I think that people can be divided into two groups. There are those who ignore “No U-turn” signs, and there are those who don’t. Which group are you in?
Imagine a life without U-turns. Imagine a life where you’re heading the wrong way in life and it doesn’t feel like there’s any hope to make a change in your life.
That’s what these two travelers were experiencing during their seven-mile journey on that first Easter Sunday. They were trying to get away from the place where it had all gone wrong and where their hopes and dreams were sealed in the same tomb where Jesus’ body had been placed just a few days earlier.
And as they were walking down the road, they were recounting all the events that had taken place those last few days…the parade where the crowd had waved palm branches and shouted hosanna to Jesus as he entered the city…the arrest in the garden…the trial…the crucifixion…and now, the wild and crazy rumor that those who visited the tomb earlier that day were told that he was alive.
To them, they figured that rumor was fake news or wishful thinking. With all of these thoughts swirling through their heads, they were now traveling down the road toward the little village of Emmaus. They were struggling to make sense of all they were experiencing and feeling in that moment.
And so, they traveled and commiserated with each other about all these things. It’s times like this when you’re all tied up in knots, you’re confused, you’re angry, you’re in grief, and you just need to take a walk, or maybe go workout at the gym. Little did they know as they walked down that dusty Emmaus road, that they would experience a U-turn like no other.
Jesus appears to them as a stranger which is an interesting thought in and of itself. We don’t always recognize Jesus right away, do we? It’s only in hindsight where we look back and realize that he was with us the whole time.
These two travelers, after realizing that the stranger was Jesus said to themselves, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road?”
I love this story because it reminds me of the importance of being alert to those closest to Christ moments, those God moments that happen to us from time to time.
These two travelers experienced the ultimate closest to Christ moment when they recognized this stranger as the Risen Christ. Luke tells us that after Jesus left them, they got up right then and returned to Jerusalem to find the disciples and share the good news of Easter with them. What they thought was fake news was actually real news.
The good news of Easter was how they were able to make a U-turn and head in a new direction of life filled with hope and great joy.
Emmaus U-turns still happen today, thank God!
Nationally known Christian author and speaker, Tony Campolo often tells the story of someone who made a U-turn in his life literally and spiritually. It’s a great story.
Tony tells about the time he was asked to speak at a Pentecostal college. Before the service, eight men had him kneel so they could place their hands on his head and pray. Tony was glad to have the prayer, but each of them prayed a really long time, and the longer they prayed the more they pushed on Tony’s head. And then they even seemed to wander in their prayers.
One of the men didn’t even pray for Tony. He prayed for some guy he was concerned about. He began to pray and said, “Dear Lord, you know Charlie Stoltzfus. He lives in that silver trailer down the road a mile. You know the trailer, Lord, just down the road on the right-hand side.”
Tony wanted to interrupt and tell him that God already knew where the guy lived and didn’t need directions, but he just knelt there trying to keep his head upright.
The prayer went on: “Lord, Charlie told me this morning that he was going to leave his wife and three kids. Step in and do something, God. Bring that family back together.”
With that, the prayer time ended and Tony went on to preach at the college chapel. Things went well and he got in his car and began to drive home. As he drove on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, he saw a hitchhiker and felt compelled to pick him up.
Tony said, “We drove a few minutes and I said: ‘Hi, my name is Tony Campolo. What’s yours?’ He said, ‘My name is Charlie Stoltzfus.’ I couldn’t believe it! I got off the turnpike at the next exit and headed back.
He got a bit uneasy with that and after a few minutes he said, “Hey mister, where are you taking me?’ I said, ‘I’m taking you home.’ He narrowed his eyes and asked, ‘Why?’ I said, ‘Because you just left your wife and three kids, right?’ That blew him away. ‘Yeah, yeah, that’s right.’
With shock written all over his face, he plastered himself against the car door and never took his eyes off me. Then I really did him in as I drove right to his silver trailer.
When I pulled up, his eyes seemed to bulge as he asked, ‘How did you know that I lived here?’ I said, ‘God told me,’ which I guess he kind of did, right?
When he opened the trailer door Charlie’s wife exclaimed, ‘You’re back! You’re back!’ He whispered in her ear and the more he talked, the bigger her eyes got. I said with real authority, ‘The two of you sit down. I’m going to talk and you two are going to listen.’ Man, did they listen…that afternoon I led those two young people to Jesus Christ.”
Charlie Stoltzfus experienced an Emmaus Road U-turn that day on the turnpike.
God specializes in U-turns.
Good Friday leads to Easter. Death leads to New Life. Grief leads to Hope. Sadness leads to Great Joy!
When I was a freshman in college, I was really struggling with what I was supposed to do with my life. I wasn’t happy with my major, and so I decided to put all of my focus on playing baseball in college. When baseball was no longer fulfilling my happiness, I started to feel really, really empty.
I didn’t know what to do with my life. I was headed down a road without any clear direction or purpose in life.
That changed one day, when I stumbled upon an old cassette tape that included a sermon in which the preacher challenged the people to make Jesus the #1 priority in their life. It was a powerful message that hit me like a ton of bricks
I had nothing to lose so I dropped down to my knees and told Jesus that from that point on, he was going to be #1 in my life. After I prayed that prayer, it was like this huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. That dark cloud that had been hanging over my head disappeared and I just new that my life was never going to be the same.
And the first thing that Jesus wanted me to do was to not worry about what my future career path was going to be, but to focus instead on getting good grades and from there, God would lead me in the right direction. And that’s what happened! One thing led to another and then in my junior year, I felt called by God to become a pastor. My life did a 180 that day when I surrendered my life to Jesus.
The other wonderful thing about Emmaus U-turns is that they appear all along our faith journey. Jesus is always present with us and invites us to follow him in new and life transforming ways.
The gospel writer, Luke, is very clever in the details he gives us on how these two travelers were finally able to recognize that the stranger who had been walking with them was Jesus. Luke tells us that it wasn’t until they were about to eat together, that they figured it out.
It was when this stranger broke bread that they finally had their “aha!” moment. Think about this for a moment. How did Jesus keep a straight face for that long?? There is no way that I would have been able to hide my expression. Jesus must have taken some pleasure in watching their facial expressions when they finally realized it was him.
The other thing I like about this story is that Jesus doesn’t force himself on these two travelers. He becomes their traveling companion and invites them to think about their faith in a new way.
So, Luke tells us that it was when Jesus broke bread that they figured it out. “Breaking bread” is Luke’s code phrase for what we refer to as the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
Luke is reminding us in this story that if we want to follow a new direction of faith that includes the hope and promise of resurrection and new life, the Sacrament of Holy Communion is a great place to encounter the Risen Christ in our lives. He also emphasizes the importance of the scriptures since that’s an important part of his story as well.
The sacrament and the scriptures – both are important ways for us to encounter the Risen Christ and get us back on the path that leads to hope and new life.
Thanks be to God!
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