Discouraged Hearts: He Opens Their Eyes

Psalm 122 NIV

A song of ascents. Of David. I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together. That is where the tribes go up— the tribes of the Lord— to praise the name of the Lord according to the statute given to Israel. There stand the thrones for judgment, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.” For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.” For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.

Numbers 21:1–8 NIV

When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked the Israelites and captured some of them. Then Israel made this vow to the Lord: “If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy their cities.” The Lord listened to Israel’s plea and gave the Canaanites over to them. They completely destroyed them and their towns; so the place was named Hormah. They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.”

John 3:1–15 NIV

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

Introduction:

A pastor of my past shared a really funny story in one of his sermons that I have never forgotten. I have shared it in the past, but am going to share it here again today.

A mother was preparing her Easter Ham. She sliced off a couple inches from one end and placed it in her baking pan. Her daughter was watching her to learn how to prepare her own Easter dinner someday and she asked her mom, “Why do you cut off the end of the ham?”

The mom replied, “I do not know, that is what my mom always did.” Now curious, the mother called her mom and asked, “Mom, why do you cut off the end of the ham before baking it?” To which her mom replied, “I do not know, that is just what my mom always did.”

Now really curious, the mom called grandma and asked, “Why did you always cut off the end of the Easter ham before baking it?” And the grandma replied, “Because I didn’t have a baking pan big enough for it to fit in.”

When I shared this story before, I spoke about how we sometimes get caught up in tradition for traditions sake without any real understanding behind it. Today, I want us to look at it a different way. I want us to see it as a paradigm.

A paradigm is a pattern or example. It can be something we come to believe based on a pattern. We often view things through our paradigms and sometimes this leads us to believe things that are false. In such times, we need to shift our paradigm to see truth.

This grandma had caused a pattern to develop that left the women thinking that ham cooked the best if a couple inches were cut off the end. The truth was that the cut off section had nothing to do with it cooking better, it just hadn’t fit in grandma’s pan. For a lot of years, 2 inches of good ham were sacrificed on the altar of a false paradigm.

Even though the scriptures were clear that the Messiah would die and rise again, the followers of Jesus were unable to see it even when it happened because of the paradigm they had inherited that the Messiah would vanquish their enemy and restore their kingdom. Now this was not completely wrong, but the timing was definitely off. They had skipped half the story, the part that was not as fun to believe.

The next few weeks, we will explore how Jesus presented Himself after His resurrection and how He began to help them shift their paradigm so they could understand the truth.

When we left off last week, the ladies had found the stone removed from the tomb. Angels explained that Jesus was risen and had sent them to tell the disciples. Peter had come and rushed into the tomb observing the grave clothes lying with no body contained within them. Then Peter walked off pondering what had occurred.

Today we will take up the story from there.

Luke 24:13–35 NIV

Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” “What things?” he asked. “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; but 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. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.” He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

The word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.

Pray

It is now later that same day; Resurrection day. Two men have left Jerusalem and are on their way to Emmaus, just 7 miles away. Walking at a normal pace, this is probably a hour and 45 min walk.

We are only given one name, Cleopas, but it soon becomes clear that these men were close followers of Jesus. We know this because of the association with the disciples we see later in the story. We need to keep in mind that there were many followers of Jesus beyond the main twelve. In fact, in Luke 10, Jesus sends out 72 followers to preach to the Jews. We often associate the term disciples with the twelve, but there were far more than just the twelve. The twelve had significance as they would be the leaders of the church in time. If you always thought the term disciples only described the twelve, well that is your paradigm shift for today. ;-)

Now as Cleopas and his companion walked along, they discussed all that had happened; Jesus arrest, His trial, His crucifixion, and now the news that His body is gone from the grave. As they are walking and discussing these things, keeping in mind that they are probably suffering from grief and shock as well, a man walks up from behind and matches strides with them. This man is Jesus, though we are told that they are kept from recognizing Him.

It seems funny that Jesus would restrain them from recognizing Him. I did not find any commentary that explained this very well, but I think it was because He had something important to share with them and He knew their recognition would cause such excitement that they would be unable to settle and listen.

As Jesus steps alongside, He inquires about their obvious deep discussion. Now, here we get insight how all this has upset all of Jerusalem as they are flabbergasted that this man seems to be oblivious of something they consider obvious.

And here is where we discover the crux of the whole matter. The dratted paradigm that is blocking all of them from seeing the truth. It becomes evident in their answer to Jesus inquiry.

Luke 24:19–21 NIV

“What things?” he asked. “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; but 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.

Now let me point out a couple important statements here:

“He was a prophet…but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.”

They were convinced He was a prophet, but they were not fully convinced yet that He was the Messiah. Why? Because their paradigm was that the Messiah would come as a mighty warrior and king who would trample Rome and assert Israel’s kingdom!

Every time they read the word, every time Jesus spoke of His death, the truth was clouded by this paradigm. Even now with the missing body. Even now with the testimony of the women. They still do not remember and put the puzzle pieces in place.

Then Jesus, probably shaking His head says,

Luke 24:25–26 NIV

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”

“How foolish you are...”. Now this probably sounds harsh, but it is not as bad as you think. Jesus actually said it was wrong to call someone a fool, so that is not what he is saying here. This is just a poor translation. The actual interpretation is “how slow you are to see the truth. How reluctant to believe the prophets...”.

You see, they had turned a blind eye to all the things that seemed too harsh to believe and only accepted what they wanted to believe. Glory, yes. Suffering Servant, no. Crown, yes. Cross, no.

