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Celebrating the freeing, supportive presence of God.  So your experience of God may become your experience of life.  It is wonderful what God can do!

April 10, 2005

THE REST OF THE STORY

HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE HEARD ONE OR MORE RADIO BROADCASTS OF PAUL HARVEY? IF YOU HAVE, YOU MAY RECALL ONE OF HIS FAMOUS PHRASES WHEN HE REFERS TO HIS BROADCAST AS, "THE REST OF THE STORY."

IN A WAY THAT IS WHAT THIS LECTIONARY SCRIPTURE LESSON IS ALL ABOUT TODAY, JESUS IS TELLING THE DEVASTATED DISCIPLES, THE REST OF THE STORY.

BUT BEFORE WE GET TO THE END OF THE STORY, COULD WE RECALL WHERE CLEOPAS AND ANOTHER DISCIPLE, WHO AT FIRST BELIEVE THEY ARE WALKING ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS WITH A "STRANGER," ARE COMING FROM? WHY ARE THEY SO DOWN-HEARTED?

WELL, AS NOTED IN OUR SCRIPTURE STORY FOR TODAY, AND AS RECOUNTED BY CLEOPAS, THE WORSE POSSIBLE SERIES OF EVENTS HAS JUST OCCURRED. SEEMINGLY THE WORSE CASE SCENARIO, AS WE MIGHT CALL IT, HAS UNFOLDED.

THE SUNDAY BEFORE, WHAT WE NOW CALL PALM SUNDAY, JESUS HAD BEEN RIDING HIGH. AMID THE CHEERING CROWDS, WAVING PALM BRANCHES, WAS LOOKING REALLY GREAT. THE PEOPLE'S KING, JESUS, HAD JUST ARRIVED IN JERUSALEM. CONSIDERING ALL HE HAD DONE FOR THE PEOPLE, HEALING, TEACHING, AND MORE, A GREAT CELEBRATION SPONTANEOUSLY HAD BROKEN OUT.

AND, ALTHOUGH THAT OCCURRED JUST A WEEK AGO, EVERYTHING HAD SO RAPIDLY CHANGED.

FOR TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK, AFTER THE TRIUMPHANT JESUS HAD BEEN TEACHING IN THE TEMPLE EVERYDAY, HE HAD BEEN TRAPPED AT NIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE BY GUARDS AND TAKEN AWAY.

THEN AFTER THREE TRIALS DURING THE NIGHT AND WITNESSES REPEATING TRUMPED UP CHARGES, HE HAD BEEN CONDEMNED TO DEATH. HE HAD BEEN SCOURGED, WHICH MIGHT HAVE KILLED MOST MEN. THEN, AFTER BEING MADE TO CARRY HIS OWN CROSS, HE WAS CRUCIFIED.

AND, WHEN HE WAS FINALLY LAID TO REST IN A BORROWED GRAVE, RUMORS WERE THAT HIS BODY HAD BEEN STOLEN. AND, ALONG WITH JESUS' HORRIBLE AND TRAGIC DEATH, THE HOPES AND DREAMS OF ALL THE DISCIPLES HAD BEEN DASHED AS WELL.

SO, IT WAS IN THIS SORRY STATE THAT A "STRANGER" ASKED TO WALK ALONG WITH CLEOPAS AND ANOTHER DISCIPLE.

BEFORE WE MOVE ON WITH OUR STORY, DOES THE JOURNEY OF CLEOPAS AND ANOTHER DISCIPLE REMIND US OF OUR OWN JOURNEY OR ANOTHER'S?

FOR HAVE THERE EVER BEEN MOMENTS ON YOUR JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE WHEN YOU TOO HAVE BEEN DISCOURAGED AND FOR GOOD REASON? HAVE THERE BEEN MOMENTS WHEN YOUR DREAMS HAVE BEEN DASHED TOO?

I REMEMBER VISITING AN ELDERLY WOMAN IN A NURSING HOME DUE TO POOR HEALTH. SHE HAD JUST BEEN PLACED THERE. ALSO, HER HUSBAND HAD JUST DIED. AND WITH THE LOST OF INCOME DUE TO HIS DEATH, SHE HAD BEEN FORCED TO GIVE UP THEIR HOME TOO.

THAT IS A LOT OF LOSSES AT ONCE.

AGAIN, THE DISCIPLES, WITH THE SEEMING LOST OF THEIR SAVIOR JESUS, THE SON OF GOD, WERE AT A GREAT LOSS TOO.

