1. Unrecognized Jesus

We are reflecting during this month of Easter on significance of the Resurrection by reading Gospels. Today’s lecturing portion is Luke 24. Like other Gospel writers Luke noted the disciples couldn’t recognize resurrected Jesus. The concerning passage tells the episode which commenced on the road to Emmaus, a town located approximately 60 stadions (11 km) northwest of Jerusalem. Luke describes the scene this way ;-Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.(Luke 24:13-16¡Ë

Therefore Jesus explained to them that what had been said in the Scriptures concerned himself. The two disciples were so strongly impressed with Jesus’ lecture that they asked him to come and stay with them in Emmaus.;- 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.(Luke 24: 29)

It was there that they recognized resurrected Jesus;- 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,(Luke 24:30-31)

The episode implies we can not see resurrected Jesus without eyes of faith. After their recognition Jesus disappeared from their sight (Luke 24:31). Thus they felt pushed to take action, as Luke reports;- 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?” They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together (Luke 24:33)

Today’s given scripture commences here ; -Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.(Luke 24:35)

At that very moment Jesus reappeared and blessed all of them ;- While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you."(Luke 24:36)

However, despite the experience in Emmaus ;- They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.(Luke 24:37)
We must admit that their reaction was rather understandable because ordinary humans scarcely accept supernatural occurrences as real facts and the Resurrection is the case.

Therefore Jesus said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? ” And he showed his hands and feet, and let them to touch himself. Besides Jesus ate a piece of broiled fish in their presence.(see Luke 24:38-43) He did all in order that they arrived to believe in the Resurrection. Thus it was proved that Jesus redeemed humans’ sins trough his own death on the Cross and was resurrected and glorified by God.

Luke emphasized in this lecturing portion that Jesus of Nazareth was the very Christ. The message is crucial for our faith. To follow resurrected Jesus is to follow the one who is bearing the Cross. In his living time Jesus said he shared and bore, as the Cross, sufferings and pains of those who excluded from societies as sinners, for example tax collectors or lepers.

Jesus is the very person who did not blame his persecutors. On the contrary he prayed for their forgiveness on the Cross. He is the one who presented his resurrected body to disciples to make them to believe in the Resurrection and to be saved, despite previous betrayals. Therefore we must never despair even if we are betrayed but go on our way without expecting appreciation from others. That is our lifestyle to chose by following in footsteps of Jesus.

2. Opened eyes

Luke’s writing concerning the Resurrection tells us a lot. When two disciples met Jesus on the road to Emmaus they didn’t recognize him. However thanks to Jesus’ lecture their eyes were opened to the Scripture then their hearts gat burning. Furthermore, during the supper with Jesus in Emmanus, they arrived to recognized Jesus as the Savior, resurrected from death. The episode suggest that through the Lord’s communion we meet Jesus by remembering the death on the Cross and the Resurrection. Jesus’ lecture to disciples alludes to our reflection on the Bible or sermon addresses, which should open our eyes of fatih. Their stay in Emmaus with Jesus symbolize our time spent in the church. All of those allusions reveal the fact that we encounter our Lord through God’s word and Eucharist in the church.

Though Jesus leads and walks with us often we don’t feel his presence. Because without eyes of faith we can not see Christ. And our eyes might be blinded by harsh life-experiences and sufferings. Besides unlimited human desires make obstacles to our faith. In those cases arrive to you please remember the poem ” Footprints In The Sand"*:

One night I had a dream–
I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord and across the sky flashed scenes from my life. 
For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints, one belonged to me and the other to the Lord. 
When the last scene of my life flashed before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that many times along the path of my life, there was only one set of footprints.
I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in my life. 
This really bothered me and I questioned the Lord about it. 
"Lord, … why in times when I needed you most, you should leave me.” 
The Lord replied, ”…, I love you and I would never, never leave you
during your times of trial and suffering. 
"When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”

It is just such a time when we know Jesus’ support. But to count always on his presence beside us is the very faith in him. Luke also says we can understand the Scriptures only when Jesus opens our eyes.¡Êsee Luke 24:45¡Ë

3.Messages to all countries in the world

After the preceding experience they were told by Jesus its significance ;- He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.(Luke 24:46-48)

With those words above he entrusted them with the task of spreading testimonies all over the world. Preaching activities of the church commenced that way. We chose the portion of Mark 16:19-20 for today’s invocation verses;- After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

It is said that Luke wrote the Gospel partly basing on Mark’s scripture. This year Japanese christians commemorate the 150th year of preaching in Japan, after Meiji modernization, which opened Japan towards international relations. At that time many foreign preachers came to carry out the mission committed by Jesus. I ‘d like to tell you about James Curtis Hepburn as an example of those pastors.

James Curtis Hepburn was born in Milton, Pennsylvania March 13, 1815. He attended Princeton and Pennsylvania universities and became a doctor. He decided to go to Siam (later changing to China) as a medical missionary, but had to stay in Singapore for two years as the Opium War was under way and Chinese ports were closed to foreigners. After five years as a missionary, he returned to the United States (in 1845) and opened a medical practice in New York City.

In 1859, he decided to go to Japan as a medical missionary, where he opened a clinic in Kanagawa and later a school (the Hepburn School, from which the present Meiji Gakuin University developed. He also began compiling a Japanese-English dictionary, which was first published in 1867. The third edition of his dictionary, published in 1887, used a revised form of Japanese romanization devised by a society of enthusiasts for writing Japanese in the Latin alphabet. This form of romanization is now known as Hepburn romanization, and it is often mistakenly said that Hepburn invented it; he is, however, largely responsible for popularizing it. He also contributed to the translation of the Bible into Japanese. Hepburn returned to the US in 1892, and died in East Orange, New Jersey in September 1911 at the age of 96.
Some of Hepburn’s noted Japanese pupils include Furuya Sakuzaemon and Numa Morikazu. (an abridged text from wikipedia **)

It is reported that Hepburn took the decision to set off again abroad as a missioner when he had heard the voice which pronounced Acts 16:9 ;- “During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
He understood the indication and, as the result, came to Japan. Though, because of Japanese climate, he was suffering from rheumatism in his old days he produced enormous results of his mission. So, in feeling the approaching death, he might have say ” For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.(2 Timothy 4:6-7)

The motivating force of Hepburn and missioners is the belief in Jesus. They knew Jesus was always living by them and compel them to spread God’s words all over the world. Such a great great conviction gave birth to the Christian churches in Japan. Thanks to their efforts we can observe every Sunday service. Now we too are convinced Jesus was resurrected, is living and asking us for acts. So our next theme is to find how to respond to his calling correctly and faithfully.
————————————————————————————————————————
references
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Footprints_in_the_Sand
** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Curtis_Hepburn