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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion March 30, 2005 GET IT |
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Frontline Devotion for Wednesday, March 30, 2005 By Penny
Risen
Luke
24: 13-35
“Two syllables, sounds like …? First word short: a, and, he! Why can’t I get
it?”
Ever played the game Charades? Two groups challenge each other to decipher things like movie titles, plays, TV shows, books or names of songs, pitched to them by a silent teammate. With only nonverbal clues to work with, it’s both exciting and frustrating to solve the puzzle. Calling out guesses, a player uses an open mind, open eyes and teamwork to succeed in this game. Sometimes the answers are obvious, but often they confound and seem unreasonably tough to tackle.
Three days after the Crucifixion, two men who’d followed the Teacher walk together trying to solve the puzzle of the painful and awesome events in Jerusalem. It’s a seven-mile journey Emmaus, the text in Luke 24 explains. Along the way a stranger joins this sad pair and asks them to explain their dilemma over Jesus of Nazareth.
“He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed Him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that He was the One who was going to redeem Israel … Some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find His body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said He was alive.”
Sure, the men recounted the events but they didn’t get it, they hadn’t put together the clues and couldn’t comprehend the solution: He is risen! Alleluia! The women at the tomb got it, and the answer was obvious to their open minds and open hearts. Faith opened their eyes to His Resurrection --- they couldn’t wait to run to tell the disciples and other followers like these two travelers that morning. Although they didn’t recognize Him as He walked to Emmaus with them, the risen Jesus helped the two men piece together what had occurred. He said:
"So thick-headed! So slow-hearted! Why can't you simply believe all that the prophets said? Don't you see that these things had to happen, that the Messiah had to suffer and only then enter into His glory?"
Then He started at the beginning, with the Books of Moses, and went on through all the Prophets, pointing out everything in the Scriptures that referred to Him.” --- The Message Bible
The clues were there: God’s plan to send His Son as a sacrifice for sin. It wasn’t until Jesus joined the two men at supper, broke bread and blessed it that they finally recognized their Lord. But back and forth they talked: "Didn't we feel on fire as He conversed with us on the road, as He opened up the Scriptures for us?" At last, the men realized they too were part of the puzzle, and that they must rush back to Jerusalem to proclaim the answer to others: “He is risen! Alleluia!”
Are we ready to get it? Did the Resurrection message of Easter sink in?
Perhaps we are like the two men on the road to Emmaus, still trying to sort out the puzzle while blinded from seeing Our Lord by a lack of trust in God’s guidance; blocked by anger or doubt; denied a chance to witness by faith because of grief or shame for sins; or kept from embracing Christ as our personal Savior by a spiritual longing.
As if He hadn’t already sacrificed all to make the pieces fit, Jesus continued to show Himself as the living Lord to witnesses and His disciples in the Gospel. The journey to Emmaus offered a challenge to two men to finally get His message. He opened their eyes --- and His power and love can open ours too.
Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord, the answer to so many of my questions is found in Your love and sacrifice. Open my eyes to Your Word and to the many guides you place along my path each day. Forgive me for ways I allow myself to be blinded by worldly worries, and help me to walk bravely in faith. Amen.
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