A Walk with A Stranger – Luke 24:13-32
Intro: What do you talk about with strangers? Often it works well to discuss important events that everyone knows about: the war in the Middle East, the weather, the economy, etc. The afternoon of Jesus’ resurrection, it’s not too difficult for us to picture two disciples who were discussing the topic of the day – what had happened to Jesus – with a complete stranger. They were surprised that he knew nothing about it, and Cleopas assumed he was from out of town.
1) The two disciples had all the pieces, but could not put the puzzle together.
(Today many people seem “get their religion” or their “spirituality” in bits and pieces – a little here from the TV, some there from the radio, and a miscellaneous smattering from the internet or a popular book they’ve read. In other cases, e.g., the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the pieces have been intentionally scrambled. The problem is that in so much of popular spirituality, Jesus seems to be at best misunderstood – or at worst, missing altogether. In the words of Mary Magdalene, “They have taken my Lord away, and I don’t know where they have put him!” – John 20:13)
Here were the pieces they had:
- Jesus was a prophet, powerful in word and deed.
- Jesus was handed over, sentenced to death, and crucified.
- It was the third day since all this had happened.
- The women had amazed them, saying Jesus’ tomb was empty – angels said he was alive.
- Some friends went to the tomb, also found it empty, but they did not see Jesus.
- But they had hoped he was the Redeemer of Israel.
When they put the pieces together, they made a dismal and gloomy picture. Their hopes were ruined. They thought their dreams had died – but they were missing a bigger picture! Have you ever tried to tell somebody something and they just don’t get it? The stranger (really Jesus) said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” The truth of the matter is, on our own, we are all spiritually blind and dead. Our sin separates us from God, and we have become strangers to him. None of us, by our own ability, can really believe what the prophets have spoken!
(Illustration: In order to connect two pieces of electronic equipment – TV’s, VCR’s, DVD’s, etc. – you need the right hardware – the proper adapter – for one to properly receive input from the other! Without the Holy Spirit, we are unable to receive input from God.) “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)
2) Jesus opened the Scriptures – He showed them the “box” that those puzzle pieces were in!
- He began with Moses and all the Prophets.
- He explained what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
- Afterwards they would say, “Were not our hearts burning within us?”
(Example: another pastor, a veteran of the cross, told me and some other pastors an illustration about Jesus’ hands, which he showed to Thomas – how like our own hands, they often tell a story about our lives. Jesus’ hands, through the wounds and scars, told a story of the greatest love the world has ever seen. As I listened to him, the others and I felt a wonderful kind of joy at having the Scriptures opened for us!)
3) Jesus opened their eyes. When Jesus put the pieces together they finally saw the “Big Picture”
- Although he pretended to be going on, he was willing to stay and share the evening meal.
- He took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and began to give it to them.
- Then they recognized him, and he disappeared.
In the early church, (Acts 2:42ff) it is no coincidence that believers followed very much the same basic pattern in their devotion: The apostles’ teaching (just as Jesus had opened God’s Word) – the fellowship (just as Jesus had stayed with them) – the breaking of bread (just as Jesus had shared a meal with them) – and prayer (Just as Jesus had given thanks)! In these ways Jesus continued to be recognized among them. In fact, in some ways they were carrying on with their lives just as if he had never left their midst – not a bad way to live!
Illustration: We all need our eyes opened to Jesus on a regular basis, just as those early Christians. In one church, a sign that only the pastor could see was taped up in the pulpit. It quoted the words of John 12:21, (spoken by the Greeks who were in Jerusalem for the Passover to Philip) – “Sir, we would like to see Jesus!” The miracle of God is that Jesus is still revealed to the eyes of faith wherever and whenever the Gospel is proclaimed. Jesus is no longer a stranger. He is a friend. He is our friend.
Conclusion: Jesus is a stranger to many people in the world today. But he is a stranger who wants to be a friend to them, too. In a way, to the unbelieving world, we who follow Christ are also like strangers! It says in 1 Peter 1:17ff., “…live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.”
1) We are different from the people of the world. We might look the same, but our words, actions, priorities, and attitudes (hopefully) give us away. People might even say, “You must be from out of town!” Why do we stand out? Life without Christ is empty. Life with Christ is given new meaning – it is a life of hope. It is a life lived knowing that he loves us and is with us every step of the way of life’s journey, whether we see him or not!
2) As we rub shoulders with others along the way, the Holy Spirit still works through the Word of God to help them put the pieces together (e.g. Steve Parks, born into a family of Jehovah’s Witnesses, is now a Christian and is studying for the ministry – thanks to a friend who took the time to share with him her faith in the Triune God of Scripture when he was 19)!
3) We live in difficult times – the Bible calls them the Last Times. While these are trying times, we have one important thing going for us: Jesus, chosen before the creation of the world to be our Redeemer, has now been revealed for our sakes. He has given us His Spirit who opens the Scriptures for us, who opens our eyes to see Jesus so that our “faith and hope are in God!” We recognize his voice as he speaks to us in His Word. We also recognize him in the breaking of the bread whenever we celebrate his Supper.
Jesus was willing to stay with the Emmaus disciples. Through Baptism, he also willingly abides in us! Today we will go on our way as strangers in the world with heaven as our home. Our humble prayer is that others who do not yet see the “Big Picture” of who Jesus is and what he has done for us – those lost in the blindness of despair, emptiness and hopelessness – may more and more be able to recognize Him, our risen and victorious Savior, in us – in what we say and do. Amen!
