Luke Parrott

A Friendship Unending (Cleopas Part 10)

It had been 40 days now since that weekend of drama.  That unforgettable Sunday.  You had seen Jesus appear twice since then.  And now he stands before you a third time.  But you seem to understand it to be the last. 

As you walk up the mountain near Bethany with all the other disciples, everyone is listening to his further instruction about the kingdom of God.  His favorite topic.  He tells you all to remain in Jerusalem.  That you will receive power.  That you will need to be his witnesses.  In the city.  In the countryside.  And to all the nations.

One of your friends asks a question that is still lurking in the back of everyone's mind.  The question of his kingship.  Was that not what Jesus was building up to anyway?  So, it is asked, "Is now the time when you will restore the kingdom of Israel?" 

Jesus has something different in mind.

For the first time, you start to realize what is happening.  Jesus wants you to go and do the very same things that he has been doing.  He wants you to be his laborer.  You and Peter make eye contact.  You both realize what Jesus was saying when he told Peter to "Feed my sheep". 

After a few final exhortations, Jesus begins to lift up off the ground.  It was as if heaven itself was drawing him up into the air.  Everyone stands speechless.  Awestruck by what is happening.  There seems to be a certain peace among all of you.  You stare into the sky in silence.

You are suddenly startled out of your trance by two men dressed in white robes who shock you with their sudden presence.  They tell you that Jesus will eventually return in the same way he has just departed.  You had heard Jesus say they same thing awhile back.

-------

Not longer after, the day comes when you feel the presence of Jesus return to you in a way like you never felt before.  It was the day you celebrated Penecost.  And being filled with the Holy Spirit, you felt Jesus by your side once again.  And the wave of energy that came from this indwelling has now propelled you into the impossible.

Your life will never be the same. 

And so you devote yourself to carrying on the work of your Jesus.  Because you desire everyone else to taste and see the very things that you had when you walked with Jesus.  The very things you have now as you feel Jesus continue his work in you.

You are a fully devoted follower of Jesus of Nazareth. 

The Christ. 
The Son of God. 
Your Lord.  Your Master. 

You have no clue what wild turns may come to you in the future.  But nothing else really matters now.  Where could you possibly go?  What adventure could be greater? 

Your eyes have seen the face of God. 
You are forever his. 

Another Reappearance Act...and you missed it! (Cleopas Part 9)

When Peter left the house that evening you knew he was frustrated.  He said he was going fishing.  He didn't know what else to do.  You can't just wait around for a Jesus disappearance and reappearance act all day.  So Peter went and did what he does best.  Fishing.

He brought several of your friends along with him.  They looked to him for direction in this time of confusion.  What can you say?  Peter was becoming quite a leader. 

When they came back the following day they had quite a story to tell.  They had seen Jesus again!  And you missed it!  They all crowded around you, all trying to share their piece of the story.  There was so much excitement. 

"We caught 153 fish!" 

"You should have seen Peter jump out of that boat"

"The fish were so tasty!"

"He hugged me again!"

They told you how Jesus was by the shore at daybreak just waiting for them.  They had breakfast together and reconnected.

But it was Peter's story that lit up your face the most.  You could tell that a burden had been lifted off his shoulders.  He shared with you how on that beach Jesus restored him.  He had felt so much shame and failure when he rejected Jesus in front of everyone in the courtyard.  He felt like he betrayed Jesus just as well as Judas Iscariot had.

But to his shock, Jesus still wanted Peter to follow him.  He still loved him.  There was no longer any guilt.  No more shame.  He had a kick in his step again.  And then he asked you the most interesting question. 

"Jesus said to me, 'Feed my sheep'.  What do you think he meant by that?"

You are quite unsure yourself as you ponder (for what seems the thousandth time) what Jesus meant by what he said.

(John 21)

Back to the Real World (Cleopas Part 8)

Skip a week ahead of that unforgettable Sunday.

You are in a room together with all the disciples.   You can't stop thinking about the reappearance of your master, Jesus.  But it's been one full week since you last saw him.  Many of you have returned to business as usual.  Back to the carpentry.  Back to the fishing boat.  Back to the real world.

Pieces are coming together with what Jesus described to you on that road to Emmaus.  But you don't quite get it.  You don't realize how involved Jesus wants you to be.  You think this is still his show.  His deal.  Eventually Jesus is going to reappear somewhere and scare the Bajeezus out of some ruling officials.  Maybe he'll just run off the Romans in this way.  But these are all thoughts in the back of your mind as you continue about your work.