They are not alone. I cannot tell you how many times people today have told me. “I believe that God is love and therefore, I do not believe in hell.” When I say, “what about when the Bible says”…to which I get responses like, “I just do not believe that part,” or, “I think that must not be interpreted correctly.”

Many today say, “Love. yes. Justice, no.” Or, “Heaven, yes. Hell, no.” We cannot pick and choose what we want to believe in the Bible or we are no different than the disciples caught unaware by the resurrection because they had failed to accept the full story.

Then comes my favorite part of this story. Jesus begins to teach them.

Luke 24:27 NIV

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

Oh wouldn’t you have liked to have been there? To hear from Jesus own lips the explanation of it all.

We are not told what all He said, but it must have been somewhat simplified. It is difficult to know how long this part of the conversation was. They were on a foot trip for about one hour and 45 minutes give or take. We do not know how far down the road they were when Jesus met up with them. But I imagine it went something like this:

An explanation of what was lost in the garden when sin entered. Jesus revealing Gen 3:15 and how He was the son of the woman who had just efficiently crushed the head of the serpent.

How Abraham’s call to sacrifice His son was to demonstrate how God would do the same for His people. How the levitical feasts and sacrifices pointed to Him. How the snake lifted up in the wilderness to save the Israelites was more evidence that the Messiah would be lifted up in like manner for the salvation of His people. And how Isaiah revealed the child born and the suffering and death as well as the resurrection of the Messiah. Probably Psalm 22 & 69 were thrown in also. On and on he explained. You see, it is in all the scriptures. They are all there to point to Jesus and the redemption of His people.

These men who had been discussing back and forth the events of the past three days are now strangely quiet listening to all this “supposed stranger” has to say.

When they reach their destination and Jesus steps forward to leave, they press him to stay with them and share more. They cannot get enough because suddenly the missing pieces are falling into place. Jesus is not sharing something new He had not shared before. He is sharing the very things He had before, however, now they make sense. Why now? Because it was their paradigm that died in that tomb three days earlier. That paradigm that clouded over the empty holes of the puzzle so they could not see the empty spaces. Now the bare spots are empty and the true pieces of the puzzle can be inserted to complete the picture.

It is at this point, that Jesus reveals Himself. He takes bread and hands it to them. Now, this is not in remembrance of the last supper because these men were not part of that supper. However, their discouraged hearts have been encouraged enough to see the truth now. Their eyes are opened enough to the truth for Jesus to reveal Himself to them.

Then Jesus just melts away into thin air. He does not ask to take leave. If He had they would have pressed Him to stay longer. Instead, He just disappears.

You can imagine the excitement of these men. They have seen Jesus and they now are beginning to comprehend it all. It is no longer a mystery. It is no longer a misery. It is new hope. It comes with new understanding and a new life for all.

They did not hesitate but immediately got up to return to the disciples. It was probably around sunset when they invited Jesus in, so it was probably 2-3 hours after sunset when they arrived back at Jerusalem.

There they found an excited contingent. Some were already beginning to believe in the resurrection as now Simon has seen Jesus. It is interesting that we are not told about what happened in that encounter. We are told of Mary’s experience and Cleopas’ and others we will look at in the future weeks, but beyond different references to it even in 1 Cor., we are never told the details. I suppose it was a very personal experience. Peter’s last sight of Jesus was Jesus locking eyes on Him after Peter had denied Him the third time. In fact, off hand I do not recall anything describing Peter at the foot of the cross. Peter may have left to hide in shame somewhere. Later we find Peter with the disciples when the women went to the tomb. I suspect Peter’s encounter was just after Mary’s. As you recall, when Peter finds the tomb empty, he walks off for home to ponder what he has witnessed. I suspect it was on his way home or while he was at home, that he had his encounter, but it was too personal to share the details in scripture.

Conclusion:

When we left this story last week, we saw the tomb was opened and empty and it left in its wake, perplexed hearts. Many would like to say that the empty tomb was a hoax on the part of the disciples. But we do not find scheming disciples in these stories. We find a group of grieving and perplexed people who are as shocked as anyone that the tomb was empty. Even with the testimony of the women, Peter, and Cleopas and companion, we still see a reluctance for some to believe.

Mark 16:12–13 NIV

Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.

These are not the actions of men scheming to prove a resurrection. These are men who did not believe anymore than anyone else until they came face-to-face with Jesus themselves. However, when they did put the empty tomb and the face of Jesus together, their paradigm was shattered and they were able to begin to comprehend the truth.

What are the paradigms in your life? When you read scriptures are there paradigms in place that prevent you seeing the truth? It can be easy to blow off the stories we hear thinking we have heard it before and we know and understand them. But do we really? I have been in church very nearly every Sunday of my 59 years. I was in Sunday school and attended Wednesday nights. I began teaching the Bible in Sunday school when I was in 6th grade and continued to do so most of the years from then on. I have preached the Word for over 20 years now and I can say that I am still learning. I still find things that make my “heart burn within” because I see and understand something new, something significant. What about you? Do you have that hunger to read it? To understand it? I encourage you to always pray before you read it and ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and help you see the truth. Do not interpret the Word by your paradigms, but allow the Holy Spirit to interpret the Word so you see truth!

The best truth of all is that Jesus came, suffered, and died on our behalf. Then He was resurrected from the dead. He has provided for our salvation and our future resurrection if we will only be willing to put our trust in Him. The disciples were slow to believe, but we do not have the luxury of waiting for a face-to-face meeting as they had because when that time comes, if we have not previously made our choice, it will be too late.

Pray