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What Are You Talking About

Luke 24:17 "And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye ahave one to another, as ye walk, and are bsad? [1]

I.   Talking

     A. Positive

     B  Perplexed

II. Walking

     A. Delighted

     B. Defeated

III.     Balking

     A. Reflected

     B. Rejected

Introduction:  Traditionally we are in that 40 day period following Jesus’ resurrection as He was seen by so many prior to His ascension.  Last week we heard about Peter’s commission and rededication of love for Jesus.  According to John’s gospel, that was Jesus’ third appearance to His apostles there with Peter.

Today is the traditionally the fourth Sunday of Easter.  Four weeks ago today we celebrated Easter here with our drive-in service.  There were several of us who walked to the cemetery on our second annual Easter prayer walk.  Today we will hear of another walk followers of Jesus  as they were walking on the road to Emmaus.

Those two were like we are today.  They were talking of things that they had heard and they really did not know what they were talking about.  We are all in that predicament.

There is really nobody talking today who actually knows what is going on in this world yet the ones doing all of the talking are dividing us into groups that are opposing each other.  Instead of uniting around The One Truth, the ones talking are letting those who will listen to them oppose the truth.  But the truth is still the truth.  Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am hthe way, ithe truth, and kthe life: no man cometh unto the Father, lbut by me.” [2]

In Joshua’s time, there were cities of refuge where a person could go to escape retribution for a mistake they made.  If someone was charged with manslaughter, a person might go to a town such as Hebron where they could stay safely away from family members who might want to take the law into their own hands.  So Hebron really was a “sanctuary city.”

Now we are being brain-washed to understand that sanctuary cities are defined as places of refuge for people to hide themselves and their identities from authorities because they refuse to follow rules to govern our free society.  So it seems sanctuary is another good word gone bad.

More than any time in my lifetime, the church is the only place that anyone can freely hear The Truth and yet we are hearing and believing that the church sanctuary is not sanctuary anymore.  The press and the politicians have taken that wonderful word now to mean something completely different.  The ones doing the loudest talking who are supposed to be leading us safely through this so-called pandemic are saying that the church sanctuary is not a place for us to feel safe, Sanctuary is a refuge, that is true but it is that place to worship God without fear.  The powers that be are trying now to take our sanctuary away.  They say we are safe at the Walmart but not safe here?

What are we talking about?  What are we listening to?

Scripture:  The scripture is Luke 24:17.  When you have found it please stand for the reading of God’s written word.

Prayer:

Message:  What manner of communications are these; is more than simply asking, what are you guys talking about.  That really is a thoughtful question when you think about it.  We question things as others around are hearing us not trusting the One whom we should.  It’s one thing to do that maybe between two very good friends or maybe between spouses but these two guys were questioning the current events and they had no idea who was listening.  I do that all the time and surely people with no faith wonder where my faith is.

Instead of having positive conversation when others are around you, do you ever talk openly gossip about others in our church family?  When you are heard by others criticizing things that you don’t fully understand, does that send a positive message about Merry Oaks Baptist?

These two guys didn’t really know what was going on other than maybe hearsay.  They were perplexed about the things they had heard from others who witnessed what they didn’t understand.  They really didn’t care who heard them.  Who were these two anyway?  The KJV simply says two of them.  Other translations say they were followers but there is no mention that they were counted as apostles.

We read in verse eighteen that one was named Cleopas.  The particular translation that I used to prepare this, there is a footnote by Cleopas’ name that refers to John 19:25.  Let me read that particular text.  "25 oNow there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, pMary the wife of ||qCleophas, and Mary Magdalene." [3]  In this account of the woman standing by the cross John mentions three women called Mary and the sister of Jesus’ mother, Mary.  We know from further study of the synoptic accounts that Salome was the sister of Jesus’ mother Mary.  Mary Magdalene is there but why did John mention that other Mary?  That one who was Cleophas’ wife?  In Luke’s account there is an extra “h” in her husband’s name.  Most agree that this woman was the wife of one of those who encountered Jesus that day on the road to Emmaus.  Cleopas heard about the cross probably from his wife.  He was heartbroken because he only had part of the truth.

What did they believe?  What had they heard?  Well Jesus wanted to know too.  Let’s read starting there at Luke 24:19-24.