YET, AS UNDERSTANDABLY DEVASTATED AS THOSE DISCIPLES WERE, FORTUNATELY, THE STORY DOES NOT END THERE. FOR AS PAUL HARVEY WOULD SAY, THERE IS STILL, "THE REST OF THE STORY."

IN FACT, THE "STRANGER" WALKING WITH THEM, WHILE UNDERSTANDING AND SYMPATHIZING WITH THEIR LOSS, BEGINS TO TELL THEM "THE REST OF THE STORY." HE TRIES TO RECOUNT WITH THEM THE OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES AND HOW THEY HAD BEEN LEADING UP TO THIS MOMENT. BUT, AT THAT POINT, THEY CAN'T GET IT.

FINALLY, AFTER THEY HAD BEEN WALKING TOGETHER FOR SOME TIME, AND AS THEY ARE NEARING THE VILLAGE OF EMMAUS, CLEOPAS AND THE OTHER DISCIPLE INVITE THE "STRANGER" TO STAY WITH THEM.

AND, THUS, A LITTLE LATER ON, AS THEY WERE AT TABLE, THE TRUE IDENTITY OF THE "STRANGER" IS REVEALED TO THEM AS HE "TOOK BREAD, BLESSED AND BROKE IT, AND GAVE IT TO THEM. THEN THEIR EYES WERE OPENED AND THEY RECOGNIZED HIM." IT HAD BEEN JESUS ALL ALONG.

THE DISCIPLES HAD JUST EXPERIENCED "THE REST OF THE STORY."

A COUPLE OF POINTS COME TO MIND HERE.

FIRST, WHILE THE DISCIPLES CLEOPAS AND ANOTHER HAD BEEN SUFFERING THEIR GREAT LOSS AND TELLING THIS "STRANGER" ABOUT IT, WHAT DOES THAT TELL US?

I BELIEVE THAT IT TELLS US THAT WHILE WE MAY THINK WE ARE WALKING ALONE THROUGH OUR TIME OF DIFFICULTY, OUR VALLEY OF DESPAIR, THAT IN FACT WE ARE NOT ALONE, THERE IS SOMEONE WALKING WITH US.

I REMEMBER BEING AT A LOW POINT IN MY LIFE. SO, I CALLED SOMEONE WHO HAD BEEN LIKE A SPIRITUAL FATHER AND MENTOR TO ME. I CALLED HIM ON THE PHONE. AND OVER THE PHONE, IN HIS LISTENING, HE WALKED WITH ME THROUGH MY VALLEY.

THEN, HE ASKED IF HE COULD OFFER A PRAYER EVEN THOUGH WE WERE ON THE PHONE. WHILE I WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED AT FIRST, I SAID YES.

THEN KIRK PRAYED AND REFERRED DURING HIS PRAYER TO THE WORDS OF THE 23RD PSALM, "EVEN THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, THOU ART WITH ME, THY ROD AND THY STAFF, THEY COMFORT ME."

AND AS KIRK PRAYED THAT PRAYER WITH ME OVER THE PHONE, I COULD SENSE THAT I WAS NOT ALONE. FOR ALONG WITH KIRK'S REASSURING VOICE, I COULD HEAR TOO A VOICE BEHIND THAT VOICE, A SENSE OF CHRIST WALKING WITH ME TOO.

SO, DESPITE THE REAL DEVASTATION, THE GOSPEL WRITER LUKE REMINDS US IN TODAY'S SCRIPTURE STORY THAT WE DO NOT WALK ALONE.

AND STILL ANOTHER POINT THAT COMES TO MIND IS THIS, JESUS WAS NOT ONLY WALKING WITH THEM DURING THEIR TIME OF LOSS, HE WAS ALSO LEADING THEM.

AND, WHERE WAS HE LEADING THEM? HE WAS LEADING THEM TO THE REST OF THE STORY.

JESUS WAS SAYING THAT THEIR EXPERIENCE, AS DEVASTATING AS IT WAS, DID NOT HAVE TO END ON THAT NOTE. FOR JESUS, THE NOW RISEN SON OF GOD, WAS SAYING THAT I AM NOT ONLY WITH YOU DURING YOUR TIME OF NEED, I ALSO AM LEADING YOU TO THE REST OF YOUR STORY, A STORY OF HOPE AND LOVE.

ERNIE PYLE WAS A WWII CORRESPONDENT. PYLE WAS KNOWN FOR WRITING ABOUT THE AVERAGE GI. HE DIDN'T WRITE ABOUT THE STRATEGY AND THE CAMPAIGNS. HE WROTE ABOUT THE GUY SLOGGING THROUGH THE MUD AND DODGING BULLETS TO GET BACK HOME.

