SERMON

Distracted by Disappointment

Luke 24:19-31

Pastor Robyn Hogue May 4, 2014 Skyline Presbyterian Church

Famous theologian Karl Barth was on a streetcar one day in Basel, Switzerland, where he lived and lectured. A tourist to the city climbed on the streetcar and sat down next to Barth. The two men started chatting with each other. “Are you new to the city?” Barth inquired.

“Yes,” said the tourist.

“Is there anything you would particularly like to see in this city?” asked Barth.

“Yes,” he said, “I’d love to meet the famous theologian Karl Barth. Do you know him?”

Barth replied, “Well as a matter of fact, I do. I give him a shave every morning.”

The tourist got off the streetcar quite delighted. He went back to his hotel and told the concierge, “I met Karl Barth’s barber today.”

It sounds a bit like today’s scripture describing a scene on the road to Emmaus: two disciples walk for a while with the resurrected Jesus and they have no idea with whom they are conversing.

These disciples are on their way to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They are talking with each other about everything that has happened. We don’t know who they are. We know they are followers of Jesus, have been told of Jesus’ resurrection and have left Jerusalem rather than stay within the city.

We don’t know why they are headed toward Emmaus. Most likely it is their home town. It is easy for us to imagine they have concluded that their grand adventure with Jesus of Nazareth is over, so they are packing it in and heading back to the lives they had before they met the Master. What we do know is that, as they walked and talked with each other about their experiences, Jesus came up and walked along with them but they do not recognize him.

That’s interesting, don’t you think? They have been following the Master, but now as he is walking along with them, they don’t recognize him This can happen. We lose hope, we discard our dreams; we get distracted by disappointment.

Author Leith Anderson grew up outside of New York City. During those years he was an avid fan of the old Brooklyn Dodgers. One day his father took him to a World Series game between the Dodgers and the Yankees. Anderson was so excited, and he just knew the Dodgers would trounce the Yankees. Unfortunately, the Dodgers never got on base, and his excitement was shattered. 

Years later he was engrossed in a conversation with a man whom he describes as “a walking sports almanac.” Leith told this man about attending this World Series game as a kid and added, “It was such a disappointment. I was a Dodger’s fan and the Dodgers never got on base.” 

The man said, “You were there? You were at the game when Don Larsen pitched the first perfect game in all of World Series history?”

“Yeah,” Anderson replied, “but uh, we lost.” He then realized that he had been so caught up in his team’s defeat that he missed out on the fact that he was a witness to a far greater event the first perfect game in World Series history.

Leith Anderson writes, “I wonder how often the same thing happens to us. We get so caught up in the ‘defeats’ in our lives, the times when things don’t turn out the way we want them to. So we’re depressed because an illness continues to linger, or when people don’t treat us the way we think they ought to, or when we face financial difficulties. But we are often so blinded by the pain and disappointment of our ‘defeat’ that we fail to appreciate the fact that we might be witness to something far greater that God is doing in our lives.”

Those are wise words. Don’t assume that any disappointment is God’s last word on any situation.

As they approach the village, Jesus continues on as if he is going farther. But they urge him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he goes in to stay with them.

Then we come to one of the most beautiful passages in Scripture: “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…”

It’s a beautiful account of two men who were in Christ’s presence and didn’t even know it.

John Calvin once said that the Bible is like a pair of eye glasses. Think about that for a moment. The Bible is not a spiritual encyclopedia where we go to have all our questions answered. With years of studying the Bible we may never come to a sufficient understanding of why we have disappointments and defeats. There is much in our world and much in our faith that we do not understand. Understanding is not the key, however. Faith is. Trust in God is. God’s eyeglasses don’t allow us to see why we are going through a certain situation, but they do allow us to see what next step we should take and they assure us that whatever the future holds, the One who holds the future will never forget us nor forsake us.

You’ve heard the expression that “seeing is believing.” Most of you have also heard the converse that there are some things that have to be believed to be seen. This is true as well. There are two ways to look at life. One is through the eyes of skepticism and doubt. The other is through the eyes of faith and hope. The only people to whom Jesus appeared after his resurrection were his followers…people who already believed in him. In other words, you had to believe in order to see.

Let me illustrate: I’ve recently learned that the people who first designed the Disney theme parks did something quite creative. They hid discreet images of Mickey Mouse throughout all of the Disney parks and various attractions. The images are simple three connected, intersecting circles that look like the outline of Mickey’s head and ears. And they are everywhere. They are etched into pavement, painted on the walls of rides, built into the fences, and arranged in the landscaping. Look for them the next time you are in a Disney park.

Disney World is jam-packed with these subtle Hidden Mickeys, but most people don’t see them because they don’t know to look for them, but as soon as they become aware of their existence, they realize they have been surrounded by them all along. There are some things that must be believed to be seen.

So it is with the life of faith. When something happens, either good or bad, some people see a mere incident, or perhaps, a remarkable coincidence. Others, however, see a miracle or the hand of God. It makes a difference whether you are seeing through the eyes of faith or the eyes of skepticism. The amazing thing is how often, when you are looking through the eyes of faith, you see the handiwork of God. Seeing God’s handiwork, in turn, increases your faith and your awareness of God’s presence.

I believe it was no accident that Jesus asked these two men on the road to Emmaus to recount all the events of the prior week. He wanted them to focus on all they had been through together and all he had meant to them so that they would be prepared for him to reveal himself to them.

That’s the way it works. Put on the glasses of belief, take off the glasses of disappointment. For today, when you are in this room, you too are in the presence of the risen Christ. People have discovered Christ in their midst for 2,000 years every time the bread is broken and the cup is shared in Holy Communion.