Post Resurrection: The Road to Emmaus Luke 23

²⁰"About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "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; ²¹but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.

They were disappointed. They were dis-illusioned.

 

Illusions die hard. Theirs were resistant to the best preaching and teaching the world has ever known, from the best Teacher the world has ever seen.  Jesus was nothing if not clear and persistent that he would not fulfill some Davidic nationalistic fantasy ( Lk 18:31-34).  Yet this meme was deeply imbedded in their psyche. “We thought that he would be the one who would restore Israel…”

The Cross shatters and crushes illusions. It is exquisitely designed to do that. False hopes and dreams, however reasonable, however benign are put to death.  

C.S. Lewis describes how God can lovingly put to death even the most reasonable and benign expectations that we can put between us and His greater plan. 

“that God, who made these deserving people, may really be right when He thinks that their modest prosperity and the happiness of their children are not enough to make them blessed: that all of this must fall from them in the end , and that if they have not learned to know Him they will be wretched."

In defense of such expectations, surely, that is not too much to ask. We are not asking for the sun, moon and stars, after all.  We are merely asking for modest prosperity and the happiness of our children. Yet, it is not always to be.  

At some point in our life, most of us will be disappointed.   Let me be more direct. You will experience deep disappointment.  If you haven’t  already, prepare for it.  You will more than likely encounter dis-illusionment.  Events occur, quickly or gradually, that force you to dramatically re-calibrate your theology and your life philosophy.  

The fallout from disillusionment is all too often despair, anger, cynicism or even unbelief. We confuse the God we have created in our mind with the God who is. Further, we confuse our expectations ( which we have projected onto the God we have created with our minds)  with those of the living God.  Consider Jesus’ response to his followers’ despair.

²⁵He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" ²⁷
 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.  Luke 23

Vintage Jesus….was that a backhand to the back of the head? He firmly,  emphatically and lovingly calls them to embrace realism.  What are the components of realism?  Well, here are a few.  

This can be a hard, harsh world. Life is hard. Bad things happen to good people.  There is a huge gulf between what is and what should be…  Death is real and death is ugly.  

In the face of that, realism also asserts that God is good, He is in control and He has a bigger plan. His plan is unfolding. 

Realism tells me that because of the resurrection, I can assert that death is not final. Death, evil and sin, while all too real and powerful, do not win. While they may block out the sun, they are not ultimate.

Because of the resurrection

I can affirm that good conquers evil,

love conquers hate

and truth conquers lies.

Because of the resurrection

I know that death cannot conquer life

and that the darkness will not prevail over the light.

Maybe you are on the road to Emmaus with Jesus. Maybe you are lost in your struggle and being swallowed up in your thoughts and growing despair.  Or perhaps the doubts are circling like wolves at twilight. The Cross part of the equation is all too real to you right now. 

Know this. He is walking with you.  It’s not just about being comforted. Expect Him to challenge you to your core. Allow Him to teach you. He will reveal Himself to you in ways you would never expect. 

Shalom.  He is truly risen!