April 30, 2017                                                                        Text:  Luke 24:13-35

 

Dear Friends in Christ,

 

What kind of a guest are you?  If you stay a day or two or more with family or friends are you the kind of guest they want to invite back?  Or are you like me who needs my space and after about 24-36 hours I just want to be home?  There is an expression that says, “After three days, company is like an old, dirty shirt.”  Houseguests can easily wear out their welcome.  Nice to have company but also nice when they leave.

The disciples entertained an unusual guest in today’s Gospel, one whose presence may not wear out as quickly as an old, dirty shirt.

“THE ABIDING GUEST”

In the beginning of our text the disciples mistake Jesus for a guest and visitor to Jerusalem.  “Their eyes were kept from recognizing him.” (v. 16)  They even treat him as an ignorant guest.  “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”  Even in the day of no cable news or instant messaging to not know what happened in Jerusalem would be like not knowing about 9/11 or the explosion of the space shuttle.  Some news is universal and a guy rising from the dead after crucifixion would certainly cause a Fox News Alert.

Jesus is getting a little irritating to these men.  He pulled their chain with, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” (v. 17)  “They stood still, looking sad.” (v. 17)  They had placed their whole hope in this “Jesus of Nazareth” as “the one to redeem Israel” (v. 21), but now that hope seemed dashed to pieces.

We all know about displaced aggression.  We get mad about something and take it out on a person that had nothing to do with what made us angry.  Jesus’ question didn’t warrant the strong reaction it received, but it had hit a sore spot, and it showed in their reaction.

Jesus was truly a guest of the disciples, but not as they perceived him.  He was hardly ignorant.  Although they do not know it yet, he is the very one who endured these things that have them so glum.  He knew the purpose of these things.  He was about to take them through a Bible study that would have their empty hearts bursting with hope.  Nor is He ignorant of the promise of God standing behind these things:  “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (v. 27)  And the risen Christ is hardly ignorant of the things that weigh us down, the idols that have failed us, the behaviors we are ashamed of and the irritants that we can be to others.

Jesus was only briefly irritating.  He hit a sore spot but it gave him opportunity to dress and heal it, as they would come to realize:  “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” (v. 32)  Our sore spots burst open with his Law but it gives the Savior opportunity to heal it with the Gospel.

Christ is the guest from heaven.  “He acted as if he were going farther.” (v. 28)  With his redemptive work complete, he would be returning to the right hand of the Father.

Jesus is our abiding guest.  ”They urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is no far spent.’ So he went in to stay with them.” (v. 29)  They yearned for him to stay and it took no arm-twisting for him to abide with them.  Christ yearns for fellowship with those whom he in love has redeemed.

He abides with us, filling the Scriptures with himself.  “All the promises of God find their Yes in him.” (2 Cor. 1:20)  Without him, Scripture is a lifeless book of standards we can never attain.  Filled with him, the Scriptures contain eternal life.

He abides with us, making himself known to us “in the breaking of the bread” (v. 35), giving us his body and blood, the forgiveness of sins, fellowship with the Father, and a foretaste of the feast to come.  A host of hymns echo this theme of faith’s yearning for fellowship with our abiding guest, including our closing hymn.

Earthly house guests can quickly wear out their welcome, believe me I know, “when is that guy going to leave!”  But not this abiding guest.  Though heaven was his home, the risen Lord abides with us as our earthly guest through his Living Word and Holy Supper.

He fills our empty hearts with himself, and we are glad to make him our abiding guest.

Amen.

 

April 23, 2017 Text: John 20:19-23

Dear Friends in Christ,

“Do you ever peche?” “Is peccato part of your life?” “Do you struggle with gunah?” “What did Jesus do with your dembi?” “When I dosa it really drags me down.” I have just shared with you the most despised word in every language. I did it in French, Italian, Turkish, Somali and Indonesian. Got a guess?
How about few more hints? Everybody says it: “We all make mistakes.” Everybody also says this: “Nobody’s perfect,” including a certain insurance commercial. But try to get Americans to say we constantly do this and you may have an argument. The word is – SIN! We all seem to know we are not perfect but nobody wants to admit that our imperfection – sin deserves God’s eternal punishment. Try that out at the next family dinner if you have relatives who believe that those who give it their best make it to heaven.
It’s still Sunday and it has been quite the day for our brothers and sisters who were alive on that first resurrection. We have a confrontation ready to take place between “poor miserable sinners who deserve God’s punishment” with the joy of Christ’s Resurrection. How can Easter overcome . . .
“THE MOST DESPISED WORD IN EVERY LANGUAGE?”
The boys. The gang. The merry men of misfits are together again. But what has brought them to one another? Fear. In a matter of moments they had abandoned their Savior. One denied him over and over. One hangs himself in shame. Finally, they are all hiding. Doors locked. It’s the way of the flesh, isn’t it?
Last Easter evening on TMC they had the 1953 movie, “The Robe” starring Richard Burton. He played a Roman soldier at the crucifixion that won the robe of Jesus. He eventually comes to believe in Jesus as Savior, the one whom he helped crucify. When I watched it reminded me that life didn’t just stop when this big event in history occurred. It’s like on Dec. 7, 1941 or 9-11, life still continued, people still went about their business.
The disciples were in the fraidy cat business, the boogeyman under the bed danced in their heads. Do you think they realized at that moment that they were “poor, miserable sinners?” It has a way of catching up with us, doesn’t it? We don’t like to admit our sin or the fact that we deserve nothing from God but His anger. But what it does to our heart is to make us “poor” and “miserable.”
“Intervention needed behind door #1 please!” “Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’…the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.” You know that feeling, don’t you? You see the headlights of your son or daughter’s car coming down the lane or into your driveway. The doctor comes in the room and declares all your tests came back clean. The job or finances come into your life right when you need them.
That’s the Lord’s doing, my friend. He is stepping into your locked door with his peace and presence. You have felt that, haven’t you?
But more than just his presence in your life, Jesus comes to where you are in your guilt and worry over sin. He removes the fear. Guilt taken away. Worry vanishes. The most despised word in every language is forgiven. The resurrected Christ stands before us. He loves and heals through giving Himself in Word and Sacrament.
What does Easter have to do with the most despised word in every language? Everything. As Paul writes, “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” (1 Cor. 15:14) And then this: “and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” (1 Cor. 15:17) You are still in your sins. The very resurrection of Christ is the on-going assurance that God declares us free from sin, though we are still sinful.
What we see unfolding today must not become lost on us. Jesus doesn’t enter this locked room and begin a therapy session, “Gather round and state your name.” He doesn’t institute a new command that the church must seek a new vision for its mission.
No! Christ enters. Absolves. And directs them to be about His business. “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” He was sent to pay for our sin and overcome the grave for us. We are sent to proclaim that truth to a sinful, dying world. People may very well tire of hearing about their sin but sadly they never tire of sinning. It is purely raw, human arrogance and self-righteousness that dreams of a substitute for the eternal Gospel entrusted to the church.
Sinners need a Savior. And that’s what we are given in Christ. That is the Gospel we are to proclaim. The most despised word in every language – sin – finally and thankfully directs us to the best news that can be shared: Forgiveness and eternal life through our resurrected Christ!
Amen.