So here you are in the room with everyone and suddenly Jesus does it again!  He appears.  And you are overjoyed to see him once again.  Especially your friend Thomas who finally gets a chance to talk to his master face to face.  You know he was struggling the whole week trying to believe all the stories.  But it's hard to believe such a story when the last time you saw him was on that cross as his life slipped away.  You empathize with Thomas as you know you would have doubted everything had you not seen Jesus yourself.

You soak up every word he says.  Every piece of his presence. You wonder when he will finally reappear and just stick around for good. 

Like old times. 

The Shortest Seven Mile Walk (Cleopas Part 7)

They burst through the door and it is barely light outside.  They are frantic with their words.  It is very early in the morning.

Laughs, cries, excitement, bewilderment.  You can barely make out what they are saying.  They finally get the words out.  "Jesus is alive! He is not in his tomb.  We saw an angel.  He told us Jesus is alive!"

You all think the women are hysterical.  Two of your buddies, Peter and John, sprint out the door and you know they will come back with a clarification on this story.  You and the others believe it is nonsense.  No one believes their words.  Perhaps it was too much grieving.  Too many tears.  Now they've really lost it!  You try to calm them down.  But they strongly resist your reassuring words.

Later, Peter and John return and you can see it in their face.  The tomb is empty!  And you gather in a circle and discuss the possibilities.  The consensus is that something is wrong.  Did someone steal the body of Jesus in the middle of the night?  What is going on? 

No one is making the connections.

...except those crazy women.

Around mid morning, you and a friend pack up and head down the road.  It's the first day of the week (Sunday) and you have work to do in Emmaus.  Both of you hit the road with much to discuss.  Your hearts are both still heavy, the grieving still weighing you down.  You begin to converse about what Mary and the other women were saying that morning.  It's a seven mile walk so you have a pretty good distance of travel ahead of you.

A man comes alongside you and begins to inquire about your discussion.  He is traveling the same way and wants to know what the discussion is about.  You can't believe this man is out of the loop.  Does not all of Israel know about what happened to Jesus on Friday?  Clearly not this man.

With a tremble in your voice, you begin to explain the friend you lost.  The master you loved.  The man, the prophet, the king who was supposed to come.  Tears often water up in your eyes as you say, "we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel."

But the man suddenly responds with great wisdom.  He begins to explain that the Messiah would have to endure such things.  And he opens up your beloved Torah and book of Prophets as he tells you that all these things were prophesied about in Scripture. 

It was the shortest 7 mile walk you've been on.  You soak up his understanding of Scripture.  You are hanging on his every word.  You arrive at your destination and urge him to stay with you.  There is something about him that makes your heart light again.  His voice seems to put a spring back into your every step.

Then it happens.  At the table.  Near evening.  He broke the bread.  And then you realized.  "JESUS!  Rabonni!  My Lord!  My God!"

And he vanishes right before your very eyes.  With shock and wonder, you grab your things and run back to Jerusalem.  Covering the 7 miles faster than you ever have before.  It's amazing how fast a runner one can become when he has seen the face of his Risen Lord!

You burst back into the house where all the disciples are gathered.  You try to gather your breath.  They say, "Cleopas, what is it?  What have you seen?"  With tears in your eyes, joy in your heart, you are able to slip out the words.  "Jesus!  I have seen my Jesus!  He is alive.  Praise be to God.  I have seen my Jesus!"

And at that very moment, as quickly as Jesus had disappeared before your eyes in Emmaus, he suddenly appears in the room with everyone around. 

And that moment was a sight to see!  The women overjoyed once more.  The disciples staring in disbelief.  Everyone gasping for breath. 

Jesus spoke first.  "Peace be with you."

Still standing in silence as if they had seen a ghost, Jesus spoke more.  He told them not to be troubled.  He urged them to touch and see him.  He took a piece of fish and ate it.  He began to explain everything just the way he had described it to you on the road earlier.

The pieces start to come together.  You wish Thomas was here for this because he is really missing out!  You know that he will have a hard time believing what you are witnessing.

But it is only a passing thought.  Your heart has taken flight again.  You are on cloud nine!  And you begin to process what this all means as you stare deep into the eyes of the one you love. 

