CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH
Rev. Fred Weimert April 26, 2009
“Are We There Yet?”
Several
years ago
I saw a magician on television
who appeared to be able
to pull cards out of thin air…
such talent impresses
me…
still,
I have seen other magicians do the same…
at first the
magician just produced one or two cards…
like other
magicians,
But then
he deck after deck flowered in
and flowed from his hands…
It seemed as if he should be
standing
knee deep in cards by the end of his
act.
His
ability absolutely blew me away.
Last week
when I was down in
I had the opportunity to
witness a display
almost as
impressive as that magician.
I went over to Virginia Union
Seminary…
and there I had the
opportunity to listen to a lecture
by Dean John
Kinney…
Dr.
Kinney didn’t do magic…
but
over the course of an hour more or less
he
pulled from his mind…
image
after image of the resurrection.
I have heard
Dr. Kinney on several occasions
and
he is always impressive.
To
see him in person
he
hardly looks imposing…
that
is until he starts talking,
and
he becomes a kind of
‘sorcerer’s apprentice’ of the soul
His
imagination appears to be boundless
and
the stream of ideas last Wednesday
just
cascaded out of his mouth…
and washed
over us in his audience.
John Kinney
is an amazing preacher and teacher…
and as I sat last week and listened
to him
It is not surprising
that his thoughts…
stimulated
thoughts in me
about
this weeks Gospel reading.
Actually,
It stimulated thoughts in me
about
what I thought today’s reading was…
I
knew that we were to be reading
from
Luke 24
so
I had been reading
the
story of the Road to Emmaus.
The
assigned reading is actually
the
material which follows that story,
But
since I didn’t read verses 13-36
on
Easter night
I
decided I could still use it today.
The Emmaus
story is one of my favorites,
and the idea which flowed out of
John Kinney’s mouth
that got me thinking
about this story
was
something he said about
How
some people are concerned only about
the
resurrection of Jesus…
He
said such people show up
in church on Easter
but
don’t come back the next week
or
until the next year…
Because
they are only interested in Jesus’ resurrection
Not about Jesus being raised in us.
Hear
the story:
Luke
24: 13-36
Now on that same day
two of them were going to a
village called Emmaus,
about
seven miles from
and talking with each other
about
all these things that had happened.
While they were talking and
discussing,
Jesus
himself came near
and
went with them,
but
their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
And he said to them,
"What
are you discussing with each other
while
you walk along?"
They stood still,
looking
sad.
Then one of them,
whose
name was Cleopas,
answered
him,
"Are
you the only stranger in
who
does not know the things
that
have taken place there
in
these days?"
He asked them,
"What
things?"
They replied,
"The
things about Jesus of
who
was a prophet
mighty
in deed and word
before
God and all the people,
and
how our chief priests and leaders
handed
him over to be condemned to death
and
crucified him.
But
we had hoped that he was the one to redeem
Yes,
and besides all this,
it
is now the third day since these things took place.
Moreover,
some women of our group astounded us.
They
were at the tomb early this morning,
and
when they did not find his body there,
they
came back and told us
that
they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who said that he was alive.
Some
of those who were with us went to the tomb
and
found it just as the women had said;
but
they did not see him."
Then he said to them,
"Oh, how foolish you are,
and how slow of heart to believe
all
that the prophets have declared!
Was it not necessary that the
Messiah should suffer these things
and
then enter into his glory?"
Then beginning with Moses and all
the prophets,
he interpreted to them the things
about himself
in
all the scriptures.
As they came near the village to
which they were going,
he walked ahead
as
if he were going on.
But they urged him strongly,
saying,
"Stay with us,
because
it is almost evening
and
the day is now nearly over."
So
he went in to stay with them.
When he was at the table with
them,
he took bread,
blessed
and broke it,
and
gave it to them.
Then their eyes were opened,
and they recognized him;
and
he vanished from their sight.
They said to each other,
"Were not our hearts burning
within us
while
he was talking to us on the road,
while
he was opening the scriptures to us?"
