I think having no spirit to guide is difficult to imagine. I guess the best we have to compare are those Nobel nonbelievers. One who comes to mind is Jean-Paul Sartre who was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic, considered a leading figure in 20th-century French philosophy and Marxism. Sartre was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism.
Marxism is seen as evil mostly because of the lack of spirit or belief in God. But it doesn't have to be. He once described acting alone for the good of all:
The best footage I shot in Bosnia I deleted. I walked the frontlines with Sonja and I let my camera roll. We walked in more than one place. She told me her story. I don't know why I recorded the conversation more than the spirit led me. I showed a few people a finished product and they each said she had put in words what none of them could.
I showed it to Sonja she was offended. We haven't talked much since. We were pretty close. I deleted the tape. I did not hesitate because the same spirit led me. It seemed it took the spirit to make and the spirit to recognize defeat. It really almost was something. Maybe if I had said something different to her, but I think today that she was in too much pain. There was only an answer time could bring.
Her story was of a knock that everyone feared. Could be one of three or four armies at your door. Each supposed different nationalities represented in your home. Things would go best if the right person answered the door.
Another a close friend of mine filmed for me. Deep into the archives of a great Bosnian artist. Things few had seen. More importantly his words describing. I asked to share but he declined. It was their relationship so there wasn't anything I could do. The easiest parts of life is where we have no choice. We must rely on the spirit. I deleted 99.9% like a bird in flight.
For me it is easiest to identify the influence of the holy spirt on my life when I have no choice. I am surprised with every choice I have. It really means to me that in some sense it must not be that important. We put things in different categories sometimes. Life goals. Get to the end of the day goals. I almost take for granted these times I have no choice. I have never worked anywhere I could not imagine myself working. I would have done with less freedom that some would say we are doomed to. If you don't know God, Jesus or the Spirit freedom is a scary thing. Almost too much.
I represented some young people once and took upon myself to express their grievance with my employers. I was a community services officer. We were great at making titles. We had to be growing from 10 to 100 in one year. My superiors had heard the grievance before, but I wasn't alone. Then the kids changed their minds and told the volunteer I supervised they wanted to drop the issue. I was given no choice. Spirit had led me here and so it would lead on to the next job.
Worked with a man then from South Africa who was our conflict resolution manager I think we called him. Never was really sure what he did, but he liked to talk about all the nonviolent conflict resolution done in South Africa. I just liked to point out it was the violence and the activism of the entire world that eventually gave the regime no choice, but to change. The spirit led.
Today we first remember a time when the spirit did not lead. We find in John 7:37-39 from the Amplified Bible:
37 Now on the last and most important day of the feast, Jesus stood and called out [in a loud voice], “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink! 38 He who believes in Me [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Me], as the Scripture has said, ‘From his innermost being will flow continually rivers of living water.’” 39 But He was speaking of the [Holy] Spirit, whom those who believed in Him [as Savior] were to receive afterward. The Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified (raised to honor).
Rivers of living water. Bounty is easier to imagine.
I think having no spirit to guide is difficult to imagine. I guess the best we have to compare are those Nobel nonbelievers. One who comes to mind is Jean-Paul Sartre who was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic, considered a leading figure in 20th-century French philosophy and Marxism. Sartre was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism.
Marxism is seen as evil mostly because of the lack of spirit or belief in God. But it doesn't have to be. He once described acting alone for the good of all:
"Man cannot will unless he has first understood that he can count on nothing but himself: that he is alone, left alone on earth in the middle of his infinite responsibilities, with neither help nor succor, with no other goal but the one he will set for himself, with no other destiny but the one he will forge on this earth. It is this certainty, this intuitive understanding of his situation, that we call despair. You can see that it is no fine romantic frenzy but the sharp and lucid consciousness of the human condition. Just as anguish is indistinguishable from a sense of responsibility, despair is inseparable from will. With despair, true optimism begins: the optimism of the man who expects nothing, who knows he has no rights and nothing coming to him, who rejoices in counting on himself alone and in acting alone for the good of all."
Who rejoices in counting on himself alone and in acting alone for the good of all is not the problem. Maybe everybody doesn't have to believe. But it is objectively harder.
Believers can cause big problems when they think the spirit is only on fire.
Acts 2:1-21 from the Amplified Bible - The Day of Pentecost it surely was:
2 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place, 2 and suddenly a sound came from heaven like a rushing violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
This was quite a day. But we need to also remember the spirit is as often quiet.
3 There appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were being distributed [among them], and they rested on each one of them [as each person received the Holy Spirit].
Quite an arrival. The spirit would grow to be at home with us. This was surely their graduation day. These first students of our lord. Optimism of the people who expected everything. Who knew they had rights and the bounty all around.
