Hearts burning

 Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Luke 24:13-35

About three months before Peter gives this speech to the crowd gathered in Jerusalem, he promised to follow Jesus anywhere, even to death. Then, when Jesus was arrested, he denied three times that he even knew him. After Jesus’ crucifixion, he didn’t believe the women who said the tomb was empty; he ran to see for himself that Jesus’ body was no longer there.

Until this moment in Jerusalem, Peter has been known as the disciple who is us, bumbling along, putting his foot in his mouth more often than not. Now, suddenly, Peter has become eloquent, speaking with the same passion he has always shown, but with wisdom, because now Jesus’ life and death makes sense. Now, he is convinced that Jesus is the long-promised messiah, despite having been executed by those who are listening to him. Peter’s words convict his listeners to also believe in Jesus as the Messiah, and they are baptized right then.

… Peter and the rest of the disciples, along with some women, have been on a journey of discovery with Jesus for some time. It could be a year or two; it could be as long as three years. They have traveled all over Galilee, east, west, north and south; they have sailed together in good weather and storms. They have been in foreign/non-Jewish lands and talked with the people who live there.

In this time, Jesus has taught them a new way of understanding the scriptures they have known all their lives. He has taught them to love and respect all people, young and old, foreigner and Jew, servant and leader, women and men. He has taught them how to spread the good news of God’s realm coming into the world. They have been sent out on internship, two by two to tell the story, to heal, to cast out demons.

… Knowing Jesus, believing in Jesus, trusting his words, doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, sometimes a lifetime. Some of us in this room were baptized before we could know or understand what was happening. Others remember the moment with a clarity that lives still in our memories.

Some of us have had life-changing experiences: retreats, conferences, or classes. Or life-changing conversations with others. Or impactful books that opened our minds to new ideas, new understanding of old messages. Or heard music or podcasts or TV shows that shook us up and gave us new perspectives.

… Just so, the disciples who were dejectedly leaving Jerusalem on the road to Emmaus had a conversation that opened their minds and changed their lives. We don’t know who these disciples are; they likely are some who have been following Jesus for a while, but are not members of the Twelve. They know enough to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and that their hopes for a military leader have been dashed by his execution.

People of Jesus’ time knew how to walk, since it was the most common form of transportation for most people. Jesus-incognito walked with Cleopas and his companion for some time, perhaps two hours or more, on the way to their home in Emmaus. Many people believe that Cleopas’ companion was his wife, Mrs Cleopas.

As they journeyed, a stranger, Jesus-incognito, first listened to the couple explain who Jesus was, and why they grieved his death. They needed to get past the fullness of their grief before they could focus on what he was saying. And then he began at the beginning, explaining how Jesus’ story fit into the whole of God’s history with the people of Israel/Judah.

Mrs Cleopas and her husband invited Jesus-incognito into their home for supper. She set the table, got out some hummus and tahini and bread, some olives and figs, some tabouleh. And they sat down to eat. Jesus offered to say the table prayer, and broke the bread for them all to share. It was in that moment that they could see that the stranger with them was Jesus, alive again after the crucifixion.  

… Early in the story, Luke tells us that their eyes were prevented from recognizing Jesus. This phrase is called a divine passive; God prevented them from seeing that the stranger was Jesus. As they reflected on their time with Jesus-incognito, they remembered. They realized how their hearts had burned with joy and excitement as Jesus-incognito put the whole story together.

They hightailed it back to the city and told their story, and heard the stories the others told as well, including that Jesus had appeared to Simon Peter. Together, they were able to understand the larger plan that God had in mind, that they had been unable to comprehend until after the resurrection. Now, Peter is ready to assume the role of leader. Now, his passion can be used to share the good news of the realm of God coming near to them.  

… Coming to faith is a journey for us, just as it was for the disciples. We don’t see the whole picture at once, just glimpses of God’s presence and God’s purpose. We don’t always see what God has put in front of our faces until later, when we can reflect on it. “Weren’t our hearts burning when …”

So, a story. I was a young mother and went to a prayer retreat with the women of Saron Lutheran Church. Many women from the church were there, women I hadn’t met until that day. One of them, Ellen, looked and sounded so much like my grandmother Alma that I was moved to tears in blessed memories. I could say my heart burned with joy and love that morning. (and now as I write/speak!)

When the presenter, let’s call her Sue, because I don’t remember her name, began speaking, I was still lost in memories for a while. Later in the morning, I recovered myself and began to pay attention. We were supposed to be learning to pray out loud in a group, an activity even more frightening than speaking out loud before a live audience.

Then Sue said something that made me listen, something I have never forgotten. She said, “When your heart is beating so fast you notice it, that’s God telling you to speak up.” I have, a few times in my life, had the experience of my beating heart telling me to speak up. I haven’t always opened my mouth to speak, but I am getting better at it. It’s a journey, and God isn’t finished with me yet.  

… Now it’s your turn. Where has God been on your journey so far? Have you known it was God at the time, or was it only later when you looked back and said, “Wow! My heart was burning then, and I didn’t realize it was God with me!”

I invite you to spend some time this week looking for Jesus to be with you – or reflect on times when you discovered he was there and you weren’t paying attention. I hope you have had some moments in the past when your hearts were burning with joy at the presence of the holy, and that you continue to look for them now and in the future. Amen