HE KNEW THE GI'S BECAUSE HE LIVED WITH THEM, AND EVENTUALLY DIED WITH THEM.

IN ONE OF HIS BOOKS, HE TELLS THE STORY OF A GERMAN SOLDIER WHO HAD BEEN TAKEN PRISONER. THIS GERMAN SOLDIER HAD BEEN TOLD HORRIBLE STORIES ABOUT WHAT THE AMERICANS WOULD DO TO POW'S, AND SO HE WAS SCARED. THE GERMAN WAS WOUNDED AND WAS TAKEN TO THE MEDICAL STATION. THE MEDICS TRIED TO GIVE HIM A SHOT OF MORPHINE SO THEY COULD TEND TO HIS WOUNDS. BUT, THE GERMAN OBJECTED FURIOUSLY, AFRAID THAT HE WAS GOING TO BE TORTURED. AFTER SOME TIME, AFTER OBSERVING THE ATTENTION GIVEN TO THE OTHER WOUNDED, AND THE OTHER POW'S, THIS SOLDIER FINALLY STARTED TO FIGURE OUT THAT HE WAS BEING TREATED LIKE EVERYONE ELSE AND HIS AMAZEMENT GREW. FINALLY, THE CHAPLAIN, MAKING HIS MORNING ROUNDS, GAVE THE GERMAN SOLDIER CIGARETTES, CANDY, TOOTH POWDER, AND SOAP JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. THE GERMAN SOLDIER STARTED TO GRIN AND SAT UP PLAYING WITH HIS NEW POSSESSIONS LIKE A LITTLE BOY WITH NEW TOYS.

THAT'S WHAT EASTER LOOKS LIKE. WE ARE IN THE HANDS OF A POWER THAT WE THINK SHOULD DESTROY US. INSTEAD, GOD MEETS US WITH RESURRECTION.

("RECOGNIZED IN THE BREAKING OF BREAD," BY REV. J. DANIEL HESTER)

OR, HEAR THIS STORY.

THERE WAS ONCE A LITTLE BOY WHO DECIDED HE WANTED TO FIND GOD. HE KNEW IT WOULD PROBABLY BE A LONG TRIP, SO HE DECIDED TO PACK A LUNCH-FOUR PACKS OF TWINKIES AND TWO CANS OF ROOT BEER.

HE SET OUT ON HIS JOURNEY AND WENT A FEW BLOCKS UNTIL HE CAME TO A PARK. ON ONE OF THE PARK BENCHES SAT AN OLD WOMAN LOOKING AT THE PIGEONS.

THE LITTLE BOY SAT DOWN BESIDE HER AND WATCHED THE PIGEONS TOO. WHEN HE GREW HUNGRY, HE PULLED OUT SOME TWINKIES. AS HE ATE, HE NOTICED THE WOMAN WATCHING HIM, SO HE OFFERED HER ONE. SHE ACCEPTED IT GRATEFULLY AND SMILED AT HIM.
HE THOUGHT SHE HAD THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SMILE IN THE WORLD. WANTING TO SEE IT AGAIN, HE OPENED A CAN OF ROOT BEER AND OFFERED HER THE OTHER ONE.

ONCE AGAIN SHE SMILED THAT BEAUTIFUL SMILE.

FOR A LONG TIME THE TWO SAT ON THAT PARK BENCH EATING TWINKIES, DRINKING ROOT BEER, SMILING AT EACH OTHER, AND WATCHING THE PIGEONS. NEITHER SAID A WORD. FINALLY, THE LITTLE BOY REALIZED THAT IT WAS GETTING LATE AND HE NEEDED TO GO HOME. HE STARTED TO LEAVE, TOOK A FEW STEPS, TURNED BACK AND GAVE THE WOMAN A BIG HUG. HER SMILE WAS BRIGHTER THAN EVER BEFORE.

WHEN HE ARRIVED HOME, HIS MOTHER NOTICED THAT HE WAS HAPPY, BUT STRANGELY QUIET. 'WHAT DID YOU DO TODAY?' SHE ASKED. 'OH, I HAD LUNCH IN THE PARK WITH GOD,' HE SAID. BEFORE HIS MOTHER COULD REPLY, HE ADDED, 'YOU KNOW, SHE HAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SMILE IN THE WORLD.'

MEANWHILE, THE OLD WOMAN LEFT THE PARK AND RETURNED TO HER HOME.

