The Road to Emmaus - Preconceived Ideas Clouded the Understanding of Two Disciples

Luke 24:13-35 The Road to Emmaus

Scene 1. Preconceived ideas can get you in a lot of trouble.

In the city of Bodoe, Norway several decades ago

A new car salesman lost a sixteen-car sale.

A young man in a sweater, overalls, and rubber boots entered a car dealer’s shop in this city just north of the Arctic Circle.

He asked “Have you got cars on hand?”

“Sure we have,” the salesman answered.

“I want sixteen cars, if I like the model.”

“I have no time for jokes—buzz off,” answered the salesman.

The man did—right across the street to another car dealer, selling a different make of car.

He made similar inquiries and got full service.

The man in overalls really wanted sixteen cars and paid in cash—500,000 Norwegian kroner ($77,000).

In those days a fortune.

He belonged to a sixteen-man crew of a Norwegian trawler that caught record quantities of herring in that season.

Each fisherman netted 70,000 kroner during the season.

They decided to buy new cars and to buy all sixteen at once, to get the highest possible discount. [1]

And just in case you think it wouldn’t happen in Australia.

When we were in Far North Queensland I was told by a local that he had a relative, a very successful cane farmer, who had walked into a car dealer in his roughest old farm clothes.

He was a very rough looking individual.

The salesman assumed that he was a local drunk and told him to leave.

He went down the road and paid cash for another make of car.

A top of the range model.

Preconceived ideas can cause you to miss out on something that would be really beneficial.

Scene 2. For the two disciples on the road to Emmaus their preconceived ideas about who Jesus should be stopped them from fully appreciating what had just happened in Jerusalem.

They missed the joy that God had for them.

Take a look at verses 13 to 15a & 18 to 24

The two men walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus were discouraged disciples.

They had heard the reports of the women that the tomb was empty and that Jesus was alive, but they did not believe them.

And we need to ask the question why.

Why after three years with Jesus did they not believe it when they were told that he had been raised from the dead?

I think that there are two main reasons.

The first is it is a big thing to believe.

But look at the evidence.

They knew Jesus had raised Lazarus and others to life.

They knew that Jesus had plainly made the claim that he would rise from the dead after three days.

The women were well know and trustworthy members of their group.

So they should have at least been excited about the possibility that it had happened.

But when you look at Jesus’ words in verses 25 and 26 it is clear that they aren’t excited about the possibility.

They are confused, it doesn’t add up to them.

When it should have added up.

They knew what the Scriptures had to say about the Messiah.

They were adult Jewish men; they had learnt the books of the Old Testament from their childhood.

They could quote large parts of it by heart.

They knew what the words written down said.

This is where the second reason for their lack of belief comes in.

They had a preconceived idea of who Jesus was.

This preconception blinded them.

They couldn’t see what the Scriptures really had to say about Jesus.

Instead they were focused on their preconception of what should have happened.

They saw Messiah as a conquering Redeemer.

They had hoped that Jesus would free Israel (Luke 24:21), but their hopes had been shattered.

God did not do what they wanted Him to do.

Like most Jews of their day they had a preconception of what the Messiah would do.

Their preconception caused them to only see the Scriptures in a certain way

As they read the Old Testament, they saw the glory but not the suffering, the crown but not the cross.

They saw the glory of the kingdom, but they failed to understand the suffering involved in bringing in that glory.

They were focused on the here and now, a political victory not a spiritual one.

Therefore they only got part of the message, the part they liked.

And that meant that they got the message wrong.

Scene 3. So often people miss what God has for them because they have preconceived ideas about themselves or God, ideas that are wrong.

Sadly what so often happens is that people are told when they read a certain passage of Scripture that it means a certain thing.

So when they read that passage that is all they see.

Have you ever had the experience of not being able to see something that is right in front of you?

Because in your mind that thing is lost, it isn’t there, yet it is.

The teachers in that day were not unlike some of the “success preachers” of today, blind to the total message of the Bible.

Others approach faith with their own ideas.

God can’t allow me to suffer.

And when they do go through suffering they decide that God isn’t really loving.

They conclude that God is unjust.

Others have preconceived ideas about themselves.

For some reason they think that they are unworthy.

That they are undeserving of God’s attention.

Or that they have committed some terrible sin that makes God always angry with them.

Or that they are good enough and don’t need God.

When people believe lies about themselves or about God

They get part of the picture.

But miss the whole.

Because they miss the whole picture they base their actions, not on the truth, but a half truth.

They miss out on what God really has for them and accept a poor substitute instead.

And all too often this leads to discouragement,

Heartbreak

Abandonment of the faith

Scene 4. When we really understand who Jesus is and who we are, we will experience far more of God than we ever hoped or imagined

These two disciples walking along the road to the village of Emmaus could have discussed the subject for days and never arrived at a satisfactory answer.

They had swallowed the common understanding of their day.

An understanding that was wrong.

And this is what caused them to be missing out on the joy they could have had.

What they needed was a fresh understanding of the Word of God.

Jesus gave that understanding to them.

Look at verse 27, he opened the Scriptures.

Perhaps Jesus started at Genesis 3:15, the first promise of the Redeemer, and traced that promise through the Scriptures.

He may have lingered at Genesis 22, which tells of Abraham placing his only beloved son on the altar.

Surely He touched on Passover,

The Levitical sacrifices,

The tabernacle ceremonies,

The Day of Atonement,

The serpent in the wilderness,

The Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53,

And the prophetic messages of Psalms 22 and 69.

As Jesus opened their minds and explained all that the Scriptures contained about the Messiah to them they grew excited as verse 32 tells us.

And finally when Jesus sat down with them to share a meal they realized that Jesus was not only alive but right there with them!

This is the point for us.

When we take the time to understand who Jesus really is

When we can say, I know Jesus.

I spend time with him in prayer each and every day.

I read about him in my Bible

And he has been working in my life.

Changing me, making me more like him.

We will be joyful people.

People who have a deep sense of contentment.

You see the best evidence that we have understood the Bible and met the living Christ is that we have something exciting to share with others. [2]

Scene 5. So don’t miss out on the joy of relationship that is available to you.

Be open with God about your preconceptions.

About yourself.

And about God.

Don’t let the lies we all believe rob you of the joy of the presence of Christ.

Read your Bible, always asking the Holy Spirit to help you really understand all it is saying.

Pray, ask for the presence of the living Christ to be with you every day.

And be willing to be changed as God works in your life to make you more like Christ.

Then you will experience the joy of the risen Christ living and working within you.

And that is something far beyond your wildest dreams.

[1]Tan, Paul Lee: Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: A Treasury of Illustrations, Anecdotes, Facts and Quotations for Pastors, Teachers and Christian Workers. Garland TX : Bible Communications, 1996, c1979 [2]Wiersbe, Warren W.: The Bible Exposition Commentary. Wheaton, Ill. : Victor Books, 1996, c1989, S. Lk 24:13