MCC Florida — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:44:22 +0000

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MCC Florida — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:23:12 +0000

The Road to Emmaus
Luke 24:13-35
The Emmaus story, recorded only in Luke, has great universal appeal. Luke, the physician, seems to be concerned with Jesus’ healing and restoration ministry. In this story Jesus gave hope to a sad couple.
This passage is also identify as the Emmaus Syndrome as a condition in which a person is so buried in his own problems that he or she is unable to experience the presence of Jesus Christ in his life.
Symptoms of the Emmaus Syndrome are: gloom and sadness (verse 17), disorientation of reality (verse 24), lack of hope (verse 24), upset feeling (verse 32), and feeling alone (verse 17).

1. People suffer sadness:
This couple who was disciple of Christ was walking back to their home and in their journal they was disgusting all the bad things that happen during the past few days, they was gloom, sad, disoriented, hopeless, Their condition did not allow them to go back and think about all the things that Jesus said to them. All their expectation was broken or ripped a part, they feel lonely, they couldn’t think clearly. That is what happen when gloom and sadness come to our life, it is very hard to find our way, and see good things happening to us. One of the first question that we raise up is “Why this happen to us, why us?”
In this moment of sadness Jesus approach us as hi did with this couple and also communicate with them. V17 “what are you discussing together as you walk along?” Jesus communicates with them. Communication as a part of a healing process.
Cleopas said “are you the only one…. Happen that when we are sad we don’t have the ability or conscience about what going on around us, and we think that every one are on the same page we are. Jesus forces them to talk as a way to release their pain, V19. “What things” Jesus in this process now listen to them, to what they had to say. In a communication process we are able to orient and receive orientation

2. Jesus Christ meets people in their sadness.
Jesus sympathetically spent time with this couple. He took time to orient, and consul them, the encounter with Jesus was instructive V21. But Sadness most of the time does not allow us to see the sings of hope that life provide us, sadness make us feel hopeless. But when Jesus meets people in their sadness, he comfort them, guide them, orient them and rebuild that hope that we all need to keep going true life, especially when things happen to go in the direction that we don’t want them to go.
When Jesus saw the lack of faith in us, he also take time to reprimand us, to shake us a little V25, but also he take time to clarify things to us. He explained to them from the Scripture how He would suffer (verse 27). Jesus also gave them an experience in which they could identify Him (verse 31).
Sadness is also a time for reflection and testing. V28 Jesus pretend that he was going a little farther, but then, they invited him to stay.
Someone said “When you walk with the stranger, you will know, and learn things that you never knew”
And also sadness is a time to accompany or to keep company V29, spend time with does we love and don’t love, spend time with does that need us and does who invite us to stay and share with them. Also is time to bless some one in Jesus name.
Jesus knows our sadness and He will give us a way to recognize Him in any circumstances. “Jesus is the healer of broken harts”.

3. Jesus gives hope:
Hope: A desire of some good, accompanied with an expectation of obtaining it, or a belief that it is obtainable; an expectation of something which is thought to be desirable; confidence; pleasing expectancy.

Communion, sharing the bread of life with other V30, this is something that bring us together. True this action their eyes were opened and they was able to recognize Him. True the action of communion (Sharing) we are able to see the Lord moving among us. We are not alone even we fell that we are lonely, disoriented, upset, sad and hopeless.
Do you remember what happen in the last Supper? Lc. 22:19
When he feed the five thousand? Mr.6:30-42
V.36 the disciples say, send them the people away. V. 37 You give them something to eat.
When he feed the four thousand? Mr. 8:1-10
V.4 “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”
The common work here is that he took the bread, give thank, broke it and give it to them.
True the action of taking the bread, giving thanks, broken it and sharing it their eyes were opened and they was able to se Christ in this stranger, foreign, outsider.
Jesus Said to us, you are the bread of life, come forward, give thanks for this blessing, broke your soul, and give it or pas it on to others, and then you will be able to see the wonders of the Lord in this world.
When this happen you will build hope in this land, in the life of my people. You also will be able to share the good news of the gospel, because you won’t be able to hold it for your self. V33 and be a witness of Jesus Christ with your family, community, friends, work, country etc.
They reported to their friends that Jesus was a live (verse 34). Their previous hope had been that Jesus would redeem Israel (verse 21). The hope He gave them eclipsed their previous hope. Jesus gives hope for whatever condition you are in.
In conclusion
This sad couple, who was going home hopeless, was given hope by Jesus Christ and become witness of Jesus resurrection.
My brothers and sister we might look for Jesus Christ in our problems, gloom, sadness disorientation of reality, in our upset feelings, in our loneliness broken health etc. even if there seems to be no solution for any of them.
Remember you also can find Jesus in the shadows and he will build up your hope true others people life experience or true your own experience and in that way he will make you his witness, a witness of Jesus Christ.
What we have seen and heard, we can not keep it quiet Jesus Christ is the Lord.
“Lo que hemos visto y oído, no lo podemos callar, Jesús es el Señor"
God Bless you all.
Andrew Bodden

MCC Florida — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 17:50:05 +0000

Una vista agradable del Sur de Florida

Inmigración & la Biblia

MCC Florida — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 17:04:25 +0000

El evangelio de Marcos 6: 30-44 narra una historia interesante acerca de Jesús y la gente que lo seguía. El se aparto por un momento de la multitud para descansar, pero al verlos tuvo compasión de ellos, y comenzó a enseñarles .
Después que se hizo tarde los discípulos le recomendaron a Jesús que se deshiciera de la multitud, ya que el costo para alimentarlos seria mucho y es mucho mas fácil y practico despacharlos y así nos quitamos esa carga de encima, pero Jesús sorprendiendo a todos les dijo V.37a “denles ustedes mismos de comer”, pero los discípulos no entendieron la profundidad de la respuesta del Maestro y V37b comenzaron a quejarse de lo costoso que seria aquella locura de Jesús y que se quedarían sin dinero por culpa de aquellos desconocidos.
Jesús quiso enseñarle a sus discípulos como también a nosotros que la responsabilidad de servir a aquellos que están en desventaja es nuestra, y que no importa el precio, ni la cantidad de excusas que encontremos para no hacer nuestra labor, la responsabilidad sigue siendo nuestra.
Jesús pregunto V.38 cuantos panes tienen, ellos dijeron que cinco y dos pescados, luego los mando a sentarse, los acomodo en grupos, Bendijo los panes, los partió y lo dio a sus discípulos para que lo repartieran a la gente. Lo interesante fue que comieron todos (cinco mil) hasta quedar satisfechos.
No ignoremos nuestra responsabilidad de ser hospedadores y servir al extranjero, al emigrante, que cuando lo hacemos a uno de estos los mas pequeños y vulnerables, a mi lo hacéis dice el Señor.

Andrew Bodden