How to Find Comfort In a Harsh World! – Luke 24:31-40
How to Find Comfort In a Harsh World! – Luke 24:31-40
By Pastor Lee Hemen
June 14, 2020
Sometimes example can be so much better than a lecture. Some of the best teachers I have had growing up were those who were willing to come alongside of me and show me how to do something rather than just tell me how to do it. While the Bible teaches us how to live; and whom we should believe in -- it cannot mentor us like someone who has already been there and done that. This is how we can learn to find comfort in a harsh world!
If you think your world is falling apart just remember the disciples who had followed Jesus for three and a half years and now had to come to terms with his death. Some were in hiding in fear of being discovered by the authorities, captured, and tortured or crucified, and others had just dejectedly decided to head home. For them, everything they had believed in had come to a horrendous end, what was left? Jesus decided in his wisdom to show them how to find comfort in a harsh world. Let’s discover what he taught them…
READ: Luke 24:31-40
Luke is a great historian. He takes great pains in using the right names for people and their titles. Today’s historians are amazed at how thorough Luke is and it is here in his account of what occurred with two eyewitnesses that we learn that…
I. The comfort of the resurrection gives us hope! (Vv. 31-35)
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?” They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
1. The women had already found the empty tomb, ran back and told the disbelieving disciples who had to discover what the women had witnessed! The motley crew was despondent over the situation and huddled together wondering what to do next. Some were on their way home already. Noting more to see, hear, or do here; might as well head on home. Yet on their way something extraordinary occurs. On 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. (vv. 13-14)” While they were walking a stranger joins them. We learn it is actually Jesus and as he begins to question them they decide to get a bite to eat. As he begins to break the bread and give thanks for it, “Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.” It is often in the midst of life’s greatest grief we find the strongest faith. And this is what occurs here. 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?” While their initial journey had begun in grief it had now turned to one of wonder and joy! “They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, ‘It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.’” Here we discover that they were perhaps some of those who had not believed the women and doubted but now they knew otherwise! Those who had stayed behind in the upper room now confirmed that Peter had seen Jesus at some point and now “the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.” This is important because we now have a minimum of three different eye witness confirmations of Jesus’ resurrection: the women, Peter, and the men walking to Emmaus! The comfort of the resurrection gives us hope!
EXAMPLE: A proud and ungodly professor said to a young child who believed in the Lord Jesus, “My dear little girl, you don’t know whom you believe in. There have been many ‘christs’. In which of them do you believe?” “I know which one I believe in,” replied the child. “I believe in the Christ who rose from the dead!” The disciples were so affected by what they had witnessed that they were willing to die for its message. Today hundreds of millions of believers know the same comfort and hope. The comfort of the resurrection gives us hope!
With angry crowds chanting, “No justice, no peace!” and watching the total chaos created by Socialist groups like ANTIFA, the violence, and the rage it might be hard to realize that now is the time to share the peace that surpasses all understanding, Jesus. In fact we learn from Luke’s account that…
II. The comfort of Jesus’ presence gives us peace! (Vv. 36-41)
While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”
1. The men headed back immediately to the rest of the disciples who had stayed in Jerusalem to share with them what they had experienced. And “While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’” Wow! Evidently Jesus shows up unexpectedly or just suddenly appears. Mark writes that Jesus appears to them while they were eating and rebukes the remaining disciples for not believing the rest who had seen him. John writes that the doors to the house were locked because of the disciple’s fear of the Jewish authorities and Jesus suddenly stood among them, declaring, “Peace be with you!” So we learn that several different eyewitnesses to the same event have similar tales to tell. It is confirmation of Jesus’ resurrection! Yet these disciple who should have known better “were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost”. Jesus does not want them to think he is a mere phantom but is alive with a physical body and tells them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” Can you imagine what took place? When I came to Christ and read these accounts it struck me that I was reading the actual words of those who witnessed the risen Lord. Each was similar but just different enough to show it was from personal accounts. I can only imagine what they felt. We read that “When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, ‘Do you have anything here to eat?’” It would be difficult to realize that the person you thought was dead is now alive and standing right in front of you. Jesus understands our fears and need to have our doubts confirmed and this is why he asks them for the simple reassurance of a meal. “Do you have anything to eat?” he asks them. A dead man or a ghost doesn’t need food to eat; only a living person does! It is through this simple act that relieved the disciple’s fears. It is the simple fact that the comfort of Jesus’ presence gives us peace!
EXAMPLE: Julie Ackerman writes, “In the days of Adam and Eve, peace was lost. As soon as they ate the forbidden fruit and realized their nakedness, they started blaming each other (Genesis 3:12-13) and introduced conflict to God’s peaceful planet. Sadly, all of their descendants, including us, have followed their bad example. We blame others for our own bad choices and become angry when no one will accept the guilt. Blaming others for our unhappiness breaks apart families, churches, communities, and nations. We can’t make peace because we’re preoccupied with placing the blame.” How wonderful to realize that the comfort of Jesus’ presence gives us peace!
Conclusion:
The comfort of the resurrection gives us hope! The comfort of Jesus’ presence gives us peace!
