‘SLOW’ BELIEVERS Today’s gospel lesson continues where Easter Sunday’s message ended. Mary Magdalene, Mary and Joanna discovered the empty tomb and told the disciples. Peter went to investigate. Later that day two disciples were walking on a road that led from Jerusalem to Emmaus Village. Three facts prove they didn’t believe Jesus Christ had been raised from the dead: verse 17 says they were sad, verse 19 says they referred to Jesus as a mighty prophet, and verse 21 says they “had hoped” he was the Messiah. Jesus listened to their unbelief for a while, then in verse 25 called them foolish and “slow to believe” fulfilled prophecy. They were intrigued, still didn’t believe, but at least they were hungry for the truth. When Jesus served them bread, it must have triggered their memories of the Lord’s Supper and they knew/recognized him as he departed. Rather than staying in Emmaus Village, they backtracked to Jerusalem and told the others the good news: “The women aren’t crazy. Christ truly has risen from the dead. We just saw, talked, walked and ate with him. I tell you, he’s alive.” The disciples aren’t the only “Slow” Believers around. Today we have Scripture, which contains the Old Testament prophecies and the New Testament fulfillment of those prophecies. We have Tradition, the apostolic church that provides relationships with other believers. We have Experience, personal encounters, sacraments, prayer and other means of grace that assure us of the sacrificial love of Christ. And we have Reason, the use of our minds allow us to accept God’s freedom from sin and freedom for eternal life. Still, we are like the two disciples who abandoned the place where Jesus purchased our salvation. They left town for a safer environment. Can you hear them, “Emmaus Village is just seven miles down the road. We can clear our heads, collect our thoughts and bounce ideas off each other, try to figure out what’s going on and what to do next. We don’t have to worry about whether or not the Temple leaders will ask the Romans to round up the rest of us.” But what they did not anticipate was a life-changing encounter with the Risen Christ; an experience that would turn their lives around and send them hurrying back into the hotbed of uncertainty, confusion and danger. Yes, the disciples were Slow to Believe, and so are we. The physical walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus is brief, but the spiritual walk is eternal. Verse 33 says the same hour they arrived in Emmaus they returned to Jerusalem, found the disciples and other followers and preached the good news: “The women aren’t spreading a ridiculous rumor. It’s true. Jesus is alive.” Here’s the relevance of the Emmaus Road: It symbolizes was happens to us when we get to know Jesus (vs 31). He turns our lives around. His plans become first, ours second. In the garden, with the passion of the crucifixion looming before him, Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but thine be done” (22:42). After walking closely with Jesus, those two disciples went back to Jerusalem to continue the ministry Christ called them to: spreading the Word. |