Pentecost (Feast of Weeks) was observed at the time of the grain harvest and the offering of the first fruits, and was one of the three great annual Jewish festivals, along with Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles (Booths). Just as Jesus’ sacrifice was the fulfillment of Passover, the coming of the Holy Spirit was the fulfillment of Pentecost
4 And they were all filled [that is, diffused throughout their being] with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues (different languages), as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out [clearly and appropriately].
We forget in many ways how global our civilization has always been. The rich and the slaves are even today the main people moving around. On this day these people all heard messages in their languages. I think these people from different lands were of a type. This was important that they all understood. They were not a side show.
5 Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout and God-fearing men from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound was heard, a crowd gathered, and they were bewildered because each one was hearing those in the upper room speaking in his own language or dialect. 7 They were completely astonished, --- how is it that each of us hears in our own language or native dialect? 9 [Among us there are] Parthians, Medes and Elamites, and people of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia [Minor], 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and the visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes (Gentile converts to Judaism), 11 Cretans and Arabs—we all hear them speaking in our [native] tongues about the mighty works of God!” 12 And they were beside themselves with amazement and were greatly perplexed, saying one to another, “What could this mean?” 13 But others were laughing and joking and ridiculing them, saying, “They are full of sweet wine and are drunk!”
Every nation under heaven. Reminds me of a story I heard in Bosnia. They told me Bosnians speak a few words of every language. Mostly how much? and thank you. In essence verse 5 to 13 we have the world wide web of the time.
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be explained to you; listen closely and pay attention to what I have to say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you assume, since it is [only] the third hour of the day (9:00 a.m.); 16 but this is [the beginning of] what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:
You could tell it was graduation day. They were starting to sound finally something like Jesus. Quoting the prophets as their master had often.
Nottingham UMC 5/28/2023
I had this dream one time. Do lord oh do lord oh do remember me. I got a home in glory that outshines the sun. Way beyond the blue. One of the songs of my youth. A song that comes to me often when I am alone. We have a scripture today that entwines memory and remembering. We are reminded of all those times we thought we knew what we were seeing and had no idea. It is remarkable the ability's of our brains to believe whatever it wants.
Dr Lars Muckli, from University of Glasgow said: “We are continuously anticipating what we will see, hear or feel next." Well today we have a story that clearly captures this idea that we don't usually see what we don't expect to see.
Recently I showed my students the famous clip of a gorilla coming into frame ignored by most. In the scene there is a person jumping on a trampoline and viewers are told to count how many times that person jumps. As the person continues to jump a gorilla comes into the scene then departs. As I ask how many times the person jumped no one says anything but numbers. As I ask them to rewatch the video and look for the gorilla I get a number of strange looks. Working with children is fun. When they see the gorilla the second time through they mostly claim to have seen it. They don't like to be tricked or admit when they are. I don't think any of us really do, but we make errors almost as much as we make positive progress.
Luke 24:13-35, I will read from the Amplified Bible. This passage is well know as the Road to Emmaus. Before we set off let me just mention where we are here in Luke. The resurrection was reported by the women who found the tomb empty. We find In Luke 24:11 But their report seemed to them like idle talk and nonsense, and they would not believe them. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. Stooping [at the small entrance] and looking in, he saw only the linen wrappings; and he went away, wondering about what had happened.
So we see here even before they could not see they would not hear.
One of the women with them was Joanna. She joined our story back in Luke 8:1-3 Soon afterward, Jesus began going around from one city and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve [disciples] were with Him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and diseases: Mary, called Magdalene [from the city of Magdala in Galilee], from whom seven demons had come out, 3 and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means [as was the custom for a rabbi’s disciples].
Richard Bauckham argues for identifying Joanna, the wife of Chuza, with the Junia mentioned in Paul's letter to the Romans 16:7, "Joanna" being her Jewish name, and "Junia" her Roman.
Romans 16:7 from the Amplified Bible
7 Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and [once] my fellow prisoners, who are held in high esteem in the estimation of the apostles, and who were [believers] in Christ before me.
In footnotes to Romans 16:7 from the Amplified Bible it says: Or Junia (feminine). There is a higher probability that the name is feminine; no masculine forms found in this or near time periods.
Well that would seem to solve the mystery. But you have to want to solve the mystery.
Joanna is a Hellenized, Grecian, adaptation of a Hebrew name, Junia is a Latin name. Jews often adopted a second, Latin name that were nearly sound equivalents to their original name. Joanna and Junia act as near sound equivalents in the native languages, which Bauckham says is indicative of the identification between the two. Finally, Paul describes Junia as being "prominent among the apostles". Given that Junia is described as an earliest member of the community, and as one of the most prominent members, that she is not named elsewhere is indicative, as Bauckham argues, that she and Joanna are the same individual, given Joanna's high prominence during the ministry of Jesus.
