Sermons for the Month
Jesus Is At Home With Us
DATE: April 10th, 2005
SERVICE: Third Sunday Of Easter
TEXT: Luke 24:13-35, I Peter 1:17-23“To all of you Saints here this morning, grace and peace to you from God our Father, from His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. AMEN
Through Jesus we have come to trust in God. Through Jesus we have been born anew. Through Jesus we have hope because the Resurrected Jesus is the living and enduring Word of God.
Again this week I find myself drawn to the profound words of I Peter which proclaim that there is hope. In the face of life's imperfection, there is hope!
Now, sometimes that is hard to believe. Those two travelers on the road to Emmaus found it difficult to feel hopeful; in fact, they thought that hope was lost.
Of Jesus they said, "We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel," But, obviously, that hope was in vain because Jesus was dead, the rebellion had not occurred, and liberation from their Roman enemies was still a dream. Even though they believed Jesus was a mighty prophet, he had been condemned to death and crucified. Their hope had become hopelessness.
All this was shared with a stranger as Cleopas and his traveling companion headed home - to Emmaus - after a heart-breaking Passover in Jerusalem.
Who were these two travelers? They were among those who followed Jesus, as is indicated in their use of the phrase "our group", and probably were among the "outer ring" rather than being a part of the close inner circle.
I've read many theories about them, but for the first time this week I came across the theory that they were husband and wife. It's a startling idea if you have always thought of them as two men, but not impossible given the radical nature of Jesus' ministry and the presence of women among the followers. Also, a couple may well have gone to the festival in Jerusalem together, and there also is the fact that together they offer hospitality together saying to Jesus, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening…."
On the other hand, it was unlikely that a man and woman - even a husband and wife - would have been walking side by side and talking, BUT usual convention might have seemed trivial in the face of such grave events. In any case, this theory gives us another way to think about this story.
What actually is more startling than who they were is the fact that they talked about their relationship with Jesus. After all, the Jewish leaders killed Jesus, and the disciples are in hiding for fear that they might be next. Yet, these walkers on the road are sharing openly with a stranger.
Perhaps they were engaging in nervous chatter, or were so perplexed that they threw caution to the wind. Maybe they thought, "What does it matter?" In spite of the astounding report that angels had been seen at the tomb announcing that Jesus is alive, they believed all hope was lost. They were convinced of it.
It would have never entered their minds that, first of all, they would run into a stranger who would use scripture to explain all that had happened. And, secondly, in their wildest dreams they could have never imagined that upon offering hospitality to this stranger he would be revealed to them as none other that Jesus, raised from the dead!
As I said on Easter, just because we overlook him it does not mean that he's not there.
This story rings true for us because we know disappointment. We all have said, "I had hoped", using the past tense which indicates that we hope no more. Yet today's account reminds us that there is always hope.
Just think about it, Jesus had gone home with those Emmaus road travelers and they did not even realize it! As he broke the bread their eyes were opened to the living hope with whom they had just spent the afternoon. And, by the time they traveled the seven miles back to Jerusalem to tell the others about their experience with the Risen Lord, Jesus had been revealed to them as well. Hope was fast becoming a present reality rather than a past dream.
Perhaps there are times when, like the travelers in today's story, we do not realize that Jesus is at home with us. I was reflecting this week that the prayer I offer the most when people are facing surgery, an illness, death or any other challenge is that the Lord would make his presence known to them in a strong and comforting way. I pray for a sense of profound peace and for the awareness that we are never alone. In other words, I pray that we would know that Jesus is at home with us.
There has been a lot in the news recently about healing services that are being held in the Cleveland area. Last weekend more than 3000 people attended hoping that either they, or their loved ones, would receive a healing touch and prayer. I've been thinking about that a lot, and it occurred to me this week that perhaps the need that is being met at these services is the very thing I'm talking about today.
So often in our lives, but particularly when we face difficulty, we need to be reminded that our Risen Lord is present with us, that he is at home within us, and that we are never alone in our suffering. I can say with confidence that those thousands who gather in need of healing prayer are in need of hope, and just as was true on the road to Emmaus, Jesus goes home with them. Actually, Jesus also arrived there with them, but maybe they had forgotten that, and the touch and prayer they received served as a reminder. Does that mean that physical healing is guaranteed? No, it's often difficult to discern how healing occurs. But, it does mean that the hope that never leaves us may once again be real in that person's life.
As long as we pray, intent on what God wants to give us, not on what we desire, we will never be disappointed. That's true, in part, because one of the things God offers us in hope!
So we return to those confidence-inspiring words from I Peter. We can trust in God; we are born anew because the Resurrected Jesus is living and enduring … with us …. In the midst of life's imperfections there is always hope. Jesus is at home with us. AMEN