Luke 24:18-27
Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was 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 he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
Much of how you interpret this verse depends upon how you imagine Jesus’ tone of voice when he says, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe….” Does he say that with anger, with grief, with bemusement, or with frustration?
When I read that line, I can’t help but hear a chuckle in his voice. A chuckle of amazement and perhaps just a bit of exasperation, but mostly a chuckle of holy mirth. The kind of chuckle a parent gives a beloved child who has once again gotten him or herself into quite the predicament.
I remember, when reading C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe for the first time as a child, being struck by the mirth, delight, and laughter of the resurrected Aslan. This is how I hear Jesus in this passage: filled with resurrection joy that can only be amused at how difficult it is for us, living on this side of the veil that separates us from life in the nearer presence of God, to apprehend God’s purposes and plans.
Of course they are slow of heart to believe. The promises of Jesus are simply beyond anything in their – or our – experience or comprehension. Which is why we need them so much. The Gospel promise is that there is more to this world than what we can see. There is more to life than what we can experience. The pain, paucity, and poverty that color our life in this world are not the ultimate or final reality. Rather, resurrection life, joy and, yes, laughter are the enduring reality that Jesus is beckoning us into.
It may take time for us to believe that. But each we come together in worship we hear these promises again and are invited to connect them to our life in this world. And, eventually, we too will be drawn into the holy mirth of the resurrected Christ.
Prayer: Dear God, we give you thanks for announcing the promises of Jesus to us again and again, so that in time we may not just believe them but also share them. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Post image: “Road to Emmaus,” by Sharon Welch
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