----
This article is copyrighted © 2020 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
June 14, 2020
Sometimes example can be so much better than a lecture. Some of the best teachers I have had growing up were those who were willing to come alongside of me and show me how to do something rather than just tell me how to do it. While the Bible teaches us how to live; and whom we should believe in -- it cannot mentor us like someone who has already been there and done that. This is how we can learn to find comfort in a harsh world!
If you think your world is falling apart just remember the disciples who had followed Jesus for three and a half years and now had to come to terms with his death. Some were in hiding in fear of being discovered by the authorities, captured, and tortured or crucified, and others had just dejectedly decided to head home. For them, everything they had believed in had come to a horrendous end, what was left? Jesus decided in his wisdom to show them how to find comfort in a harsh world. Let’s discover what he taught them…
READ: Luke 24:31-40
Luke is a great historian. He takes great pains in using the right names for people and their titles. Today’s historians are amazed at how thorough Luke is and it is here in his account of what occurred with two eyewitnesses that we learn that…
I. The comfort of the resurrection gives us hope! (Vv. 31-35)
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?” They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
1. The women had already found the empty tomb, ran back and told the disbelieving disciples who had to discover what the women had witnessed! The motley crew was despondent over the situation and huddled together wondering what to do next. Some were on their way home already. Noting more to see, hear, or do here; might as well head on home. Yet on their way something extraordinary occurs. On 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. (vv. 13-14)” While they were walking a stranger joins them. We learn it is actually Jesus and as he begins to question them they decide to get a bite to eat. As he begins to break the bread and give thanks for it, “Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.” It is often in the midst of life’s greatest grief we find the strongest faith. And this is what occurs here. 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?” While their initial journey had begun in grief it had now turned to one of wonder and joy! “They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, ‘It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.’” Here we discover that they were perhaps some of those who had not believed the women and doubted but now they knew otherwise! Those who had stayed behind in the upper room now confirmed that Peter had seen Jesus at some point and now “the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.” This is important because we now have a minimum of three different eye witness confirmations of Jesus’ resurrection: the women, Peter, and the men walking to Emmaus! The comfort of the resurrection gives us hope!
EXAMPLE: A proud and ungodly professor said to a young child who believed in the Lord Jesus, “My dear little girl, you don’t know whom you believe in. There have been many ‘christs’. In which of them do you believe?” “I know which one I believe in,” replied the child. “I believe in the Christ who rose from the dead!” The disciples were so affected by what they had witnessed that they were willing to die for its message. Today hundreds of millions of believers know the same comfort and hope. The comfort of the resurrection gives us hope!
With angry crowds chanting, “No justice, no peace!” and watching the total chaos created by Socialist groups like ANTIFA, the violence, and the rage it might be hard to realize that now is the time to share the peace that surpasses all understanding, Jesus. In fact we learn from Luke’s account that…
II. The comfort of Jesus’ presence gives us peace! (Vv. 36-41)
While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”
1. The men headed back immediately to the rest of the disciples who had stayed in Jerusalem to share with them what they had experienced. And “While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’” Wow! Evidently Jesus shows up unexpectedly or just suddenly appears. Mark writes that Jesus appears to them while they were eating and rebukes the remaining disciples for not believing the rest who had seen him. John writes that the doors to the house were locked because of the disciple’s fear of the Jewish authorities and Jesus suddenly stood among them, declaring, “Peace be with you!” So we learn that several different eyewitnesses to the same event have similar tales to tell. It is confirmation of Jesus’ resurrection! Yet these disciple who should have known better “were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost”. Jesus does not want them to think he is a mere phantom but is alive with a physical body and tells them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” Can you imagine what took place? When I came to Christ and read these accounts it struck me that I was reading the actual words of those who witnessed the risen Lord. Each was similar but just different enough to show it was from personal accounts. I can only imagine what they felt. We read that “When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, ‘Do you have anything here to eat?’” It would be difficult to realize that the person you thought was dead is now alive and standing right in front of you. Jesus understands our fears and need to have our doubts confirmed and this is why he asks them for the simple reassurance of a meal. “Do you have anything to eat?” he asks them. A dead man or a ghost doesn’t need food to eat; only a living person does! It is through this simple act that relieved the disciple’s fears. It is the simple fact that the comfort of Jesus’ presence gives us peace!
EXAMPLE: Julie Ackerman writes, “In the days of Adam and Eve, peace was lost. As soon as they ate the forbidden fruit and realized their nakedness, they started blaming each other (Genesis 3:12-13) and introduced conflict to God’s peaceful planet. Sadly, all of their descendants, including us, have followed their bad example. We blame others for our own bad choices and become angry when no one will accept the guilt. Blaming others for our unhappiness breaks apart families, churches, communities, and nations. We can’t make peace because we’re preoccupied with placing the blame.” How wonderful to realize that the comfort of Jesus’ presence gives us peace!
Conclusion:
The comfort of the resurrection gives us hope! The comfort of Jesus’ presence gives us peace!
----
This article is copyrighted © 2020 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
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