We are now in our seventh week of self-isolation due to the coronavirus. The frustrations and irritations of our current situations are numerous and apparent. I spent the first part of my week calling through the congregation to check on how y’all are doing. I heard about some of your frustrations and irritations and my heart goes out to you, especially those of you who are parents of small children. I can only imagine how much more difficult is has become for you to juggle your work world and your family world when those two worlds have been unexpectedly smashed together.
The frustrations and irritations associated with the coronavirus are numerous and apparent. However, there have been some unexpected benefits. Families are spending more time together, people are exercising more, and pollution has plummeted by unprecedented levels (you should see some of the before and after shots of the worlds most polluted cities. It’s crazy how clean the air is now). But one of the more unexpected benefits that have come from the coronavirus is, Lutheran pastors in our own church body, who in every other aspect of their lives are considered to be among the most conservative people on the planet, have become televangelists. Lately I have been teasing my father-n-law that he is more religious than he has ever been, because on any given Sunday he watches four or five worship services. At a minimum, he watches his own pastor from Saginaw Michigan, he watches his son who is a pastor in Appleton Wisconsin, and he watches me here in Johns Creek Georgia. All from the comfort of his Lazy-boy. I have heard that some of you are doing something similar and I think that is great. An unexpected benefit from the coronavirus is you now have access to a lot of good conservative Lutheran preaching. But, now that so many good conservative Lutheran pastors have become televangelists, it occurred to me, I better step up my game. After all, if I am going to be a Lutheran televangelist, I better figure out what that means.
Instead of seeking guidance from trendy televangelists like Creflo Dollar and Andy Stanley, I decided to go old school and study the Cane Ridge Revival of 1801. I figured that ole frontier camp meeting sparked the Second Great Awakening in America surely it could inspire me to become a better televangelist. The Cane Ridge Revival was full of fiery preachers. I mean, those guys would call out sinners by name. They would find out who the biggest lowlife in town was and say, “Do you want to be like ole Cletus wife beater, drunk? He’s a sinner, I hate him and he’s going to hell!” That kind of fire burns, that kind of fire has an effect on a fella. One person described the Cane Ridge Revival like this. “The noise was like the noise of Niagara and the vast sea of human being seemed to be agitated as if by a storm. I counted seven ministers preaching at the same time, some on stumps, some on wagons, and other on trees that had fallen and lodged against another. Some people were singing, some were crying for mercy in the most piteous of accents while others were shouting. While witnessing these scenes a peculiar feeling overcame me. My heart beat tremulously, my knees trembled, my lips quivered, and I felt as if I would fall to the ground dead.” Boy I wish I could do that. I wish, as you sit there cuddled up in your living rooms listening to this sermon, I could make your hearts beat tremulously like the ole frontier preachers could. I wish I was more of a fiery preacher; maybe it would make me a better televangelist.
Jesus must have been a pretty fiery preacher. I say that because in chapter 24 of Luke’s gospel we have an eyewitness report of the effect Jesus’ preaching had on two of His disciples. In verse 32 we read, “They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us”. You see, that’s what I am talking about. That’s what I want to be able to do for you this morning because I get the sense in week seven of self-isolation, we could all use a little spiritual revival. So, let’s take a closer look at Luke 24:13-35 to see how Jesus was able to set His disciple’s hearts on fire.
Saint Luke tells us in the aftershock of excitement that surrounded the empty tomb on Easter morning two disciples set out for the nearby village of Emmaus. There was no vast sea of human beings surrounding them, but the two disciples were agitated non the less. In verse 15 we are told they “talked and discussed”, but that is just a polite way of saying they were arguing with each other. Well, maybe not so much arguing with each other as they were arguing with themselves. “He must not have been who we thought he was.” One man says. “How could he not have been? You saw the things that he did!” the other responds. “Moses performed miracles too, but he was not the promised Messiah!” says the first. “But you also heard the things he said!” the second presses. “I am not saying he wasn't a prophet.” concedes the first. “But He spoke with such power and authority!” insists the second. “So did Isaiah!”, the first snaps. “Not like Jesus.” the second saps back. “But he is dead!” the first exclaims. “Then where is His body!?” the second exclaims back.