These guys still didn’t know who they were walking with.  They were walking along defeated!  Now what!  Several of us who were with us went to the tomb and found what the women reported but they didn’t see the Lord.  We trusted, certain women, they found not a body, they came.  Do you notice a pattern?  We trusted, that is the only time that guy included himself.  Trusted is in the past tense.  Certain women and they, is not saying anything about what this one knew because he had witnessed the thing.  He could only understand through the flawed witness of others.  His faith was seemingly defeated.  Later when he realized that he had been with the risen Lord, he was delighted.  How our hearts burned within us!

When Jesus starting talking to them and explaining to them, then they wanted Him to stay with them.  There in verse 28 we see that Jesus might have walked on further.  They balked at His departure from them.  They might have not known who Jesus was as He walked with them but now they wanted to stop and reflect on the wonder that they had heard from the source of all. 

Sit here with us for a spell.  The day is nearly gone anyway.  They still didn’t really know who Jesus was yet but they sure wanted to hear more about what He had to say.  Jesus had that last supper with His apostles before His crucifixion.  Now he was eating with these followers but there was something very different.  Jesus was in His glorified body.  Not a ghost!  He ate this supper and He is the risen Lord.

The hearsay was rejected, the truth was at hand.

We hear so many things in this time that we live in.  The so-called social media makes it so easy for anyone to say anything for others to be misled by.  TV reporters don’t simply report so that we can decide for ourselves what to think of the things as they happen.  Now those who are supposed to be informing are busy trying to shape the thoughts of those who will listen.

Back in Jesus’ day, news was not spread so easily.  Yet those even back then had to rely on what they heard if they had not personally witnessed a thing.

Jesus appears as one who is not recognized and the Holy Spirit attempts to whet the appetite of our minds and hearts to know the truth.  If and when we open ourselves to allow THE TRUTH to come in, first Jesus appears as one who seems different than what we assume Him to be.  Very subtly He begins to make things understandable until we don’t want Him to leave.

Our minds and hearts are changed and now no matter where we are, He is there.  Have you had that experience?  Can you still feel your heart burn within you as He leads where you are now ready to follow?

Those two followers couldn’t sit still after being with Jesus, raised from the dead and absent from the tomb.  They had to go and share with those others in Jerusalem.  They had to go to church as it were.  They had to go to where other believers were assembled.

Prayer:

Invitation:  The invitation is pretty simple today.  We here are fortunate beyond understanding that we are able to meet together in this place, Merry Oaks Baptist Church.  Yes we are getting silent attention or maybe we can’t hear what others are saying but they are not silent.

If you are a follower as these two, someone told you something that you didn’t understand at first.  Maybe it was one of or both of your parents, your spouse, a trusted friend, who knows, He knows; maybe you can’t even remember who first told you about Christ risen from the dead who died for you.  You heard because somebody said and now you can’t go without being around others who depend on Jesus.  We live in a strange time now when most churches have decided to fall in line with others who don’t and maybe will never understand what it is to have that burning in your heart to tell others about the One you are following.  If people are talking about Merry Oaks, could be they are hurting and wondering like these two were.

The invitation today is to not be ashamed no matter what anyone tries to persuade us to do.  We are here for such a time as this to pray and be ready to tell others what Jesus has done.  One day sooner than it has been, churches will open again but we here at Merry Oaks will always remember this time when we few were together praying for those who wanted so much to be here with us.  This is a special time of sharing our faith that many have not had the opportunity to have.  God had blessed us here and He is continuing to bless us here.

Pray especially for those who are experiencing loss during this time of separation.  Personally, I don’t want to know what it would be like without coming here just now being with you.  There are those who are going to their places of worship everyday just to walk where they had walked with their church family.  We are able to be here together.  Thank you Jesus!  Amen…

a 2 Macc. 11:13 (Gk.).
b Matt. 6:16 (Gk.). So Gen. 40:7. Dan. 1:10.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Lk 24:17). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
h Heb. 9:8. & 10:20. So ch. 10:9. See Eph. 2:18.
i See ch. 1:17.
k See ch. 11:25.
l So ch. 10:9.
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Jn 14:6). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
o Matt. 27:55, 56. Mark 15:40. Luke 23:49.
p Comp. Matt. 27:56.
|| Or, Clopas.
q So Luke 24:18.
[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Jn 19:25). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.