Author: TechCommittee

April 26, 2020                                                                                 Text:  Luke 24:13-35

Dear Friends in Christ,

            This next week is an exciting time for 4^th year seminary students.  They receive their first calls into the ministry.  Unfortunately, it will not be done in person.  I was in their shoes 29 years ago.  Where am I going?  What church is getting this goofy Pastor who looks fifteen years old?  It not only affected me, but Toni as well.  We were engaged to be married.  She sat with my parents and most everyone in the chapel had their Rand McNally Atlas with them.  Wahoo, Nebraska?   Deer Lodge, Montana?  I stood up, crossed the altar area and heard this that will probably never leave my brain – Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Littlefield, Texas.  I finally knew where Toni and I would be starting our life together.

            The two first-century disciples in our text knew they were going to Emmaus.  They knew the way.  Problem was, they didn’t know God’s way.  That was a problem, just as it often is for us.  So this morning, let’s . . .

“LET GOD SHOW US HIS WAY”

            These Emmaus disciples are found despondent and going the wrong way.  Easter was happening in Jerusalem, but they were leaving the city in a sad state.  They had just seen the death of Jesus but they didn’t know where to go, what to think, what to do.  They knew how to physically get to Emmaus, but in a sense, they had lost their way.

            So Jesus joins them, but recognizing Him escapes them.  It’s not an eye problem they suffer from.  Jesus has miraculously kept them from knowing him.  Their problem:  they didn’t understand God’s purpose.  They did not know which way God was going.  They didn’t trust that God’s way was working.  The events of the crucifixion gave them a feeling of defeat.

            Don’t we also miss where the Lord is taking us?  We tend to focus on the negatives of life.  99 people may tell us what a great job we did, but we let the one critical comment linger in our head.  Why do we do that?  Sinful people –even our family – surround us and we love to point out their faults.  Why do we do that?  I sense we are all at a tipping point because we can’t plan for the future.  Do I get the haircut appointment?  Will I get into my dentist by the end of the year?  Worship, O I miss my church family!  It’s tough.  We all hurt.

            Why do we do that?  We are sinful.  We forget God’s purpose for us – God’s way.  God values you, let go of your insecurity.  We focus so much on this world but this is not our home.  We forget that the gates of hell cannot overcome the Church of Jesus Christ.  When we focus so much on the negatives and that our plans are not working out the way they should, we may start to think God is going the wrong way.  Has our Savior lost His way?  Hey, you are going the wrong direction!  Except, He isn’t.

            God has always been going the right way – His way.  What is God’s way?  He explained the Old Testament Scriptures to these men.  The Lord always uses His written Word to show us His way.  Jesus showed that the whole Bible points to His death and resurrection.  His suffering and death were God’s way of salvation for us.  This was no defeat, this is glory.  This was God’s way of cleansing us of our sin.  He forgives our negativity and our lack of trust and heading off in the wrong direction.  God has cleared the way for our eternal salvation.

            God is guiding our way.  Let Him show you the way.  Yes, we have ups and downs.  The downs are never God losing His way, but rather God’s strengthening of us.  All the negatives are just sidetracks we see – or think we see – on the road to heaven.  You and I have stories of positive happenings this last month, look around because they are there.  More people are checking in on church services online.  Families have had more together time.  Less people have gotten sick than originally projected.  Traffic is lighter.  Toilet paper can be found!

            God will show the way for our future.  Christ got the disciples turned around to go God’s way.  They recognized him because He opened their eyes.  “Sure enough, it’s just as he said.  God has been in control.”  They run the seven miles back to Jerusalem to tell the others that Jesus has risen.  “We just talked with Him.  Wow, what a day we have had!”

            God also controls our way and our future.  Jesus is alive we tell others.  Scripture has been fulfilled we tell others.  All who believe in Him have eternal life we tell others.  Let’s use that 7-mile analogy.  Imagine the difference we can make in the lives of those within a 7-mile radius of our church.  God shows us the way and then leads us to share His way.

            God’s way is to redeem all people by Jesus’ death and resurrection.  God’s way is to have you and me spread that news.  Because of our Lord we know where we are going, even while we are still on the way.

                                                                                    Amen.