So spirited was their talking and animated their discussing that they hardly noticed when a third traveler joins them. Luke tells us the traveler was none other than our risen Savior Jesus, but the two travelers were kept from recognizing Him. Jesus asked them “17 What are you discussing together as you walk along?” Wondering what rock their new traveling companion just crawled out from under, one of the disciples asked Him, “18 Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?” Choosing not to take the disciples’ displaced aggression personally Jesus presses further, “19 What things?” he asked.” The two disciples then proceed to explain to their new traveling companion how Jesus of Nazareth “WAS a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.” They tell their new traveling companion how they “HAD hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.” They tell their new traveling companion “20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him.”
These poor disciples had just had their world turned upside down; they couldn’t make sense of what was happening and weren’t really sure what their future looked like anymore. As a result, they were agitated and discouraged. Maybe you can relate to that?
These disciples were in desperate need of a spiritual revival. But instead of some fiery frontier preaching Luke tells us “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he (Jesus) explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” That’s it. There’s no smoke and mirrors, no whoopin’ and hollerin’ none of the typical theatrics common among many televangelists. Just a simple exposition of a text. Jesus opened the bible and reminded the disciples what it said and explained what it meant. What specific sections of scripture Jesus used we don’t know, Luke doesn’t tell us. But from Moses to the prophets there are plenty of good texts from which to choose. Maybe Jesus began with Genesis 22. Maybe He told them how He as the one and only Son of God the Father stopped Abraham from sacrificing his son, his one and only son Isaac and provided a ram as a substitute for him instead. Maybe Jesus pointed out that no ram was offered as a substitute for God’s one and only Son as He hung on the cross. Maybe Jesus then went on to explain how all the animal sacrifices prescribed in the Old Testament were teaching God’s people that innocent blood must be shed as payment for the sins God’s people and how the blood of Jesus, identified by John the Baptists as the Lamb of God, was shed as the payment for the sins of the world. Maybe Jesus then directed them to the book of Psalms. Maybe He pointed out to them that when their Savior cried out on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He was quoting the first words of Psalm 22. Maybe Jesus then showed them how this Psalm proves that Jesus not only knew how He would suffer but also according to the last words of Psalm 22 “he has done it” Jesus also knew His suffering would lead to our salvation. Maybe out of all the prophets the one that Jesus highlighted was the prophet Isaiah. Maybe He quoted from Isaiah 53 where the prophet tells us our Savior was “was pierced for our transgressions” and “was crushed for our iniquities” and how “the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” How “He bore the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressors.”
We don’t know which sections of scripture Jesus explained to the two disciples as they walked to Emmaus, but in a way, it doesn’t really matter because you see, they all really say the same thing. Moses and all the prophets tell us about the great love our God of grace has for unworthy sinners like you and me. They tell you about the love that sent the One and only Son to be your substitute. They tell you about the love that was willing to make the greatest of sacrifices for you. They tell you about the love that assures you of your salvation. All the Scriptures say basically the same thing. God loves you.
As Jesus traveled to Emmaus with the two disciples, He explained to them how much their God of grace loves them, and it set their hearts on fire. That is why when they arrived at the village of Emmaus the two disciples begged Jesus to stay with them. It appears they just couldn’t get enough of His fiery preaching.
As they sat together to eat the evening meal Luke tells us Jesus “took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
Even though many of our own conservative Lutheran pastors have become temporary televangelists, it turns out none of us are very good at it. But that’s o.k. we don’t have to be. I kind of suspect that Jesus wouldn’t have been a very good televangelist either. Jesus was nothing like the trendy televangelists of today. It turns out, in order to set your hearts on fire I don’t need to become better televangelists, I just have to do what Jesus did. When you are agitated and discouraged because your world has been turned upside down and you find yourself in week seven of self-isolation, I just have to open the scripture to you and remind you from Moses, and the prophets just how much your God loves you. Amen