What Things

143.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What&nbsp;things?Luke&nbsp;24:19,&nbsp;“And&nbsp;he&nbsp;said&nbsp;unto&nbsp;them,&nbsp;What&nbsp;things?”Owners&nbsp;of&nbsp;stores&nbsp;and&nbsp;markets&nbsp;wonder&nbsp;sometimes&nbsp;how&nbsp;their&nbsp;business&nbsp;presents&nbsp;itself&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;public.&nbsp;Even&nbsp;after&nbsp;much&nbsp;training&nbsp;and&nbsp;orientation,&nbsp;an&nbsp;unmotivated&nbsp;employee&nbsp;can&nbsp;make&nbsp;an&nbsp;entire&nbsp;multinational&nbsp;company&nbsp;with&nbsp;years&nbsp;of&nbsp;experience&nbsp;look&nbsp;like&nbsp;a&nbsp;band&nbsp;of&nbsp;novices&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;public.&nbsp;Fearing&nbsp;this,&nbsp;they&nbsp;send&nbsp;“shoppers”&nbsp;hired&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;company&nbsp;to&nbsp;their&nbsp;stores.&nbsp;They&nbsp;are&nbsp;there&nbsp;for&nbsp;the&nbsp;express&nbsp;purpose&nbsp;of&nbsp;reporting&nbsp;how&nbsp;they&nbsp;are&nbsp;doing&nbsp;and&nbsp;how&nbsp;the&nbsp;company&nbsp;appears&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;public.In&nbsp;the&nbsp;story&nbsp;from&nbsp;which&nbsp;our&nbsp;question&nbsp;comes,&nbsp;we&nbsp;see&nbsp;Jesus&nbsp;doing&nbsp;this.&nbsp;We&nbsp;see&nbsp;Him&nbsp;walking&nbsp;along,&nbsp;“shopping”&nbsp;His&nbsp;disciples&nbsp;as&nbsp;if&nbsp;He&nbsp;were&nbsp;a&nbsp;stranger.&nbsp;He&nbsp;held&nbsp;back&nbsp;their&nbsp;recognition&nbsp;of&nbsp;Him&nbsp;facilitating&nbsp;candid&nbsp;responses&nbsp;to&nbsp;His&nbsp;questions.He&nbsp;asks&nbsp;such&nbsp;a&nbsp;question&nbsp;that&nbsp;the&nbsp;disciples&nbsp;are&nbsp;flabbergasted&nbsp;at&nbsp;the&nbsp;ignorance&nbsp;of&nbsp;this&nbsp;stranger.&nbsp;“Where&nbsp;are&nbsp;you&nbsp;from&nbsp;that&nbsp;you&nbsp;have&nbsp;not&nbsp;heard&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;man&nbsp;from&nbsp;Galilee&nbsp;that&nbsp;has&nbsp;turned&nbsp;this&nbsp;whole&nbsp;country&nbsp;upside-down?”&nbsp;“And&nbsp;the&nbsp;one&nbsp;of&nbsp;them,&nbsp;whose&nbsp;name&nbsp;was&nbsp;Cleopas,&nbsp;answering&nbsp;said&nbsp;unto&nbsp;him,&nbsp;Art&nbsp;thou&nbsp;only&nbsp;a&nbsp;stranger&nbsp;in&nbsp;Jerusalem,&nbsp;and&nbsp;hast&nbsp;not&nbsp;known&nbsp;the&nbsp;things&nbsp;which&nbsp;are&nbsp;come&nbsp;to&nbsp;pass&nbsp;there&nbsp;in&nbsp;these&nbsp;days?”Word&nbsp;of&nbsp;what&nbsp;was&nbsp;done&nbsp;in&nbsp;Jerusalem,&nbsp;the&nbsp;life&nbsp;of&nbsp;Jesus&nbsp;and&nbsp;His&nbsp;subsequent&nbsp;execution,&nbsp;must&nbsp;have&nbsp;rung&nbsp;throughout&nbsp;the&nbsp;countryside.