On The Road Of True Hope
Luke 24:13-27
Humans
seek Hope like moths seek light. It's intrinsic to who we are. Neuroscientist
Tali Sharot argues that Hope is so essential to our survival that it is
hardwired into our brains, and that it can be the difference between living a
healthier life and one trapped by despair. Studies show hopeful college kids
get higher GPA's and are more likely to graduate.
Hopeful
athletes perform better on the field, cope better with injuries, and have
greater mental adjustment when situations change. In one study of the elderly,
those who said they felt hopeless were more than twice as likely to die during
the study follow-up period than those who were more hopeful. It's pretty clear:
Hope is powerfully catalytic, which is why Dr. Shane Lopez, the psychologist
regarded as the world's leading researcher on Hope, claimed that Hope isn't
just an emotion but an essential life tool."[1]
Andy
Crouch notes in his book, "Human
beings can live for forty days without food, four days without water, and four
minutes without air. But we cannot live for four seconds without Hope."[2]That very Hope seems to be
fading in our world these days, amid raging wars, economic hardships, and
uncertainty. More and more people are becoming hopeless, living in despair, and
committing suicide. In these tragic and frightening circumstances, where can
one find true Hope?
Who
can turn our mourning into dancing? On this Easter Sunday morning, we will meet
two travelers, metaphorically speaking, traveling on a Road of False Hope. It
seemed like all their dreams and hopes had been dashed. The one they looked up
to was killed. On their Journey, they were met by a third traveler who
encouraged them, opened their eyes to reality, raised their hopes, and gave
them tools and helped them travel On The Road of True Hope. Luke 24:13-27
I. On
A Road Of False Hope (Luke 24:13-24)
On the same day as Jesus' resurrection, two of his
disciples were traveling back to Emmaus, a village seven miles from Jerusalem.
They may have visited Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. They were talking among
themselves about everything that had happened there in the last several days. As
they journeyed, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; at that point,
the disciples were unable to recognize him. Jesus asked them, what are you
talking about?
You could see disappointment on
their faces, and they looked confused. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him,
"Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem? Did you not know that the things
that happened there these days?" Jesus asked, " What things? As
though Jesus didn't know anything. About Jesus of Nazareth, they replied, then
they narrated everything about his powerful teachings, miracles, the triumphal entry,
and the events leading up to His Crucifixion.
Listen to their sense of despair in
their voice, "But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem
Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place." Lk
24:21. In addition to that, our women said, they didn't find the body in the
tomb, and He was alive. Our companions also confirmed that the tomb was empty
and they didn't see Jesus.
What caused their disappointment?
Was it the Person they looked up to and relied on? Or that they had wrong
expectations and false hopes? They misunderstood who Jesus truly was and what
He came to accomplish. From a worldly point of view, they saw Him as an earthly
king who would fight for them, redeem them from the bondage of the Roman
Empire, and establish a kingdom of peace and prosperity. They were traveling
one-way on a road of false hope.
How
about you? Which road are you traveling on? What dreams are you pursuing? Who
are you looking to realize your hopes? These days, there is so much emphasis
placed on dreaming BIG. A couple of quotes that inspire us to think, dream, and
achieve great things.
"All successful people, men and women, are big
dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and
then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or
purpose." —Brian Tracy.
"All our dreams can come true, if we have the
courage to pursue them."—Walt Disney.
These two quotes sound great to quote, but in
reality, they can be misleading. They are missing something; where is God in
them? You may work very, very hard and have all the courage, yet they may never
be realized, because their premise and focus are wrong. If our self-centered
interests are the main driving force behind our dreams, we end up disappointed.
In
my opinion, all dreams and hopes, including the American dream, that are void
of God leave us disappointed. I like the title of Russell Moore's Easter message:
"This Easter Let's Lose Our Hope." The essence of his message is that
we let go of our false and illusive hope of worldly success, peace, security,
and prosperity, and remind ourselves that our Lord already has shown us the way
out of the false hope and the way into the True Hope."[3]
II. On
The Road Of True Hope (Luke 24:25-27)
Returning to the discussion of Jesus with his
disciples on the road to Emmaus, upon hearing their confusing narrative, Jesus
rebuked them. "How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the
prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then
enter his glory? Then He explained, "beginning with Moses, and all the
prophets to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself."Luke
24:25-27.
As
we journey in this world, just like those disciples, we can be influenced by
our culture and the circumstances around us. Though we may be sincerely
following Jesus and reading His word, we can still be foolish and slow to
believe and act accordingly. Some Christians build their lives on false
teachings of health and wellness, which can lead them to disappointment. Then
who could set us free from false hope and sustain us On The Road Of True Hope?
III.
Jesus is our unseen traveler on the road of True Hope. (Luke 24:28-35)
As the story continued, "they approached the
village, and Jesus continued as if he were going farther. But they urged him
strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over."
So he went in to stay with them." Lk 24:28-29. At that point, they still
could not recognize who their fellow traveler was; however, they wanted him to
be their guest.
That very guest became their host.
Luke 24: 30-32, "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, and he disappeared from their sight." 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?
What a powerful reminder comes to us this
Easter Sunday morning. On whose foundations are we building our lives? If our
hopes and dreams are only about this world, you are bound to be disappointed.
The leaders of this world may give us hope for this life, but they can never
offer true hope for eternal life. Our true hope in Jesus Christ guarantees us
eternal life.
I Peter 1:3-4, "Praise be to
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, he has given
us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from
the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. This
inheritance is kept in heaven for you." Who will be our traveling
companion? It will be our forerunner, Jesus.
Jesus
is walking with us by His Holy Spirit. Romans 5:1-5," We have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through whom we have gained access by faith
into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of
God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that
suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And
hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our
hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."
