Luke 24:13-35
Who Are You Who Walk in Sorrow?
Every party has a party pooper. Or at least, so the saying goes. When everyone is celebrating a wonderful thing, such as a birthday, a retirement, an anniversary, or so on, there’s someone who stands in the corner all melancholy. They don’t celebrate like everyone else. For when the normal celebration runs into their demeanor, it’s a clashing of two worlds. The celebration normally stops because it’s hard being excited and joyful around others who are sad and depressed. Let alone, let’s imagine the reverse situation of the party pooper. Imagine that you walk into a funeral all joyful and excited. We all understand that it wouldn’t be a good idea. Might send the wrong message. But again, we see that sorrow and sadness generally win over joy and excitement. Yes, in our world, we all understand that there are millions of reasons to be sad. There are millions of circumstances that would cause us all to be sorrowful. And when you encounter those moments, there’s very little that could ever cheer us up. But let me revisit the funeral scenario one last time. Imagine that as everyone gathers in somber respect for the deceased, the person who walks through the door… is the very one you thought was laying in that coffin! Now, you’re no longer sad… rather you might be confused most of all, but more so, for loved ones, they would be overjoyed to see them again!
For in our Gospel lesson, we join with two disciples walking on the road to Emmaus. As they leave Jerusalem, they can’t help but share in their misery about the death of Jesus. They had come to hope that Jesus would do far more to free them from their political captivity. However, a random stranger comes walking along the road and joins them on the road. As he begins talking to them, he shows them that Jesus’ death wasn’t a reason for sorrow but joy… as we learn:
JESUS HAS JOINED US IN OUR JOURNEY THAT WE MAY WALK TOWARDS LIFE!
I.
These two disciples were leaving Jerusalem. We’re never actually told why, just that they were walking on the road. Were they going back home? Were they going back to normal jobs? Were they going to see friends or family to break the disappointing news to them? Who knows… Yet, what we do know is their topic of conversation. As we read, “That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened,” Luke 24:13-14. Imagine that conversation. How does that play out in your head? Were they having some decent small-talk and then broke into the events of Good Friday? Did they walk in silence for a ways before one of them finally spoke up, trying to process their disbelief in it all? Or were they struggling to find the words to say altogether? For I think our sermon hymn said it best. “Who are you who walk in sorrow down Emmaus’ barren road, hearts distraught and hope defeated, bent beneath grief’s crushing load?” These two disciples were overcome with grief and sorrow. So much so, that when a familiar face joins them, they don’t even recognize who he is.
But the hymn doesn’t even stop there. It includes us too. As it continues, “Nameless mourners, we will join you, we who also mourn our dead; we have stood by graves unyielding, eaten death’s bare, bitter bread.” The road these two disciples were on is one all too familiar to us. No, not the physical road. The road of life. We travel this road so often in sorrow and grief, whether that be because of death or loss or both. For our sin has made it this way. And when we face such emotions, the path feels so lonely. Our grief and sorrow so often consume us to the point that we don’t recognize who has joined us in our travels. Just like these disciples, as we read, “While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him,” Luke 24:15-16. Their grief had become like a veil over their eyes. Even when Jesus was standing right next to them, they still couldn’t recognize him. So too, we could be sitting and reading our bible… and do we recognize who has joined us? Do we know who comes to us through these words, or has the challenges and grief of this life veiled our eyes to the truth of what Scripture says?
II.
For this is one of the greatest truths that Jesus showed these two disciples on the road. If we’re going to understand scripture, if we’re going to know it as God desires us to, then we have to understand who it’s about. For what did Jesus show them? “And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” Luke 24:25-27. All of Scripture is about Jesus. Every last page, every last verse, every word. It doesn’t matter where you cut it, the bible bleeds Jesus! For God has been revealing to his people from the beginning until now that Jesus would come. Jesus would join us in this journey we’re taking. He would walk our road, coming up beside us, just as he walked with those disciples towards Emmaus.
But even after opening the scripture to them, these two disciples were still blind to Jesus’ presence. That is, until he joined them for a meal. As we read, “When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight,” Luke 24:30-31. Follow the verbs here… Jesus took, blessed, broke, and gave. In the same fashion he did with them prior to his death. For it’s in the breaking of bread that the disciples’ eyes were opened. It’s at that point that they realize this was their crucified and risen Lord! For how does Jesus reveal himself to us today? Is it not also in the breaking of the bread, in the sharing of his own body and blood poured out for you and me? Indeed, we come to this table to have our eyes opened by faith, seeing that our crucified and risen Lord has joined us on this road of grief and misery. He has come beside us… and also changed our path so that now, we walk from death to eternal life!
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, may our hearts burn again with faith as we hear his word and receive his sacrament that we may so see our Lord walking by our side. For Jesus has made himself known to us in his Word and Sacrament that we may so follow him to paradise! In Jesus’ name! Amen!