Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-04-10
INTERNATIONAL.
SUNDMSCHOM
LESSON
(By z. o. SELLERS, Director of Evening
Department, The Moody Bible Institutss
ChicagoD
LESSON FOR APRIL IL
THE JOURNEY TO EMMAus.
(Easter Lesson.)

easter Lesson.)
LESSON TExT-Llfke 24:13-35
GOLDEN TEXT-"Who is he that shall
condemn? 1t is Christ Jesus that died.
yea rather, that was raised from t1e
dead, who is at the right hand of Cod
who also maketh in.ercession for us
Rom. S:34.
We turn aside today to consider as
the Easter lesson well-known event
in connection with the several appear
ances of our Lord after his resurrec-
ton; one of the many infallihle'
proofs, Acts 1:3; / Cor. 1874. The
narrative of this journey is one OF
the most beautiful post-resurrection
stories, simple, clear and of great
value. 1t is related, evidently, by an
eye witness. The Cleopas mentioned
is not the son of Mary, John 1925
The name of the second pilgrim is but
conjecture, though we somehow feel
it was Luke himself The journey
was about seven and one-half miles
and most likely they were returning
to their homes after the Passove=.
Somewhere on the way a stranger
their conversation, and the cause OF
their evident sadness (v. III. "a
astonishment, Cleopas answers. Suf
the stranger continues and adroilsy
draws out their entire story.
Interesting Progression.
|. Their Disappointment, w. f3&sa
It is all too evident that they did moss
expect resurrection and that, filled
with perplexity and discouragemeEA
they were on the verge of despair. r.
is interesting in this lesson to observU
the progression (1) "and they talked
v. IA; (2) "and they found not" "
%; CD land they saw not" v. "a.
az "and they constrained him." "
90; (5) 'and they knew him." v. 81;
(6) land they said the Lord
is risen." w. 80, "a; "a "and they
told" " 34 AS they talked it was
revealed that their loving hearts were
full of sadness and empty of faith, yet
to talk is often the only way to find
relief from the gnawing of grief
There seem (v. Is R. W to have
been two opinions and in their slow
ness of heart and unbelief they did
not recognize their new companion In
response to his query they told hcw
this Jesus had been delivered, con
| demned, crucified, and then revealed
| that this was to them the end ofsaH
things, for said they, I'VE had hoped
| that 1t was he" Are we willing he
should have part in our every convers
sation? Continuing they told the
amazing tale related by the women
and, moreover that their statement
Of an empty tomb had been verified
by certain women who had gone to in
vestigate, but, in conclusion, they
| again reverted to their sadness By
saying "They found his body" and
moreover, Him they saw not" Such
mystery, such disappointment was toe
great. Still there was traceof faith
remaining in that he was still tu
them "a prophet mighty in word and
| Decd" but he was not Christ the son
of the living God. The trouble was
| they were expecting a man (v. 21ls
and to remove the man meant to re-
move all hope. His death was nlys
terry and not necessarily part of the
work of redemption and thereby a
Israel. They must have remembered
his words (v. 2D, yet three days are
now past and still they had not seen
him The report Of the women was
to them only an idle tale (Luks
24:11), still it was incomprehensible
that Him they found not
Cause of Sadness. -
II. His appointment, w. 25-35.
Evidently the journey was continued
and he gently rebukes them for their
| slowness of heart to believe the rec j,
ord of their own prophets. All sad
ness, practically, arises from unbe-
ief in the Word of God, Phil. 4:6, q;
Rom. S:2S-32. He interpreted to them
the true Messianio teaching of their
own scriptures. He charges them with
folly not to believe "allS of the record
". 25). True wisdom is not that OF
skepticism which cuts out portions
of the word, but, according to Jesus.
it consists in believing all of the
Scriptures At last they reach EN-
maus, still, let us remember, not
| knowing who 1t is walking with them
The road beyond was dangerous and
they constrained him" to accept their
hospitality. AS he sat at the table
partaking of the ordinary evening
meal, he assumed the place of tha
host, took the bread, blessed it and
broke it. Instantly those old familiar
.l- L. 49, x.rI,f
it was that had walked by the way. In
that mement they knew him. and i'm
| mediately he vanished. AS one awak-
ening from a dream they seem to
have had vague realization and to
have known nothing of any fear, but
now with a new gladness in their
hearts at the verify and reality OF
things they hastened back to Jerusa-
lem where "they told what things
were done in the way and how he
was known of them in breaking OF
bread,' " 35
Ill. Teaching Points. This narra<
tive is SO full of teaching and yet
so clear and simple that it is hard to,
suggest any ordinary deductions
therefrom. The story does, however.
reveal the interest of the risen Lord
in the doubt of these two disciples
That they were probably not of the.
twelve is evident by the fact that
when they returned to Jerusalem they
found the eleven assembled ". 33l-
Thus we see him going to those out
SIDE OF that inner circle, also, two who
loved him seeking a solution of the
mystery and consolation for their sad
hearts. First hiding his identity, he
drew from them their story. He
then took them back to their Scrip
lures, with which they must have
been familiar, and revealed to them
that this mystery was according TO
those holy writings