Your Jesus has Risen.

(Luke 24)

The Day You Didn't Have Jesus (Cleopas Part 6)

Today may be the most difficult day to imagine.

It is a slow paced day.  A day when all the emptiness settles deeper into your stomach.  A day when the grieving begins to grow.  There are moments of numbness followed by outbreaks of uncontrollable weeping.  You try to console one another as you mourn with other family and friends. 

There is a despair that fills the room.  You remember just a few nights ago when you went to sleep in peace with Jesus by your side.  How could they kill such an amazing man? 

Where will you go?  What will you do?  You have left everything to follow this man for the last three years.  Suddenly, he is gone.  There is no one to follow.  You no longer have Jesus.

It is a day of rest.  The Sabbath.  The day you didn't have Jesus.

(May we consider today where our lives would be if Jesus was not a part of the picture.  How would our life look different?  Where would we find ourselves if we didn't have Jesus?)

A Friday of Darkness (Cleopas Part 5)

You wake up to the bright light of daybreak as you realize that somewhere in your sorrow last night you actually did slip off to sleep.

But you quickly realize that none of what occurred last night was a dream as you hear the streets crowded with much commotion.  You move your way through the crowds to see that Jesus is being escorted by the chief priests to Pilate's place.  It's a morning of chaos and much movement as Jesus gets sent back through the city to Herod and then back yet again to Pilate.  You try to stay in the middle of everything but the crowds are many and they are very harsh towards the one you love.

Finally, you can tell a verdict is about to be reached in the presence of Pilate for the second time.  The crowds that seemed so awestruck with Jesus just a few days ago have now joined with the religious leaders as they adamantly push for the unthinkable.  They want to crucify your Jesus!  You quickly see Pilate submit to the demands of the masses as your heart sinks further into your chest.  Your world is spinning.  You are speechless as you grab the hand of your friend who has also followed Jesus.  There is shock and fear in the eyes of your friend.

You follow the crowd and the cross that your leader carries.  Your heart breaks with every step he takes.  The road to Galgotha seems to never end.  You finally arrive on the hilltop where you gather with other friends who also have followed Jesus.  Your eyes meet one another with emptiness as you watch from a distance.  Your master, your leader, your friend is hanging from the cursed tree!

Darkness falls on all the land.  It's only Noon but a thick darkness has taken over the sky.  The sun no longer shines.  For the next three hours you sit there in utter horror as you watch Jesus take the constant mockings of the people.  He is suffering, he is slipping away, he is losing life.  Suddenly the earth shakes beneath you.  Jesus cries out loud one last time.  Every word he says pierces your soul. 

"Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."

And his head falls to his chest.

You sit there motionless.  You feel nothing.  You feel everything.  You feel...lost. 

It is the darkest day of your entire life. 

A Thursday You Never Saw Coming (Cleopas Part 4)

The day started off just as usual.  Some warm exchanges with your friend, Jesus.  But it is also a day of preparation.  The Passover must be celebrated tonight!  So Jesus sends you and your buddies into town to find a good place to eat.  It's a fun mission because Jesus (in his typical fashion) tells you to go to a certain man in town and tell him the Passover will be at his place tonight.  Of course, the man is flattered and willingly opens his upper room to you and all the guests of Jesus that will attend tonight. 

It is a special night.  You, your buddies, and Jesus.  Just the nearest and dearest of friends.  The laughs are many and the stories are plenty.  You love the community of friends that are gathered.  But Jesus starts to unravel some tremendous teachings to you on this particular evening.

You hardly have time to process everything that is said.  A warning that one of his own would betray him--your friend and treasurer Judas Iscariot (how could that ever happen?).  A walk up to the Mount of Olives and into the garden.  Along the way Jesus taught you so many things from "i am the way" to "i am the true vine". 

Of course your mind constantly reflects to that moment back in the Upper room when Jesus took off your sandals and washed your feet.  Golly that was humbling!  You love this man.  You would follow him to the death if you had to.

He spoke of so much more that night than you couldn't even understand.  You can tell he is preparing for something.  But you don't fully understand and your eyes are beginning to grow heavy.  You need rest.  As Jesus slips off into the garden to pray, you slip off into a slumber.

