Meeting Jesus on the Journey
Douglas Scalise, Brewster Baptist Church
Luke 24:13-35
The last few weeks we have looked at Palm Sunday and Easter in Luke’s Gospel, and shared some of things that surprised us. Last week we noted how we expected Jesus to greet the women at the tomb, but he doesn’t. The key thought expressed by the divine messengers is, “Why do you seek the living among the dead. He is not here, he has risen.” In Luke’s Gospel, we will not meet Jesus at a tomb where the dead are buried. Luke says that we meet the Jesus on the road, on the journey of our lives.
[powerpress]“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.
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.
Luke 24:13-35 is about people on a journey. It begins with two disciples walking, slowly, dejectedly, hopelessly away from Jerusalem to Emmaus on the first Easter Sunday. Scholars argue about the exact location of Emmaus which had a Roman garrison – was it seven miles away to the northwest, was it 20 miles to the east. The significance of the disciples moving toward Emmaus is that moving toward Emmaus is movement away from Jerusalem and Jesus – Luke is telling us these disciples are deserters. They are walking away from Jerusalem and Jesus and toward Roman power.
In Luke’s gospel avoiding Jerusalem is avoiding the true path of Jesus.
The whole Gospel of Luke is a journey toward Jerusalem, the revealing of Jesus’ identity takes place in Jerusalem, the story of Jesus ends in Jerusalem.
In Acts of the gospel will go forward from Jerusalem to the world. In walking away from Jerusalem and toward Emmaus the disciples are abandoning Jesus and his teaching and mission.
Today’s Gospel passage is often called, “The Road to Emmaus,” however maybe a better title is, “The Road Back to Faith” because that’s what it’s about. It is about how we find our way back to faith when our faith, hope, and obedience are wavering. Taking the road back to Jerusalem after Passover, after the crucifixion of Jesus, is like swimming upstream. It is not the direction most people are moving. Before Cleopas and his companion change direction and return to the city, something must happen to turn them around.
What happens to them gives hope to those of us today who are feeling overwhelmed, tired, confused, lost, bewildered, anxious, afraid, or just plain empty inside. What happens is that Jesus, unrecognized, comes alongside them and travels with them in their pain, hurt, and loss. Jesus meets them on the journey. In our own lives, we also encounter times like Cleopas when we are confused and despairing; when we need the help or guidance of a friend to instruct us, refresh our spirits and get us moving back in the right direction on the road of faith. We may be surprised that even a stranger we meet may turn out to be Jesus to us.
While Cleopas and the other disciple are talking about everything that has happened to Jesus and trying to make sense of it all, the risen Christ draws near and walks with them. Luke says their eyes were kept from recognizing him. Their inability to recognize Jesus is evidently not because they don’t know what he looks like. Their failure to recognize Jesus at this moment is because they are spiritually blind. The unknown traveler asks, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” You see in the days before cell phones, iPods, DVD’s and stereos you actually had to talk with other people when you were traveling. They stood still looking sad. We’re never given the name of Cleopas’ companion, perhaps because we are the second traveler. We are being asked to journey from an understanding of the death of Jesus that causes sadness to a deeper understanding of his death that brings joy.
Cleopas’ question is deeply ironic, “Are you the only one who travels in Jerusalem and does not know the things that happened in it in these days?” The irony is Jesus is the only one who does know what happened to him in Jerusalem and what it means! Cleopas has no idea what has happened, he has all of the facts and none of the meaning.
Jesus asks, “What things?” and invites Cleopas to tell him what happened to him in Jerusalem. They said to him, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people…”
This is true as far as it goes but it doesn’t go far enough. Jesus was a prophet, but more importantly he is the Son of God. What happened to Jesus was not just the murder of one more prophet. Their description of Jesus runs the risk of reducing Jesus to a reputation in the past. They are not remembering him correctly.
“And how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him.”
They remember Jesus as a victim. As if the chief priests and rulers did something to Jesus, as if Jesus had no active choice or part in his death on the cross. They remember him as a passive recipient of the condemnation of others.
“We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.”
