Scripture/Sermon of the Day.  April 23, 2023

Luke 24:13-35

The Walk to Emmaus

13 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.

28 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.

Reflection/Sermon:

I.      The last time I preached this passage from Luke was April 26, 2020 — almost exactly three years ago.  I see something in the reading that I didn’t then, and Brian Wilson, of the Beach Boys, opened my eyes.

II.     Three years ago I talked about my eyeglasses, and how they weren’t working well as my eyes needed stronger lenses.  And every few years as I do this it seems there are new improvements to the lenses you can order.  They can be tinted or scratch resistant or non-glare — they can be bi-focals or progressive focusing.

III.    So, three years ago I had the idea — reading this passage today — that it would be nice if we could order glasses that would allow us to see Jesus.   Because when Mary Magdalene and  these two men going to Emmaus and the disciples who were in a boat — did recognized him — something happened to them — they changed — they because fearless and energized and passionate about life again.

IV.      But actually that’s not what happened on the road to Emmaus.   Something happened to these two men BEFORE they knew it was Jesus.  As they recalled talking to the “stranger” on the road, they said:  “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked to us on the road?”

V.      Even when we don’t know it’s Jesus — we can feel his presence.  We can feel the electricity or energy or life of his presence — the fire.  “Our hearts were burning” the men said.  Jesus lights a fire in us.  Which brings us to Brian Wilson.  I saw a documentary about him on the American Masters series on Public TV.  AN INTERVIEWER SAID TO HIM as he sat at his piano in his living room:

 “You’ve recently been on a world tour.  You’ve recorded several new albums really — you’ve been non-stop since your late 50’s and you keep going.  How do you explain that kind of burst of creative energy?   Where does that surge of creativity and energy come for you?”
Brian Wilson answered:  “It starts in my brain — makes its way down on to the piano — and then on to the speakers in the studio.”

Interviewer:  “Is that something you can explain?  Is that something that’s even explainable?”

And then Brian said — and it wasn’t just his words but the change that the question caused in him, where he moved from a relaxed response to something where he tensed up and seemed almost frightened and he shifted his focus from the interviewer and looked down and just said, abruptly:

“No I can’t…..I can’t.”  That part of the interview ended there. Wilson didn’t want to go there — it’s as if he knew that though he feels the surge of creativity first in his brain, he knows that it doesn’t start there, its origin is not with Brian Wilson but some mysterious place he can’t name — and the way he answers the interviewer’s question so abruptly and even fearfully also tells the interviewer, “I don’t want to go there.”  As if tampering with the sacred like that might risk slowing or stopping the flow of creative energy and life.

VII.    This surge of creative energy and life and courage is what the two men on the road of Damascus tried to convey to each other — and to us — in their words:  “a fire burning within us.”

THE FEAR AND TERROR they felt as they made their escape from Jerusalem to the town of Emmaus, seven miles west, toward the Mediterranean Sea — STOPPED— IT WAS TRANSMUTED INTO A SURDGE OF COURAGE AND JOY.

Like Brian Wilson told the interviewer, we can’t explain how this happens.  We can’t explain how the "fire" entered the two men and changed their fear to courage and joy.  But we know that it happens — every day.
The next time we move from fear to courage or peace or love or the next time we feel a “fire” within us to create something beautiful — we can turn to the risen Lord, to Jesus in our midst, and say, “Thank you.” Because he will be there.