Luke 24:25-35 - "Language of Faith" (09-07-08)

School has started and the excitement is in the air. Children come running into the house or off the bus or into the cars with such a world of new experiences. Some can’t wait to tell you what they’ve learned and others need a little coaxing to share what they have experienced. It all started with the A,B,C’s with children. Then they learn to put the sounds together with the letter and then the letter sounds together to form a word. Then the words start to form sentences and before you know it, kids start to read. But what is so important is that the parent demonstrates the importance of learning the language by reading to their children. So now that school has started, my son has actually been reading to me these books about Biscuit and now cars. Words on a page open up the mind to learning a story which generates excitement and language comes alive.
This is the goal of the book of faith initiative of the ELCA, for all of us to focus more attention on knowing the language of our faith. To have our minds opened, our hearts burning and our lives sharing this good news with those who are walking alone, like with this graphic. This child is walking alone on this road and we are called to speak a word of life on the roads of life.
There were these two men taking about a 2-3 hour walk toward the town of Emmaus, east of Jerusalem after the death of Jesus. There is nothing like walking and talking. There is something about not facing one another and facing the road ahead that allows people to share the joys and struggles of life. It is a long walk that includes a stranger. Why are you so sad Jesus asked them? They explain. Then Jesus tells them, “Oh how foolish and slow of heart…” Then Jesus explains by opening scriptures, a quick Bible 101 overview of why the messiah come to suffer and not take over the Roman Empire. After their minds were opened on the journey, Jesus is about to go ahead of them and walk on. Jesus doesn’t force himself upon them Faith doesn’t get forced upon us. Jesus was going to go ahead and leave but something in these two disciples prompted them to invite him into their home, their hearts were burning for more. Our language of faith should not be forced upon people but it should prick the heart that the person would want to learn more. There are moments of discernment when people will open the door to you and share their disappointments and we are called to share a good word so that they would say, “Were not our hearts burning inside us?
Then Jesus joined them for the meal where he was there and then he was gone. Jesus appeared to them when he began to eat a common meal with them. Then when they have seen Jesus, when they understood what the entire story is all about as their hearts were burning with this good news, they run the seven miles back to Jerusalem and tell the disciples what they had seen.
There are so many people walking the road to Emmaus alone. I remember September 2000 when the congregation walked with us on the first of two roads of miscarriages. Pastor Arthur Bergren preached the next Sunday and this lesson was used as a reminder that we are to walk with others in the faith journey. We are called to share the language of faith with one another so that no one need walk alone. Whether that is Cliff Launius or the many children around us that need to know, hear and see the language of faith come alive in, with and under the word.
There is nothing like the AHA when people are studying the Bible on their own or in a group. Something from Genesis helps to understand that God is the one who created it all and then to look at Revelation and to see that God will bring healing completely one day, for it says in Revelation that every tear will be wiped from their eye. At the end of this vision in Revelation, the author hears Jesus saying “Surely I am coming soon” and those words encourage the Christians who are suffering to hold on. Then John says, “Amen, Come Lord Jesus”. One day, there will be no need for these prayer shawls that I will bring to Cliff today, there will be no more cancer. Until then, we say words of good news, our language of faith to those around us so that Jesus Christ moves our hearts and fills our minds, and encourage us to walk beside others along the roads of life.
Let us pray, Gracious God we ask you to open our minds and hearts to hear and speak your words of grace and mercy. Guide us today along the roads of life to walk with others as we share the language of faith, in Christ name we pray, Amen.