"The Appearance of Ignorance"

Text: Luke 24:13‑18,25‑29

"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen." (Jude 1:24-25)

Dear Fellow Fools for Christ Jesus our Lord:

Interesting greeting, isn't it – "Fellow Fools"? Accurate in the estimation of the world, but certainly not very flattering.

The fact is the unbelieving world sees each of us as just that – as fools that have been drawn into some mindless, semi-fanatic, woefully outdated cult that is completely detached from any true sense of reality. You and I supposedly demonstrate that foolishness by actually believing such things as miracles, a virgin giving birth to the Son of God, and the resurrection of the dead.

I have a rather vivid memory of the first time I really felt that "foolishness" barb. I was working as a motel desk clerk while I attended our seminary in Eau Claire. The job allowed me to study during slow times, so I had all of my books spread out behind the front desk when a customer came in looking for a room. A former Missouri Synod pastor, the man recognized many of the same books he had once used, and looked at me with obvious pity. At first I think I imagined that his pity was based on the seminary workload that he remembered all too well, and at that point I was all too eager to accept his pity as well deserved and unassailably accurate. He disabused me of that notion with a single sentence: "I used to believe all of that nonsense myself."

For the next ten minutes or so he lambasted the "silliness" of the Christian faith, and proudly announced that he had long since grown up and moved on to a more erudite understanding of truth – as an ELCA pastor. It was the first time I had someone pity me for my naïve acceptance of the literal interpretation or understanding of the Bible.

I pitied him right back, and we left it at that.

So who was right and who was wrong? You and I have no doubts, but that in itself does not make it so. Judgment Day will make it so, and I can't speak for that man, but I know that I have no fear of facing my God as his fool – a miserable sinner who took him at his Word and based my only hope for salvation on the foolishness of the gospel.

That was probably also the first time I really came to understand just how diametrically opposed human wisdom is to the gospel in particular, and to faith in general. In spiritual, unseen matters of faith, man's eyes deceive him more often than they help. With this thought in mind we join two men on a lonely, fearful walk recorded in our text for this morning. They were utterly dejected and afraid, for in their minds they had been abandoned. Their minds and their eyes told them that they had been forsaken by their Teacher, their Savior, their Lord. We read their story in the 24^th Chapter of the Gospel of Luke:

^NKJ Luke 24:13-18, 25-29 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And they talked together of all these things which had happened. ¹⁵ So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. ¹⁶ But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him. ¹⁷ And He said to them, "What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?" ¹⁸ Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, "Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?" ²⁵ Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ "Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" ²⁷ And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. ²⁸ Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. ²⁹ But they constrained Him, saying, "Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent." And He went in to stay with them.

Here ends the text. This is God’s Word. With complete confidence in that fact, and with absolute confidence in the power of these words to work its miracles in each of us, so we pray, "Sanctify us through Your truth, O Lord. Your Word is truth." Amen.

Can you look back at your life and recall a time of such pure enjoyment that you wanted time itself to stand still? My own experience tells me that such events are rare, yet there were a few. I remember one such occasion – a party I attended as a much younger single man where I was introduced to, and mesmerized by, a beautiful young lady that was clearly out of my league. Yet for whatever reason (perhaps boredom) on that particular occasion she paid attention to me and we talked for hours about things I cannot now even recall. The time flew by, and then ended all too soon. I think back on it from time to time now, and the young lady I met there, mostly because a little over a year later she agreed – again, for whatever reason – to marry me.

I wonder sometimes if that's the same sort of thing that those two men on the road to Emmaus experienced as they walked that seven miles with their risen Lord – the feeling that they didn’t want the journey to end. Such was their fascination and interest. Even though they didn't recognize him at first, they were clearly captivated by their conversation with him. Later they described their feelings: "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?" It is one thing for a young man to enjoy the attention of a pretty young girl; how much more for a sinner to revel in the personal attention of his Savior-God. I shouldn't wonder if they found themselves wishing that the seven miles could have been stretched to seventy.

Yet they didn't know it was Jesus at first, did they? In fact the first reaction of Cleopas, one of the two, was more or less to disparage Jesus as an ignorant: "Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?" In other words, in the humble opinion of Cleopas, he himself was privy to the truth, but the Son of God and Savior of the World himself was steeped in ignorance. I have little doubt that the two then set about trying to disabuse Jesus of his ignorance, but just the opposite took place.

