4-26-20 Sermon Notes “But We Had Hoped…”

Growing up, I remember listening to my dad’s Frank Sinatra record on our old stereo. One of my favorites was “High Hopes.” Remember that one?

Just what makes that little old ant
Think he'll move that rubber tree plant
Anyone knows an ant, can't
Move a rubber tree plant

But he's got high hopes
He's got high hopes
He's got high apple pie
In the sky hopes

So any time your gettin' low
'Stead of lettin' go
Just remember that ant
Oops, there goes another rubber tree plant

Have you ever had “high hopes,” but things didn’t turn out the way you imagined? I recently read about an auction that was held in Washington, D.C. It was an auction of designs, actually patent models of old inventions that did not make it in the marketplace. There were 150,000 designs up for auction. There was an illuminated cat to scare away mice. There was a device to prevent snoring which consisted of a trumpet reaching from the mouth to the ear. One person designed a tube to reach from his mouth to his feet so that his breath would keep his feet warm as he slept. There was an adjustable pulpit which could be raised or lowered. You could hit a button and make the pulpit descend or ascend to dramatically illustrate a point. (Andy Yarnell should never have the remote control to that one;) Obviously, at one time somebody had high hopes for each of those designs which did not make it. Some of the would-be inventors died in poverty, having spent all of their money trying to sell their dream. One hundred fifty thousand broken dreams up for auction! Is there anything sadder? (From Horns, and Halos in Human Nature, by J. Wallace Hamilton)

High hopes and big dreams not realized was the state of mind of the travelers on the Road to Emmaus after the Resurrection. We read about it in Luke 24…

13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. 18 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?” 19 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, 20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21 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. 22 Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23 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. 24 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.” 25 Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah[e] should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29 But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” 33 That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34 They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread. (Luke 24: 13-35 NRSV)
This Sunday, we are going to look at the journey all of us take…the road of broken dreams. We had hoped… We had hoped it wouldn’t be like this… We had hoped that Jesus was going to deliver us from suffering… And on and on, Cleopas and his companion walked and hoped. REALITY. But then Someone showed up and started walking along with them, talking to them…listening to them. PRESENCE. At first they were kept from recognizing that the Stranger walking with them was the resurrected Lord. RECOGNITION. They talked to Him anyway, admitting that they were followers of the Prophet from Nazareth…then listening to the Stranger teach them the connections between the Old Testament prophecies and the Suffering Messiah. Cleopas even invited the Stranger to stay with them. VULNERABILITY.

When they were eating supper, the Stranger took the bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to them and their eyes were finally opened. It was the Lord! Now they had to tell the good news! HOPE.

Join me via livestream or Facebook Live this Sunday morning at 9:00 or 11:00 as we look at five mega-words about hope postponed… REALITY, PRESENCE, RECOGNITION, VULNERABILITY, and HOPE.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Sam