Evangelism Sermon

This is the sermon I preached in class today. It doesn't have anything to do with my field ed, except that I would love to preach it if the opportunity comes up during the year.

            When I was a little girl, Beauty and the Beast was my favorite movie. I could sing all the songs, laugh before the funny parts even happened, and quote a good chunk of the movie. Who doesn’t love the story of a girl who is so good-hearted that she can fall in love with a hideous beast? And the singing didn’t hurt my love of the movie. But as I get older, I realize that the true message in this story isn’t about singing or magic or a pretty girl falling in love with a beast. It’s about showing love and hospitality to all we meet. This is clear from the very first scene (see the prologue to Beauty and the Beast  here).

            The message here, like in our lesson from Luke today, is that we are called to care for those around us, both stranger and friend. What would have happened if the disciples had ignored or rejected the stranger who approached them on the road? Not only would they have proven that they never did learn what Jesus had taught, but they would have missed out on an opportunity to see the risen Christ! Luke says that the disciples did not recognize Jesus. They had no idea who he was until he broke and blessed the bread at supper, as he had done a few nights before at the Passover.

            But look at how the disciples react when they meet this stranger, who seemingly knows nothing about the events of the past days. They say about Jesus:

“He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 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. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”

            The disciples are not afraid to share their story with the stranger. Although they are gloomy and disenchanted by Jesus’ death, they still have faith, and they are still in awe of all that Jesus did. They call him “powerful in word and deed.” Cleopas and the disciple with him go so far as to share the events of that very morning: our women have seen a vision of angels, and the Lord’s body is gone. There is not a conclusion to the Jesus saga, yet the disciples tell their story anyway. They are so overcome with the emotion and power of it all that they simply cannot help but tell this stranger about their life.

            We should be able to share the Gospel news with equal excitement. God is great, and God has done great things for us. God has equipped us with all we need to share the Gospel message, and constantly empowers us through the Word. How can we keep from sharing the story of God’s great love for us? Why wouldn’t we want the rest of the world to know why we are people of faith? Jesus died on the cross so that all people could be saved from the power of sin and death. So shouldn’t we be bursting with joy to share this message with all people? Cleopas is never mentioned again in the New Testament, yet many people know this tale of the walk to Emmaus. The other disciple with him doesn’t even have a name in this story! That’s because the power of the Gospel is more important than the people who share and hear the story—it’s about God and God’s power. 

            When we have good news, we can’t seem to keep it inside. When we get a good grade, get married, have children, get a job, or achieve something, we tell everyone we meet. We can see this on a daily basis through Facebook. People want to tell their 500 closest friends about all the wonderful events in their lives. If we are this open about the relatively minor, quickly changing news in our lives, how can we possibly keep quiet about God’s saving power? Chris Tomlin has a wonderful song called “How Can I Keep from Singing” where he sings,

How can I keep from singing Your praise
How can I ever say enough
How amazing is Your love
How can I keep from shouting Your name
I know I am loved by the King
And it makes my heart want to sing

Truly how can we keep from singing? The disciples, in the most disappointing moment of their lives, are able to share the great love of Jesus Christ with this stranger. We have been saved by an amazing God. How could we possibly keep this inside?

            The disciples learn a second lesson from their time on the road to Emmaus. Jesus teaches them that they haven’t been listening very well to his words. If they had been listening, perhaps Jesus wouldn’t have said:

“How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. 

This is not the first time Jesus has instructed the disciples about the need for the Messiah to die and rise again. Throughout Luke, Jesus tells his followers that he will die, but will return to meet them again. Yet Cleopas and his companion apparently forgot this. Part of the lesson they learn on the road is that they made some mistakes.

            We make mistakes when we are sharing the Gospel, too. We all have problems, so of course our conversations and connections will be less than perfect. Occasionally, we might forget the details Christ has given us, but he will always be there to remind us, to teach us again. And through our witness, others can grow to know Christ and learn from him, as well. If we wait for the moment when we are “good enough” to share the Gospel message, we will never speak a word of it. But if we accept that spreading God’s Word to all people, not perfection, is the goal, we won’t be able to keep it inside.

            Perhaps even more interesting than the disciples’ recognition of their own faults is their willingness to listen to this stranger. He calls them “foolish” for not remembering the Scriptures, for not remembering what they have been taught. They don’t leave him behind or stop talking to him on the journey. Instead, they listen to his every word, and later recall that their hearts were “burning” as he spoke to them. When we share the Gospel message, we are all changed. Hearing the Word again reminds us of its great power, and hearing someone else’s understanding of the Word keeps us from arrogance and thinking we know it all. God has a lot to teach us, and God uses many means to do so.

            At the end of the day, the disciples invite Jesus to stay with them, have dinner, and rest where they are staying. Perhaps they have learned a lesson. Jesus tells them in Matthew 25:

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

            “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

            “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Cleopas and his friend have very little idea who this stranger is. They have walked with him for part of the day, shared stories, and learned from one another, but they know little about Jesus’ true character. They don’t know where he is going, what he is doing, or whether he is a good person or not. Yet they invite him in. In fact, they insist that he remain with them through the night. They have truly understood Jesus’ command to care for all people. They have provided hospitality to the Son of Man himself. What if the spoiled, selfish, and unkind prince from Beauty and the Beast had heard this parable? Maybe he would have let the old woman in, providing her dinner and a place to stay in his palace. Sure, the story probably wouldn’t have been that exciting, but the prince would have done a beautiful thing for another human being. They could have shared stories, food, space, and faith.

            Jesus has called us to share his good news with all people. We sometimes think we aren’t qualified, don’t know enough, or aren’t good enough to share the Gospel message. But even these nameless disciples were able to share their faith without fear, but with great awe. We know how their story ends. We know that Jesus rose from the dead, and we know he lives and reigns even today. How can we keep from sharing this message with everyone we meet? How can we keep from singing? Amen.