Such is actually the normal reaction of man to his God, isn't it? At least until his God reveals his higher truth to man's sin-addled mind. We acknowledge that our God's wisdom is far beyond our own, but then we naturally dismiss God's wisdom when it conflicts with our own. God is wise and powerful, but not if he tells me about sick people being healed by Peter's shadow, or of human beings actually walking on water, or of priests being fed by ravens. We are all ears when God wants to reveal a higher consciousness, but not when that higher consciousness stands is such sharp contrast to the basic workings and wisdom of life as we know it.

So it was that Jesus talked as the three walked, and Cleopas and his companion quickly learned that Jesus was not the one who lacked understanding. Jesus wasn't ignorant; they were – until Jesus changed all of that by the power of his words. The same words, by the way, that you and I have to share still today.

Understand just how silly those words of Jesus would have sounded to those two men had the words not been mixed with faith. After all, with their own eyes they had seen – seen – the death and burial of their Lord. They had witnessed his utter helplessness, his obvious defeat, and his ignoble death. They had witnessed Jesus' crucifixion, and as far they knew he was still dead – along with all of their hopes and dreams.

And then here comes this man, this stranger, who was so out of it that he didn't even know what had just happened in Jerusalem, and he dares to call them ignorant? "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!" This man who is so clueless who nonetheless tells them things like: "Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?"

Those disciples had obviously believed only some of what the Prophets had spoken. They believed all of the parts about the Messiah being mighty and powerful, and they took it upon themselves to define just how he would demonstrate that power. They knew and readily accepted the parts that agreed with their sense of what should be – the parts that spoke of the Christ coming in glory and ruling Israel and defending her from all her enemies – but that is all they saw. Their eyes and minds were filed with their own images of glory and power. They rather conveniently overlooked the many passages where God revealed his higher wisdom and truth. Thus they dismissed the Scriptures that foretold his suffering, shame and humiliation. Genesis 3:15, for example, had told them that not only would the serpent’s head be crushed, the Messiah’s heel would also be bruised. Isaiah spoke of a Messiah "smitten and afflicted," one who was "pierced for our transgressions...and crushed for our iniquities." It was by his wounds that we were to be healed. It was all there for them to see and believe, and yet they had remained largely ignorant of that part of God’s Word. To them it was undoubtedly just a small part – no big deal.

But was it a "small thing" in God's eyes? As far as those two disciples on the Road to Emmaus were concerned, for a time it may have cost them their faith in their Savior. Not so small. It took a special visit from that Savior "explaining to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself" to turn them around to know the truth. How many "small omissions" or compromises would it take before our faith is destroyed? No one here wants to find out. Jesus himself told us that just a little bit of yeast permeates the whole batch of dough – meaning that, given a chance, even a small error eventually takes over the whole church body, not the other way around.

So also now, in what might well be the last days of earth’s existence, we cling in faith to this foolish ignorance of the outdated Christian faith. That which we believe has been predetermined for us by our God. He has spelled it all out for us in his Word. Point by point, teaching by teaching, we are bound to God’s Holy Word.

Those disciples did get it right in the end, didn't they? They identified a different way, a far better way, and that far better way was simply to urge their Savior to "abide with them, for the day is almost over." The key is never to turn away from our one valid and reliable source for temporal help and eternal salvation, imagining that we know better. It is instead to draw him ever closer – to know and cling to him as the starting point and essence of true wisdom, trusting that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." The solution is to trust this Lord Jesus to be the center of your life – the core of who you are and what you are all about.

When that is, in fact, the case, we have this tremendous comfort from our text: As our Lord Jesus once "went in to stay with them" on the road to Emmaus, indeed our Lord Jesus will most certainly abide with us as we wait for his Second Coming. As he once gave such great hope and comfort to those troubled disciples on the road to Emmaus, so he will also most certainly hold out to each one of us the same hope and the same comfort.

To the world, such divine truth will always carry the appearance of ignorance, yet you and I have now been given to know the mysteries of the gospel, and to rejoice in the forgiveness of our sins.

With hearts now freed from our former ignorance and guilt, this then is our one great desire: Come quickly, Lord Jesus, and abide with us for all eternity. You have paid the full debt for our sins; come now and rescue us from this vale of tears and carry us to the heavenly mansions prepared for us. Amen.

