March 27, 2005 Easter Sunday Luke 24:13-35

 March 27, 2005                                  Easter Sunday                                     Luke 24:13-35

 

Luke 24:24-32    “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." Then he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?" Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures … When he was at the table with them; he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 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?"”

 

            Have you ever been stuck on a real thorny problem?  One that just had you stumped?  You can look at it from all sides, try your best to understand it, but still it just doesn’t make sense.  When I find myself in that situation it often helps to have someone else listen to the problem.  Frequently a fresh set of ears and a new point of view are all it takes to make the issue crystal clear.

            I believe the same thing happened to the followers of Christ that first Easter Sunday.  They were been told by the women (untrustworthy witnesses under Jewish Law) that Christ arose and had the news confirmed by Peter but still they didn’t understand it all.  They didn’t even understand or believe it when Jesus walked with them along the road!

            Looking back from the vantage point of 2000 years later we may wonder how this could be.  Or perhaps we don’t.  Have you ever met someone you know in an unfamiliar context and failed to recognize them?  I have and it happens more frequently than you might believe.  It is not a question of ignoring someone.  In reality it is a case of seeing them somewhere I didn’t expect to.

            Now let’s go back to the disciples.  They witnessed the crucifixion and had the account of the women and Peter of the empty tomb.  The last person they expected to see walking and talking to them was Jesus.  They didn’t recognize him in their midst.  They didn’t know it was Jesus when he told them all the Messianic prophecies that were fulfilled by Christ.  It wasn’t until he repeated the action from the Last Supper that they knew it was Jesus and then he was gone.

We too are often oblivious to Christ in our midst.  We fail to see and recognize God’s work around us each day until some particular act brings it all into focus – perhaps a prayer, a hymn, an act of kindness.  The challenge is to look for God in all things in life for when we look we will see God’s hand at work!

 

Gracious Lord, you could be with and among us now and we might not recognize you.  Open our eyes and hearts, Lord.  Grant us a sensitivity to your presence in our lives and let us glorify you, by telling the world your wonders we behold.  This we ask in the name of Christ our Lord, and Savior, who died and is now risen and lives forever!  Alleluia!  Amen.

 

Contributed by Rev. Andy O’Dowd