That same hour they got up
and returned to
and
they found the eleven
and
their companions gathered together.
They were saying,
"The
Lord has risen indeed,
and
he has appeared to Simon!"
Then they told what had happened
on the road,
and
how he had been made known to them
in
the breaking of the bread.
While they were talking about
this,
Jesus himself stood among them
and
said to them, "
Peace
be with you."
Here ends the reading.
Cleopas and
a friend
Had set out from
on the road to a village
named Emmaus…
a village
which has never been positively identified…
It
could have been Nicopolus,
a village about 7 miles west of
and on that road
they were joined by a stranger
who
interrupted their conversation
about
the happenings of the past days…
They were confused by this
stranger’s lack of knowledge
about
all of these happenings
but they caught him up
and
in doing this
they give us an interesting insight…
and
besides all this, they
said,
it
is now the third day since these things took place.
Moreover,
some women of our group astounded us.
They
were at the tomb early this morning,
and
when they did not find his body there,
they
came back and told us
that
they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who said that he was alive.
Some
of those who were with us went to the tomb
and
found it just as the women had said;
but
they did not see him."
These two men now on the road
on Easter evening…
had already
learned
the astounding news
that Jesus was alive…
at
least that is what some women had said…
and
their word was confirmed by some men…
who
were with them…
who
reported
that what the women had said
was true…
except
they saw no angels.
but essentially these
two men
had learned
of the resurrection
and
then they had set out for home…
Don’t
you think that’s odd?
Don’t
you think that shows
an amazing lack of interest?
I
might have stayed around
at
least for a day or so
to
find out
what
this was all about…
and
what it meant to me…
to
us…
to
the future.
How could they learn of the
resurrection
and just go home?
I wonder if they had
arrived at their home
when they
invited this stranger in
to
break bread with them…
even though
he appeared to be going further.
they
invited him to stay for Easter dinner
sort
of…
but when he
broke the bread…
and
disappeared…
all
of a sudden
these
two
who thought they had arrived home…
suddenly
realized
they
weren’t there yet…
It was at
this moment
that
they found themselves
talking
to each other
about
how they had felt…
when
this Jesus
had
opened the scriptures to them
Earlier,
out on the road.
while
he had been talking to them
they
had said nothing
of
their heart burn
but
now, after the event
they
finally tell each other…
and that
isn’t enough.
even
though it is late in the day…
even
though they might have to walk
in the dark of night.
They
hit the road again…
and
before the night was over
they
were back in
with
the 11…
Telling
them…
not
just about Jesus’ resurrection,
but
about their experience with the risen Christ.
That’s
the resurrection that now mattered
that
is what made them realize
that
they hadn’t arrived
when they thought they had,
back in Emmaus.
That’s what tells us
that we haven’t arrived yet.
So what is your story?
Have you seen the
resurrected Jesus?
In a
meeting they asked us that this week…
It took some thinking
about what that meant
for me.
I thought of
the day a number of years ago
when
I had received a letter from a long time member
who
was leaving for another congregation,
because
she was afraid I might say
something
nice
about
gays or Jewish people.
She
didn’t want her grand child
to hear such talk.
and I
thought how, later that day,
someone called the office,
and
asked what kind of Baptist church this was…
normally
such callers are conservative,
so
I was hesitant to speak,
especially
after that morning letter…
but I
decided to tell her the truth.
that
we were kind of open…
welcoming
all kinds of people
as
God’s children…
as
our brothers and sisters.
The woman
said that sounds like a congregation
I
might like to attend…
It
was Ruth Kulkarni…
who
serves this congregation now.
When I am asked to speak
of Jesus resurrection
I think of
those serendipitous moments
when
things work out
beyond
reason or expectation
those
moments when I sense
the
liveliness of God
which
confounds the deadness
of
this world.
I hope you encounter the resurrected
Christ…
and in doing that
I hope you
discover…
You
haven’t arrived yet,
but
that you have reason
to return to community
and that you have stories to share,
with those who understand
something
of God’s activity in life.
So
may we live
and
live together.
Amen.