They remember him as a nationalistic Messiah. But Jesus was not sent only to Israel. He was sent through Israel to all people of every nation. Now we know they are sad – because their hopes have been dashed, however, what they hoped for was not what Jesus was sent for. Jesus’ mission and their expectations were not in sync. This is still a common problem for disciples of Jesus. Our expectations and understanding of Jesus are often not broad enough, deep enough, or open enough to include all the mystery and paradox that is Jesus. We don’t know who he truly is. The disciples are sad because they thought Jesus would redeem Israel. He has done exactly that….only they don’t see it, recognize it, or understand it. They are baffled by what has taken place.
Cleopas and the other disciple have trouble recognizing Jesus in part because they have misunderstood him. They remembered him as a reputation, a victim, and a failure. When we only think of Jesus as a reputation, a victim, and a failure who died and that was it, then like Cleopas, “him we will not see.”
Jesus doesn’t appreciate how they have remembered him, maybe I’m projecting, but he sounds ticked off, and he calls them foolish, which is a strong term because the Bible states that the fool says in his heart there is no God. The foolish person interprets life without considering the spiritual dimension. Cleopas has interpreted Jesus only in social and political terms; he has neglected the spiritual dimension. Jesus also says they are “slow of heart.”
So Jesus treats these two disciples to a personal tour of the scriptures. What is a little frustrating is Luke tells us that Jesus told them, but he doesn’t tell us what Jesus told them. Cleopas and his companion are close to their destination, they are ready to stop and eat and relax, but Jesus appears to be traveling farther. Jesus is always prepared to go farther than we are. However, once he is asked to stay, he immediately agrees because when we invite Jesus to stay with us it shows openness to him, even when we are confused, or fleeing from the tough problems of life. It is around supper time and we are not surprised that Jesus repeats what he did at the supper before he suffered. The act of taking, blessing, breaking, and giving bread after Jesus has reinterpreted the scriptures for them is understood by Cleopas and the other disciple. Their eyes are opened and they recognize him.
Just as he did for Cleopas and his companion, Jesus is the one who can help us to find meaning in the midst of our confusion. He can make our hearts burn with spiritual fire and give us eyes to see the truth. As Jesus walks and talks with us, our confusion can turn to clarity and our despair to joy. The hope for us in Cleopas’ story is that we also can experience a companionship with Jesus that will guide us in our difficult times. Luke says, “That same hour they rose up and returned to Jerusalem.” “They rose up,” means that the disciples who had been spiritually dead now share in the resurrection of Jesus. Resurrection is not just an event in the life of Jesus. It is an event in the life of his followers. The risen Jesus has done his job. He has brought his followers to a deeper experience of himself and taught them to see and remember him for who he truly is – the Son of God. What they had seen as the end of hope was in truth its beginning.
Cleopas and his companion who had been so sad and confused as they journeyed away from Jerusalem and Jesus, are changed. They get back on the road to Jerusalem, back toward the mission and the witness to which they are called. With the long and eager strides of those who have good news, they take the road back to Jerusalem to tell others of their life changing experience with Jesus. This is what disciples do. We share with others the good news of our experiences with Jesus on the road of life. How Jesus walks with us and stays with us even when we are disobedient, running away, confused, and spiritually blind. How Jesus teaches us the meaning of the scriptures, helping us to understand them and giving us spiritual sight. How Jesus is known among friends through the breaking and sharing of bread. Their excitement moves them naturally to share their story with the brothers and sisters who are in the midst of a similar state of despair and confusion. If we are confused or despairing, if we need a guide to help us, instruct us, or renew our spirit and get us moving in the right direction on the journey of life, then we need to invite Jesus to journey with us. Jesus will never take us where we are not supposed to go. The good news is, if we ask Jesus to walk with us and stay with us, he gladly will.
Prayer
Loving God, pour out on us your grace, comfort and mercy.
Remove confusion and discouragement and open our eyes to your truth.
Guide and lead us, Blessed Jesus back to and further along the road of faith and enable each us to be a loving and encouraging presence to others as we journey along on the path of life.