But the men do not listen and along the road to Emmaus at first they also do not see. I would just point out to them the women seemed to not make sense even after Jesus had told them that he would rebuild the temple in three days. Prominent among the apostles clearly didn't mean you would be listened to. Although I am fairly certain she was there to vote for the replacement of Judas well established among the 120 people who did.
13 And then, that very day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, which was about [seven miles from Jerusalem.
So it was nonsense to them. The women could not convince them would Jesus be able? There internal dialogue told them they had lost because that is what they had always done.
14 And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. 15 While they were talking and discussing it, Jesus Himself came up and began walking with them. 16 But their eyes were [miraculously] prevented from recognizing Him.
As much as I do love the Amplified bible I don't think the miraculously adjective applies. It is more miraculous that we see anything. I would almost argue that they could not see him because they did not expect to see him. They listened to their internal dialogue that had done nothing but lead them astray. Men get set in their ways.
There are several open questions in philosophy about whether we can see what we don't expect to see. What we are not looking. I think it is also a testament to the distain with which they received the report from the women. I am quite certain they did not see Jesus because it was not possible for them to believe what women said could be true.
Now I also don't think they changed much their views of women. We are their legacy and have the luxury to do so, I do not condemn anyone in a story that requires all of us.
17 Then Jesus asked them, “What are you discussing with one another as you walk along?” And they stood still, looking brokenhearted. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, answered Him, “Are you the only stranger visiting Jerusalem who is unaware of the things which have happened here in these [recent] days?”
Well before we get to far we are told that what was happening everyone knew. These dramatic events lead directly to Luke wanting to make another record of this time. We read in Luke 1:1-3 Since [as is well known] many have undertaken to compile an orderly account of the things which have been fulfilled among us [by God], 2 exactly as they were handed down to us by those [with personal experience] who from the beginning [of Christ’s ministry] were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word [that is, of the teaching concerning salvation through faith in Christ], 3 it seemed fitting for me as well, [and so I have decided] after having carefully searched out and investigated all the events accurately, from the very beginning, to write an orderly account for you...
19 He asked, “What things?” And they replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet powerful in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers handed Him over to be sentenced to death, and crucified Him. 21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel and set our nation free. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened.
So they were hoping. They were no longer. Don't think they knew what they were going to do.
22 And also some of the women among us shocked us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and they did not find His body. Then they came back, saying that they had even seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive! 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women had said, but they did not see Him.” 25 Then Jesus said to them, “O foolish men, and slow of heart to trust and believe in everything that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and [only then to] enter His glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and [throughout] all the [writings of the] prophets, He explained and interpreted for them the things referring to Himself [found] in all the Scriptures.
O foolish men, how important do you think context is for Jesus? Some of the women among us shocked us. O foolish men in response. It is remarkable that they can be schooled upon the road and not see the teacher. Had this been the regular occurrence of their lives?
28 Then they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as if He were going farther. 29 But they urged Him [not to go on], saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening, and the day has just about ended.”
They still don't really know at this point but something in them knows. I think of this as muscle memory. I like to joke that my favorite food is oysters even though I have not eaten any in more than ten years. I have a muscle memory of them. I don't really miss them because I have unfettered access to this muscle memory I can recall at will. What I loved is they were each unique. These guys along the road had a muscle memory. Even if their brains could not piece it together their bodies wanted to remain with this person they met along the road.
I wonder if they wanted to be in-between. They were in the new reality of the good news, but it was women that had brought it to them. Why was it done this way. If you believe that God has a plan this was part of it. It was gonna take the holy spirit to get us eventually hopefully down this road where what is important is the news, not who brings it.
So He went inside to stay with them. 30 And it happened that as He reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. 31 Then their eyes were [suddenly] opened [by God] and they [clearly] recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.
What would they tell the women. They wouldn't have to tell them anything.
32 They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was talking with us on the road and opening the Scriptures to us?”
Not talking about, but opening to us. More than explaining. Teaching with the authority only one teacher has.
33 They got up that very hour and went back to Jerusalem, and found the eleven [apostles] gathered together and those who were with them, 34 saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon [Peter]!” 35 They began describing in detail what had happened on the road, and how Jesus was recognized by them when He broke the bread.
After a few," I told you so." The news finally accepted.
He vanished from their sight. They were used to Jesus as a teacher and no one had ever had a better one. Why they thought he did this is not reported. He would be more explicit with his followers after and explain, but we today find ourselves on the road to Emmaus.
What comes to my mind is when we recognize our lord in other people. It is hard to do. "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?" We wonder how they could not recognize him even as we often do not.
We often don't see what is in front of our face We have internal dialogue that leads us down paths that we expect to go. Often times I joke at work that I need a sign to tell kids when I am doing something nice. I imagine first holding up a big sign that says, "I am going to do something nice for you." The children I work with seldom see what is in front of them. They expect the worst in many cases. Now in fairness they have a pretty good excuse: they are children. In my world the excuse limit is : 1.
