3rd Sunday after the Resurrection 2011
3rd Sunday after the Resurrection
5/8/11
Luke 24:13-35
Our Gospel lesson for this morning is the account of two dejected disciples going back to their home to Emmaus. They had believed in Jesus just as the other disciples did, that is, until the Jewish authorities got Him crucified. Then they lost hope in Israel ever being reestablished to its form glory. They lost hope because they only knew Jesus, as they wanted him to be, not as he is.
They had just experienced the worst possible Passover festival ever. The only thing that was good about it was the Passover meal with Jesus when he broke the bread and said, “This is my body.” But after that everything went downhill fast, as Jesus was captured, tortured, and crucified. It was horrible and as they walked home they tried to make sense of it all. It was all a confused jumble. This wonderful gentle man in whom they had placed all their hope was dead. There was no hope.
A traveler who we know is Jesus joins them. They don’t recognize him, I think it is because of their unbelief, for after all dead men don’t walk down the road with you.
Cleopos told Jesus how their hopes had been pinned on Jesus, for, “Jesus was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how their chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him.” He then told Jesus how they had hoped that he was going to redeem Israel, but now that he was dead it was all over.
Then Cleopos added, "Besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.” Since we are in on what really happened we want to shout, "Cleopos come on. Did you not believe him when he said he would raise from the grave after three days? Don’t you get it it? third day; empty tomb; resurrection. The eye witness testimony of the women has lined up perfectly with the promises that Jesus concerning the inspired words of the prophets.
Obviously they did not get it otherwise they would have been rejoicing instead of grieving. Jesus severely criticizes their reluctance to believe, as he says, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?"
“Was it not necessary that the Christ, which is Greek for Messiah, should suffer these thing and enter into his glory,” is a hard passage for us to believe also. Suffering is not a good thing. Suffering shows weakness. That is our way of thinking in our upside down world, but in the right side up world of God suffering is power and glory, for it is in Jesus’ suffering and death that he shows his glory.
Jesus did not leave those two disciples there in their disbelief, just as he does not leave us in our disbelief. He taught them as they walked down that road that day, just as he teaches us, as we walk down our road of life. He knows how we struggle, some more than others, in letting him be Lord of our life. He knows; that is why he comes to us in his Word and Sacraments so that we can be lifted up and comforted just as a child is when his or her mom holds her to her breast.
He knows that even though we have learned to call God, “Our Father” when we pray to him and acknowledge Jesus as our Savior when we recite the Apostle’s Creed each Sunday morning that there are times when we still cannot see God as we see others around us. Far too many Christians only see God the Father and Jesus the Son as some kind of standard to follow and believe in. But to be in a personal relation with them; how can you do that with someone you can’t see?
We have a hard time seeing God in a relational manner even though God’s Word from the beginning to the end uses the same words and expressions to describe God and the spiritual world, as we use to express our knowledge of the physical world.
God’s Word has thousands of examples where God and his actions are spoken of in physical concrete terms. For the sake of time here are just a few of them, so you can better understand what I am saying. “O taste and see that the Lord is good,” “My sheep hear my voice,” and “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.” Then there are those times that Jesus said I am the door, another time he said he is the gate, and yet another time he said he is the vine.
Now of course we know that God is not literally a gate, or a door, or an actual vine, but then again he is also not just some figment of our imagination either, as some teach. He is here just as much, actually more so than the air and wind are here are any other object for that matter. He is perfect in his nature. Nothing can be added to or subtracted from him.
I don’t want to get this too complicated, but you need to understand that God is absolute. He exists whether a person knows of him or not, for God’s existence validates himself. He does not need us to create him in our thoughts or imaginations, as some teach we do, for he has always existed. That is the reality of God.
God has given us our five senses so that we might know the things of world we live in. God gives to those who believe in him as their Lord and Savior a sixth sense which we call faith, so we can see what cannot be seen with the other five senses.
If it is true, and it is, that he has given us this extra sense which we call faith then the question must be answered, “Why is it that so many Christians know so little about what it means to be in a meaningful relationship with God?”
As I thought about it I came to realize that the reason so many Christians don’t know of God in a relational way, that is as the Lord of their life, is that just like the disciples in our Gospel reading for today they don’t know the true Jesus because they don’t know the Scriptures that speak of him.
God tells us in John 20:30-31, “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” and then in 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." Just as he taught the disciples that day that the Scriptures were about him and his saving work he will teach you the same thing, as you read his words to you in the Bible.
According to those two verses and others like them the way to have a personal relationship with God is to know him through his Word. If that is true and it is, why is that so many Christians do not attend Bible studies so they can develop that personal relationship with God?
There are all kinds of reasons for not studying God’s Word. Those that don’t study God’s Word have all kinds of excuses for not learning more about God and his will in their life, but I seriously doubt that any of them are God pleasing.
While I would be the first to admit that are verses in the Bible that are not easy to understand or can even be understood the vast majority of the Bible is easy to understand if you approach it with an open mind and a willing heart. God will not hide his will from you.
My fellow brothers and sisters of the resurrection, if you have a hard time understanding God’s Word first watch a movie called “Jesus of Nazareth”. The actors playing all the different people of the Bible use the actual words in the Bible. It is pretty amazing. Then get yourself the ‘Living Bible” or an expanded Bible, as I did when I first started reading the Bible. All of those Bibles are easier to understand and then after you get the hang of reading God’s Word get the Lutheran Study Bible from Concordia Publishing house, for it is without a doubt the best study Bible in existence. It will open up a whole new world to you.
God loves you. The proof of that is in his suffering and dying and resurrection, as the prophets said he would have to do, for in that suffering and dying he came into his glory, for you. He wants to be the Lord of your life now and forever more. Will you let him? Amen.
