Community Church Sermons

Year A

May 4, 2014

Easter 3

Jesus Incognito

Luke 24:13-35

Rev. Rhonda A. Blevins

Associate Pastor

Lately I’ve been amused with my friends on Facebook and Twitter who post their little complaints and minor irritations followed by #firstworldproblems. These daily annoyances are troubles that our ancestors and folks in third world countries just never have to deal with, like:

· Oh no! More hot dogs than buns! #firstworldproblems

· How dare they make a pizza box that doesn’t fit in my fridge. #firstworldproblems

· Ugh! Internet is so slow today! #firstworldproblems

· There’s no food in the house. . .just a bunch of ingredients. #firstworldproblems

Today in our scripture lesson we encounter a couple of guys with a problem that is just as much of a #firstworldproblem as it was a #firstcenturyproblem. You see, Jesus was walking alongside them, and they didn’t even recognize him. That’s a big problem! It’s our problem too.

It’s the evening of the very first Easter Sunday. Two men, both followers of Jesus, have been in Jerusalem with him to celebrate the Passover. But the celebration turned sour when their leader and friend was arrested, tried, convicted, and executed. Their hopes had been crushed. They thought this man—Jesus of Nazareth—would be the one to redeem their country—to break them free from their Roman oppressors. Their hopes and dreams for a better day were crucified along with Jesus on that dreadful Friday just a couple of days before.

But then they heard the story the women told of the empty tomb and angels proclaiming that Jesus was alive. Were the women crazy? Were they seeking attention? Or could it be. . .no, it couldn’t possibly be. . .true?

This was the story they told the stranger who joined them on their seven-mile walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus. I love how they respond to the stranger when he asks them what they’re discussing. “Dude. Seriously? You’ve had your head under a rock this weekend? How can you not know what happened to Jesus of Nazareth?” Little did they know that they were talking to Jesus himself. Jesus Incognito.

Every time I read this text I am prompted to think about times in my life when Jesus walked right beside me and I failed to recognize him. Unfortunately, there are far too many times like that to name. Perhaps the most vivid account of that was several years ago when my father was dying from stage IV lung cancer, and I was too busy being upset with God for not intervening to appreciate or recognize that God was walking with me, and my father, and the rest of my family on that difficult journey. And that’s what happens to us. In that situation all I could see was the Curse and it blinded my awareness of the Comforter. But he was there. He is always there.

Those disciples walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus that day—they walked a defeated walk. Their hopes, their dreams—pierced with nine-inch nails. Their future hung before them like a big question mark. A cloud of unknowing followed them. Scales covered their once hopeful eyes.

Just like those first disciples, we as a congregation are travelers on a journey. Like them, we’ve lost our leader. Last Sunday we said goodbye to Marty after 17 years of leadership. Though we understand his decision to begin his well-deserved retirement, it leaves many of us a little anxious, a little fearful about what the future holds. Some may wonder if the church will ever be the same. And let me make one thing clear. It won’t. Heck, the way you guys travel, this church isn’t the same from one Sunday to the next! No, this church will never be the same. And like those two disciples wondered “what next” as they walked those seven miles to Emmaus, we wonder “what next” as we walk together into our future. It seems that every nearly every conversation I have with church members these days revolves around the future of our church. Whenever I see two church members talking, whether at the gym or the restaurant or the grocery store or right here at church. . .the question being discussed is “what next?”

It’s the same conversation the two disciples on the road to Emmaus were having. But something happened as they discussed and wondered and walked. Listen again to verse 15 from our scripture text: “As they talked and discussed these things with each other. . .” What happens next? That’s right! “As they talked and discussed these things with each other. . . Jesus himself came up and walked along with them.” Jesus Incognito.

I have absolutely no doubt that Jesus is walking with us as a congregation during these anxious days. I have absolutely no doubt that Jesus is walking with you and your family through whatever challenge you’re facing. And I know that each person here is facing some challenge—fighting some battle.

Jesus is right there with you. With us. The problem is—sometimes we just don’t recognize him. We have scales on our eyes. The cloud of unknowing surrounds us and our fog lights are broken.

Consider your own journey for a moment. Wherever you’re going, Jesus is there, walking alongside you. Can you see him? Maybe he’s disguised as that good friend who always says just the right thing that helps you keep hope alive. Maybe he’s disguised as that beloved pet that you’ve been given to care for, the one who’s always happy to see you come home. Maybe he’s disguised as the warmth of a springtime day. Jesus comes to us in myriad ways if we’ll simply look for the holy in every moment. Is that too ethereal for you? Consider Jesus’ own words about how he comes to us from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 25: “‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

Yes, Jesus appears to us in innumerable ways. And though we don’t recognize him, we walks life’s journey with us, just like he did with those two disciples on the road to Emmaus.

The two disciples invited Jesus to stay with them. . .to join them for dinner. And then the scripture tells us that “When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.” Then something miraculous happened. “Their eyes were opened and they recognized him.”

Just like these two disciples, we, too know Jesus in the breaking of bread. Three days before he met these men on the road, Jesus, on the last night of his life, took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to his friends saying, “This is my body, broken for you.” And he charged them to remember him through the breaking of bread and the drinking of wine.

And so today, we take into ourselves the body and the blood of Christ so that the scales might be lifted from our eyes. . .so that the cloud might be lifted from our view. . .so that we might recognize the risen Lord who walks with us every step of life’s journey.

Yes, the road ahead is uncertain. The future is unclear. But with Jesus by our side, we can rest assured that everything’s going to be just fine. No. Scratch that. Everything’s going to be better than fine.