HER SON NOTICED SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT HER. 'WHAT DID YOU DO TODAY, MOM?' HE ASKED. 'OH, I ATE TWINKIES AND DRANK ROOT BEER IN THE PARK WITH GOD." AND BEFORE HER SON COULD SAY ANYTHING AT ALL, SHE ADDED, 'YOU KNOW, GOD'S A LOT YOUNGER THAN I IMAGINED.'"

("HEARTS BURNING WITHIN," BY REV. JEF OLSON)

THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT CHRIST IS ALWAYS LEADING YOU TO THE REST OF THE STORY FOR YOUR LIFE.

ONE FINAL STORY AND THOUGHT.

THE YEAR WAS 1920. THE SCENE WAS THE EXAMINING BOARD FOR SELECTING MISSIONARIES. STANDING BEFORE THE BOARD WAS A YOUNG MAN NAMED OSWALD SMITH.

ONE DREAM DOMINATED HIS HEART. HE WANTED TO BE A MISSIONARY. OVER AND OVER AGAIN, HE PRAYED, "LORD, I WANT TO GO AS A MISSIONARY FOR YOU. OPEN A DOOR OF SERVICE FOR ME." NOW, AT LAST, HIS PRAYER WOULD BE ANSWERED. WHEN THE EXAMINATION WAS OVER, THE BOARD TURNED OSWALD SMITH DOWN. HE DID NOT MEET THEIR QUALIFICATIONS. HE FAILED THE TEST. OSWALD SMITH HAD SET HIS DIRECTION, BUT NOW LIFE GAVE HIM A DETOUR. WHAT WOULD HE DO? AS OSWALD SMITH PRAYED, GOD PLANTED ANOTHER IDEA IN HIS HEART.
IF HE COULD NOT GO AS A MISSIONARY, HE WOULD BUILD A CHURCH WHICH COULD SEND OUT MISSIONARIES. AND THAT IS WHAT HE DID. OSWALD SMITH PASTORED THE PEOPLE'S CHURCH IN TORONTO, CANADA, WHICH SENT OUT MORE MISSIONARIES THAN ANY OTHER CHURCH AT THAT TIME.

(OSWALD SMITH BROUGHT GOD INTO THE SITUATION, AND GOD TRANSFORMED HIS DETOUR INTO A MAIN THOROUGHFARE OF SERVICE.) (BRIAN L. HARBOUR, RISING ABOVE THE CROWD)

GOD IS INTERESTED NOT ONLY IN LEADING YOU TO THE REST OF THE STORY FOR YOUR LIFE, A REDEEMING STORY OF RESURRECTION FOR THIS LIFE AND BEYOND, BUT IN YOUR HELPING OTHERS FIND THE REST OF THE STORY FOR THEIR LIVES TOO, THEIR RESURRECTION STORY.

SO, OUR INVITATION FOR TODAY, THE "STRANGER'S" INVITATION TO YOU TODAY, IN THE MIDST OF ANY LOSS, REMEMBER NOT ONLY THAT CHRIST IS WITH YOU, SOMETIMES TOO IN THE FORM OF SOMEONE WHO LOVES YOU, BUT THAT CHRIST IS LEADING YOU TO THE REST OF THE STORY FOR YOUR LIFE, A STORY OF HOPE, NOT ONLY FOR YOU BUT OFTEN THROUGH YOU TO OTHERS AS WELL.

AT FIRST, THE DISCIPLES WHO WALKED WITH JESUS ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS DID NOT RECOGNIZE THAT HE WAS WITH THEM. MAY WE THEN LEARN FROM THAT AND SPIRITUALLY LISTEN AND LOOK FOR CHRIST. AND, TODAY, TOO IN THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD.

FOR THE RISEN CHRIST WANTS TO LEAD YOU TO THE REST OF THE STORY FOR YOUR LIFE, YOUR STORY OF HOPE AND LOVE.

LET US PRAY.

DEAR GOD,
WE ARE THANKFUL, AS WE PRAY IN OUR LORD'S PRESENCE OF OUR RISEN LORD, THAT THERE IS "THE REST OF THE STORY" BOTH FOR THIS LIFE AND BEYOND.
THOUGH WE MAY BE AT TIMES FEEL THROWN INTO THE VALLEY OF DESPAIR, HELP US TO BE OPEN TO "THE REST OF THE STORY", A STORY OF HOPE AND LOVE, YOU HAVE FOR OUR LIVES.
AMEN.

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