5/8/11
Luke 24:13-35
Our Gospel lesson for this morning is the account of two dejected disciples going back to their home to Emmaus. They had believed in Jesus just as the other disciples did, that is, until the Jewish authorities got Him crucified. Then they lost hope in Israel ever being reestablished to its form glory. They lost hope because they only knew Jesus, as they wanted him to be, not as he is.
They had just experienced the worst possible Passover festival ever. The only thing that was good about it was the Passover meal with Jesus when he broke the bread and said, “This is my body.” But after that everything went downhill fast, as Jesus was captured, tortured, and crucified. It was horrible and as they walked home they tried to make sense of it all. It was all a confused jumble. This wonderful gentle man in whom they had placed all their hope was dead. There was no hope.
A traveler who we know is Jesus joins them. They don’t recognize him, I think it is because of their unbelief, for after all dead men don’t walk down the road with you.
Cleopos told Jesus how their hopes had been pinned on Jesus, for, “Jesus was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how their chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him.” He then told Jesus how they had hoped that he was going to redeem Israel, but now that he was dead it was all over.
Then Cleopos added, "Besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.” Since we are in on what really happened we want to shout, "Cleopos come on. Did you not believe him when he said he would raise from the grave after three days? Don’t you get it it? third day; empty tomb; resurrection. The eye witness testimony of the women has lined up perfectly with the promises that Jesus concerning the inspired words of the prophets.
Obviously they did not get it otherwise they would have been rejoicing instead of grieving. Jesus severely criticizes their reluctance to believe, as he says, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?"
“Was it not necessary that the Christ, which is Greek for Messiah, should suffer these thing and enter into his glory,” is a hard passage for us to believe also. Suffering is not a good thing. Suffering shows weakness. That is our way of thinking in our upside down world, but in the right side up world of God suffering is power and glory, for it is in Jesus’ suffering and death that he shows his glory.
Jesus did not leave those two disciples there in their disbelief, just as he does not leave us in our disbelief. He taught them as they walked down that road that day, just as he teaches us, as we walk down our road of life. He knows how we struggle, some more than others, in letting him be Lord of our life. He knows; that is why he comes to us in his Word and Sacraments so that we can be lifted up and comforted just as a child is when his or her mom holds her to her breast.
He knows that even though we have learned to call God, “Our Father” when we pray to him and acknowledge Jesus as our Savior when we recite the Apostle’s Creed each Sunday morning that there are times when we still cannot see God as we see others around us. Far too many Christians only see God the Father and Jesus the Son as some kind of standard to follow and believe in. But to be in a personal relation with them; how can you do that with someone you can’t see?
We have a hard time seeing God in a relational manner even though God’s Word from the beginning to the end uses the same words and expressions to describe God and the spiritual world, as we use to express our knowledge of the physical world.
God’s Word has thousands of examples where God and his actions are spoken of in physical concrete terms. For the sake of time here are just a few of them, so you can better understand what I am saying. “O taste and see that the Lord is good,” “My sheep hear my voice,” and “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.” Then there are those times that Jesus said I am the door, another time he said he is the gate, and yet another time he said he is the vine.
Now of course we know that God is not literally a gate, or a door, or an actual vine, but then again he is also not just some figment of our imagination either, as some teach. He is here just as much, actually more so than the air and wind are here are any other object for that matter. He is perfect in his nature. Nothing can be added to or subtracted from him.
I don’t want to get this too complicated, but you need to understand that God is absolute. He exists whether a person knows of him or not, for God’s existence validates himself. He does not need us to create him in our thoughts or imaginations, as some teach we do, for he has always existed. That is the reality of God.
God has given us our five senses so that we might know the things of world we live in. God gives to those who believe in him as their Lord and Savior a sixth sense which we call faith, so we can see what cannot be seen with the other five senses.
If it is true, and it is, that he has given us this extra sense which we call faith then the question must be answered, “Why is it that so many Christians know so little about what it means to be in a meaningful relationship with God?”
As I thought about it I came to realize that the reason so many Christians don’t know of God in a relational way, that is as the Lord of their life, is that just like the disciples in our Gospel reading for today they don’t know the true Jesus because they don’t know the Scriptures that speak of him.
God tells us in John 20:30-31, “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” and then in 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." Just as he taught the disciples that day that the Scriptures were about him and his saving work he will teach you the same thing, as you read his words to you in the Bible.
According to those two verses and others like them the way to have a personal relationship with God is to know him through his Word. If that is true and it is, why is that so many Christians do not attend Bible studies so they can develop that personal relationship with God?
There are all kinds of reasons for not studying God’s Word. Those that don’t study God’s Word have all kinds of excuses for not learning more about God and his will in their life, but I seriously doubt that any of them are God pleasing.
While I would be the first to admit that are verses in the Bible that are not easy to understand or can even be understood the vast majority of the Bible is easy to understand if you approach it with an open mind and a willing heart. God will not hide his will from you.
My fellow brothers and sisters of the resurrection, if you have a hard time understanding God’s Word first watch a movie called “Jesus of Nazareth”. The actors playing all the different people of the Bible use the actual words in the Bible. It is pretty amazing. Then get yourself the ‘Living Bible” or an expanded Bible, as I did when I first started reading the Bible. All of those Bibles are easier to understand and then after you get the hang of reading God’s Word get the Lutheran Study Bible from Concordia Publishing house, for it is without a doubt the best study Bible in existence. It will open up a whole new world to you.
God loves you. The proof of that is in his suffering and dying and resurrection, as the prophets said he would have to do, for in that suffering and dying he came into his glory, for you. He wants to be the Lord of your life now and forever more. Will you let him? Amen.
posted by Pastor Rhoads | 3:04 PM
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