The next thing you know, you are surrounded by a crowd with torches and weapons.  They are after Jesus.  You are overwhelmed by the unraveling of events (Peter cutting off the ear of a soldier and Jesus healing it and the sudden kiss of betrayal from your friend, Judas Iscariot)!  The shock of it all sends your feet to flight and your adrenaline fully kicks in as you race into the dark to find a place of safety.

After running for a good 10 minutes you find a dark corner and slip into hiding as your mind begins to think, "What just happened?"  You are overwhelmed with confusion.  You never saw this coming. 

Your tired eyes are no longer fatigued.  Your heart continues to race and fear starts to take over you as you sit in the shadows.

You know you won't be sleeping tonight. 

(Beginning in Matthew 26:17, including John 13-17)

Wednesday with Jesus (Cleopas Part 3)

Perhaps today was a relaxing day.  A day away from the chaos.  A day of rest.  A day to just be in his presence.

We actually have no records of what happened on this particular day in the passion week. 

Last night (Tuesday), we left ourselves in Bethany (just outside the city) where Jesus had an episode at the dinner table.  Jesus was at the house of Simon the leper when a woman barged in and poured expensive ointment all over his head.  You would have been disgusted by this act and considered it all a waste.  That perfume could have been sold and the money given to someone who really needs it!  Foolishness!

But Jesus corrects your thinking and says "you'll always have the poor but you won't always have me."  Ha!  A ridiculous statement right? 

Little did you know that this very night, one of your own friends would slip away and pay a visit to some religious leaders who were bringing him in to a conspiracy.  Betrayal was in the works.

But on this particular Wednesday, you rest and relax in the presence of your inspiring leader.  Your future king.  Perhaps today was for daydreaming.  Everything was calm.  There were no crowds. There was little commotion.  There was time to reflect and anticipate what would soon come.  What will this man bring to our people?  A new kingdom?  A new reign?  A better life?

You are certain to sleep well tonight.  Because Jesus is by your side.

A Busy Tuesday with Jesus (Cleopas Part 2)

It's Tuesday morning and you are on your way back into the city with Jesus.  There is a spring in your every step as you walk with the man you know is soon to be a king.  It's good to be close to a future king because when he takes his throne perhaps he will appoint you to serve in his court!

You see Jesus walk over to a fig tree to get something to eat, but he says something to the tree and you notice all of a sudden that the fig tree withers.  Your friends around you ask Jesus how he did that!  He gives an explanation about if you ask for something in prayer you will receive it if you have faith.  You have no clue that you will soon be praying a whole lot by the end of this week.

In fact, the fig tree becomes something of an omen for the whole day you are about to embark on.  Every conversation you see Jesus engage in seems to make others "wither" around him.  Religious leaders interrupt his teachings in the temple to ask him why he thinks he has so much authority.  He doesn't give them a straight answer.

Then you sit back and soak up one of your favorite ways of listening to Jesus explain things.  Parables.  You love his stories.  And you love how he relates them to your life, even though some of them seem to go over your head.

But these particular stories today are somewhat disturbing.  They speak of rejection.  They reek of controversy.  You sense this bitter hatred flowing from the hearts of the religious leaders.  But you are also surrounded by crowds of people that herald Jesus as a remarkable prophet.

There is a great tension throughout the whole day.  Your head hits the pillow at night and you immediately fall asleep.  It has been a long, tiring, exhausting day. 

You have no time to wonder what will become of tomorrow.

(Matthew 21:18 to 26:16)

Step into the Story of Easter (Cleopas Part 1)

Everyone is writing about Passion week.  We are hearing multiple sermons about Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.

I challenge you today to join me as I try to reflect on all these lessons from the viewpoint of a follower of Jesus during that time. 

If you didn't see his death coming, if you didn't have a clue he would resurrect, if you had no idea he was going to suffer so greatly, if you had no idea that the one you loved so dearly would all of a sudden be gone, then, how would you feel on Friday?

How would you walk through this week differently?

So today is Monday.  You were just a part of a crazy entry into Jersualem yesterday where you saw Jesus ride in to town on a donkey as people praised him as a future king!

Now you are with him in the temple as you see "all the people hanging on his words" (Luke 19:48).  You see him move through the temple and drive out those who had turned it into a marketplace for their own profit.

You feel like something big is going to happen soon.  Very soon.  But it is not what Jesus has in mind.  You are soaking up every minute of his presence.  You are hanging on his every word.  Your optimism for this leader begins to soar. 

You can't wait for tomorrow.