Scripture Readings and Sunday Bulletin for April 6, 2008

^NKJ Acts 2:14a, 36-47 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them… ³⁶ "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." ³⁷ ¶ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" ³⁸ Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." ⁴⁰ And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation." ⁴¹ Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. ⁴² And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. ⁴³ ¶ Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, ⁴⁵ and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. ⁴⁶ So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

^NKJ 1 Peter 1:17-21 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; ¹⁸ knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. ²⁰ He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you ²¹ who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

^NKJ Luke 24:13-18, 25-29 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And they talked together of all these things which had happened. ¹⁵ So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. ¹⁶ But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him. ¹⁷ And He said to them, "What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?" ¹⁸ Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, "Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?" ²⁵ Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ "Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" ²⁷ And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. ²⁸ Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. ²⁹ But they constrained Him, saying, "Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent." And He went in to stay with them.

ST. PAUL EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH

2510 E. Divide Ave.

Bismarck, ND 58501 (701) 223-4885 Cell: (701) 425-5483

Website – www.bismarcklutheran.org

Mr. Mark Johnson, President (222-1855) Mrs. Eileen McEnroe, Organist

Michael Roehl, Pastor

The Second Sunday after Easter – April 6, 2008

The Opening Prayer by the Pastor

The Opening Hymn ‑#728- (Brown Hymnal)

"Christ Is Living"

The Order of Service – Supplement page 12ff. (Brown Hymnal)

The Scripture Lessons: (Printed on the back page of this bulletin)

The New Testament Lesson: (Acts 2:14a, 36-47) Using the Law as God intends it to be used will never be easy; but it is necessary. Note here how Peter used the Law to bring the Pentecost day crowd to repentance. Only then could the gospel do its saving work.

Psalm 66 (Supplement page 37) (Brown Hymnal)

The Epistle Lesson: (1 Peter 1:17-21) As our first lesson gave us the spoken words of Peter, our second Scripture lesson gives us words from his pen. Once again in this reading we find both law and gospel. Note especially the severity of our sin – the payment for which had to come from the Son of God – and rejoice also that that Son has paid the penalty in full

The Confession of Faith ‑

The Apostolic Creed – page 15. (Brown Hymnal)

The Pre-Sermon Hymn ‑#552- (Verses 1-6) (Red Hymnal)

"Abide with Me"

The Sermon – Luke 24:13‑18, 25‑29 (Printed on the back page of this bulletin)

"The Appearance of Ignorance"

The Offertory – (Supplement page 16 insert)

The Post-Sermon Hymn -#291- (Red Hymnal)

"Lamp of Our Feet Whereby We Trace"

The Offering

The Prayers of the Day followed by the Lord's Prayer

The Benediction

The Closing Hymn ‑#552- (Verses 7-8) (Red Hymnal)

"Abide with Me"

Silent Prayer

Attendance ‑ Last Sunday (61) 2008 Average (52)

This Week at St. Paul:

Today -10:00 a.m. – Worship Service

-11:00 a.m. – Fellowship Hour

Monday -10:00 a.m. – Pastoral Study Conference in Bismarck

Wednesday -6:00 p.m. – Confirmation & Bible History

-7:00 p.m. – Midweek Bible Study

Next Sunday -8:45 a.m. – Sunday School and Bible Class

-10:00 a.m. – Worship Service w/ Holy Communion

-11:15 a.m. – Fellowship Hour

CLC News – The various CLC Boards met this past week in Eau Claire. A summary is available for each family. Please take the time to read through the report and bring any questions to the attention of the Pastor.

Study Conference in Bismarck – Area CLC pastors are scheduled to meet tomorrow here in Bismarck.

Greeters – Please consider signing up for Sunday Greeter duty. The sign-up sheet can be found on the entry table.

Direct Contribution Sheets – Those who are interested are invited to sign up for the new direct contribution program here at St. Paul. Questions can be addressed to the Pastor or to any Council member – especially Financial Secretary Gary Miller, who is in charge of implementing the program. As it will take several weeks to fully implement the program, please continue regular contributions until notified that the direct contribution system is in place.

Delegate Conference and Convention Volunteers – St. Paul is in need of volunteers to represent our congregation at the Watertown Conference (May 27-29) and at the CLC Convention in Eau Claire (June 16-20).

Immediate Need – There is an immediate and critical need for loans to the Church Extension Fund. Several local building projects in various CLC congregations are in need of funding, as is the ILC Academic Center. Interest at up to 4½% is currently very competitive. Details are available.