your own life and in the world around you? You know you have seen Christ when your heart burns with a passion for him which consumes and empowers you.

Jesus is ever seeking those who are searching for him, and he is challenging those who have found him to take the initiative, to act on the passion that is within them, and carry forth the Great Commission to tell the world.

The travelers couldn’t stay in Emmaus after they saw Jesus. They had to go and tell the others that he indeed was alive. They could have stayed there and treasured the moment for themselves, but they didn’t. They couldn’t wait to get back to Jerusalem. The greatest risk for us would be to remain comfortably with Jesus in our safe places while the world outside continues its fall into obscurity.

Is your heart on fire?

Let’s act like these two disciples on the Easter Day so long ago. Let’s invite Jesus to become part of our daily life. Let’s walk with him; study his word; seek others who are hungry for him and then go serve him by taking the in-burning fire of his love to everyone who needs Good News. Amen.

Sending Out:

I send you out this day with this prayer by the famous explorer, Sir Francis Drake:

Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little, when we arrive safely because we have sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess, we have lost our thirst for the waters of life; having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity; and in our efforts to build a new Earth, we have allowed our vision of the new heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wider seas where storms will show your mastery; where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. We ask you to push back the horizons of our hopes; and to push into the future in strength, courage, hope, and love. Amen.