The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1912, Page 28

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

28 The Lutheran Pioneer.

Three Pilgrims.

When Christ was laid in the grave, His disciples
were sad and troubled, and lost all hope. Two of
them went on Easter Day from Jerusalem to a
Village called Emmaus. With sorrowing hearts they
talked together of all the sad things that had
happened. On their way they were joined by a
stranger who with words of sympathy induced them
to unburden their minds. As they spoke of their
lost hope, the stranger reminded them of what the
prophets had spoken concerning the Messiah, and
showed them that it all had been fulfilled by what

oo

they had seen in Jerusalem. THe proved to them
from the Scriptures that Christ had to suffer and
thus enter into glory. As they walked with the
stranger, their hearts burned within them whilst
listening to His words. And when they came to
the village of Emmaus and the stranger wanted to
go farther, they asked Him to stay with them, say-
ing, “Abide with us; for it is toward evening, and
the day is far spent.” And He went in to tarry
with them. As He sat with them at the table and
broke bread, their eyes were opened, and they saw
that He who had joined them on the road and had
spoken to them was He whom their souls loved.
It was Jesus who that very day had burst the bands
of death and had come forth triumphant from the
grave. How the disciples rejoiced when they saw

their risen Savior! All their sadness was gone.
Jesus lying in the grave was the end of their hopes,
but Jesus risen filled them with the assurance of
hope.

With joyful hearts the two disciples that very
night walked back to Jerusalem. ‘They had seen
Jesus, the living Jesus; they had experienced the
power of Ilis resurrection, and they hurried to tell
others of that which made them glad.

The risen Savior still speaks to us through His
Word as we go our way through life. Does not the
Christian’s heart often burn within him as he in
his days of sorrow listens to the Savior’s words of
comfort and love? And is not his heart filled with
joy as he realizes that he has a living Savior, mighty
to save and to help in all troubles and sorrows?
This should move him to tell others of that which
makes him glad and which alone can bring comfort
and joy to those that are still walking in darkness.
The true Easter joy must make the Christian zeal-
ous in all mission work. Christians are pilgrims
here on earth, and during their short. pilgrimage
they should redeem the time and gladly help in
spreading the Gospel of the risen Savior and the
salvation in Him. When their journey ends and
they enter their heavenly home and behold Him
whom their souls love, what joy it will be for them
to meet many who by their help in mission work
here on earth have been brought to share with them
the everlasting joys and bliss of heaven!

A Fruit of Missions.

Missionary Sack in Africa relates the follow-
ing: — ;

Hezekiah Poo came to us from another mission
station. He and his family joined our congregation.
He was a quiet and industrious man, and with the
blessing of God was very prosperous. ‘Ihe disci-
pline in his home was very strict, and seldom did
one of his children miss school or church. ‘“TFor,”
said he to me, “the child has nothing else to do
than to obey; the parents care for everything.
When I go to my work, the child must go to its

work, it must go to school, and when, on Sunday, —

I enter the church,-my children must already be
there, and I want to see them.”

It was very painful for us to see Hezekiah
stricken with consumption and laid upon a sick-
bed from which he was not to rise again. During
his sickness his honse was a house of prayer, and