Sunday Worship Service June 11, 2023

Call to Worship Exodus 13:21
Hymn JBC # 1 Holy, holy, holy! Lord God almighty!
The Lord’s Prayer
Offering
Scripture Luke 24:13~32
Prayer
Sermon [Does our heart burn within us?]
*No audio data today due to a lay sermon
Prayer
Hymn JBC # 363 Lord of the Church, we pray for our renewing
Doxology JBC# 676
Closing Prayer

Good morning, everyone.
This year’s Pentecost was celebrated in May 28. Two weeks have already passed, but I would like us to trace back further and reflect on the day when Jesus has resurrected.
To be honest, the gospel of Luke 24:13～32 that I have chosen as today’s bible passage is one that has been striking to me since the past.
It is because the scene is in theatrical manner, and it seems like the expression of Jesus Christ’s resurrection is lyrically demonstrated.
It seems like I’m willfully immersed in my emotions, but here is a picture of this scene, so let’s look at it.
In the middle is Jesus, and one person on both sides is a disciple named Cleopas. It’s a scene that doesn’t completely demonstrate the fact that there was the event of crucifixion three days ago, the sky is blue and it’s a picture where you can probably hear even small birds’ chirping.
Now, it is written that the place called Emmaus is a village that is 60 stadion away from Jerusalem. Since 1 stadion is about 185 meters, that’s around 11 km.
Presently, it is accurately unknown as to where the location of Emmaus is. But if it’s around 11 km., and we say it’s the distance from Beppu to Oita, it will be easier to figure out.

Well then, if for instance today is the day when Jesus was resurrected, then He was crucified 3 days ago on Friday, died and was buried in the grave.
“The day before yesterday”, Jesus was bound, lashed, bled, carried His own cross, hands and feet were nailed, crucified and died.
If that was three days ago, no one will forget the event of crucifixion even how forgetful a person is. Since Jesus who has healed the sickness of many people, was expected to be the Messiah, and proclaimed the gospel with many disciples and believers was killed on the cross, how much disappointment, despair, fear and anxiety could His followers probably had. Maybe they had emptiness on their face.
As these two disciples were talking about the matter 3 days ago with such kind of emotion, they were bound to Emmaus.
Then, the resurrected Jesus appeared, drew near to them from behind and went along with them. Then, He said [What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?]
And they stood still, looking sad.

As they walked, talking about the great matter that happened two days ago, this man who went along with them from behind asked what is that conversation all about.
They stood still, looked at Jesus, (but at this time, they were kept from recognizing Him by special divine intervention) One of them, Cleopas responds.
[Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know (when everyone even knows) the things that have happened there in these days?]
Cleopas seemed to have thought that Jesus at this time was a visitor to Jerusalem from another place.

Jesus asks, [What things?]
They answered Him. [Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priest and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death and crucified him.
But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all these, it is now the third day since this happened.
However, some women of our company were at the tomb early in the morning, but they did not find his body, and they came back.

And they say that they had seen a vision of angels, who said that [Jesus is alive]. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see him.]
Then Jesus said [O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all the prophets have spoken!
(In the Living bible, it is written as「O foolish men, why don’t you believe what the prophets have written in the scriptures!」I guess the expression in the Living bible is more suitable in this scene.

And was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter His glory?] And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them all the scriptures (to us at present, it’s the Old Testament) the things concerning himself.
Before long, it was getting dark.
The men were drawing near the village they were bound to, but Jesus seemed to be going further ahead.
Since the two constrained Him saying [Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent], Jesus entered the house to stay with them.

When he was at the table with them, he took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.
Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized that it was Jesus, but he vanished out of their sight.
Probably, when these two disciples were proclaiming the gospel with Jesus, they could remember when they had meal with various people in different places, that Jesus took the bread, and having given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, hence, maybe they realized that it was Him.
And these two who recognized that it was Jesus, said to each other [Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked to us on the road, while He opened to us the scriptures?]

Yes, here is the center of today’s sermon.
Let me reenact once again in my own, the situation when the three began to walk together. The two were walking as they talked about the event three days ago. Then Jesus draws near as if watching over them from behind.
And even as He says [why are you that slow of heart?], He encourages them as they walked along together while explaining about the prophets in the scriptures.
There are many passages in the bible, but since there’s not enough time, let me just read one part but it’s the entire Isaiah 53. It’s lengthy but I would like to read it.

Isaiah Ch.53
「Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.」

How about that?
I just can’t read Isaiah 53 without tears in my eyes, so at first, I was supposed to say [Please read it after coming back home], however, if I disregard this part, it will turn out like a bean-jam bun without a bean-jam.
Now, let’s talk about the present.
Jesus has gone up to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to be our help in place of Him. Jesus lives, upholds us, protects and leads us through the Holy Spirit. Are we prepared to receive the Helper that is the Holy Spirit?
Well, this is sudden but just a slight diversion of the subject. Does everyone know the phenomenon that when you lightly rub the brim of a wine glass with a water wet finger in a circular motion, a pleasant sound is made?
The slight sound that is produced when the finger rubs the glass brim resonates through the glass and results to a great fantastic sound. I have brought a glass today, so let’s experiment.

How about that? Lovely sound, isn’t it?
Such a sound is not made with a cracked glass. Moreover, it is often told where human being is likened to a vessel of clay, and similarly, lovely sound is not made when a vessel is broken or cracked.
What can you say if these broken or cracked vessels are likened to us Christians?
I think these vessels demonstrate our faith.
And the finger that touches or rod that taps this vessel is Jesus the Holy Spirit.
The two disciples who were on their way to Emmaus seem to be being watched over by Jesus who came up from behind, encouraged as they walked along together, and were lead as He walked ahead.
When they were at the table with Jesus in their lodging, He took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them, then for the first time they recognized that it was Jesus.
At first, they were told by Jesus [O, men with slow of heart], but their hearts were touched by Him, resonated and they felt warmth within.

Resonance with the Holy Spirit has a great power; therefore, it burns within us.
As found in John 3:8, it says that [The Holy Spirit is like the wind that blows around us as it wills]
Let us listen intently, open our heart and seek the Holy Spirit.
In my opinion, on whether we can respond to the call of the Holy Spirit depends on whether we are vessels without being chipped or crack, or whether we try to be genuine good vessels.
Like the two men who were walking to Emmaus whose hearts were burned within them, it is my prayer that we receive the help of the Holy Spirit in our daily life and be Christians whose hearts burn within us. Moreover, I hope that we can be people that can strongly believe that the Holy Spirit works in us.