&nbsp;The&nbsp;story&nbsp;must&nbsp;have&nbsp;been&nbsp;on&nbsp;everyone’s&nbsp;lips&nbsp;and&nbsp;in&nbsp;everyone’s&nbsp;thoughts&nbsp;over&nbsp;the&nbsp;past&nbsp;three&nbsp;days.&nbsp;You&nbsp;can&nbsp;imagine&nbsp;the&nbsp;conversation&nbsp;at&nbsp;the&nbsp;town&nbsp;well&nbsp;and&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;market.&nbsp;“Did&nbsp;you&nbsp;hear&nbsp;about&nbsp;the&nbsp;teacher&nbsp;Joshua?”&nbsp;(Jesus’&nbsp;name&nbsp;in&nbsp;Hebrew/Aramaic)&nbsp;“He&nbsp;was&nbsp;crucified&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;Romans&nbsp;for&nbsp;treason.”&nbsp;Or&nbsp;“…He&nbsp;was&nbsp;crucified&nbsp;for&nbsp;blasphemy!”&nbsp;Everyone&nbsp;probably&nbsp;had&nbsp;his&nbsp;or&nbsp;her&nbsp;own&nbsp;version&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;story.The&nbsp;Pharisees&nbsp;would&nbsp;gladly&nbsp;be&nbsp;giving&nbsp;reasons&nbsp;for&nbsp;His&nbsp;death&nbsp;and&nbsp;spreading&nbsp;stories&nbsp;about&nbsp;how&nbsp;it&nbsp;all&nbsp;came&nbsp;to&nbsp;be.&nbsp;Then&nbsp;there&nbsp;would&nbsp;be&nbsp;pure&nbsp;rumor,&nbsp;having&nbsp;no&nbsp;basis&nbsp;in&nbsp;fact&nbsp;at&nbsp;all,&nbsp;that&nbsp;would&nbsp;spread&nbsp;among&nbsp;the&nbsp;itching&nbsp;ears&nbsp;of&nbsp;Jerusalem.&nbsp;It&nbsp;was&nbsp;a&nbsp;situation&nbsp;ripe&nbsp;for&nbsp;gossip,&nbsp;rumor,&nbsp;and&nbsp;innuendo.&nbsp;But,&nbsp;what&nbsp;was&nbsp;the&nbsp;truth?&nbsp;When,&nbsp;why&nbsp;and&nbsp;how&nbsp;did&nbsp;it&nbsp;all&nbsp;happen?Even&nbsp;as&nbsp;His&nbsp;discouraged&nbsp;Disciples&nbsp;walked,&nbsp;the&nbsp;Pharisees&nbsp;were&nbsp;plotting&nbsp;a&nbsp;rumor&nbsp;campaign&nbsp;to&nbsp;purport&nbsp;the&nbsp;theft&nbsp;of&nbsp;His&nbsp;body&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;night&nbsp;to&nbsp;offset&nbsp;the&nbsp;fact&nbsp;that&nbsp;it&nbsp;was&nbsp;now&nbsp;missing,&nbsp;even&nbsp;under&nbsp;armed&nbsp;guard!&nbsp;How&nbsp;would&nbsp;Jesus&nbsp;check&nbsp;the&nbsp;knowledge&nbsp;and&nbsp;readiness&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;disciples&nbsp;with&nbsp;whom&nbsp;He&nbsp;would&nbsp;soon&nbsp;entrust&nbsp;the&nbsp;everlasting&nbsp;Gospel&nbsp;message?When&nbsp;they&nbsp;asked,&nbsp;“…&nbsp;hast&nbsp;thou&nbsp;not&nbsp;known&nbsp;the&nbsp;things&nbsp;which&nbsp;are&nbsp;come&nbsp;to&nbsp;pass&nbsp;there&nbsp;in&nbsp;these&nbsp;days?”&nbsp;And&nbsp;he&nbsp;said&nbsp;unto&nbsp;them,&nbsp;“What&nbsp;things?”&nbsp;“Tell&nbsp;me&nbsp;what&nbsp;things&nbsp;you&nbsp;are&nbsp;talking&nbsp;about.”“And&nbsp;they&nbsp;said&nbsp;unto&nbsp;him,&nbsp;Concerning&nbsp;Jesus&nbsp;of&nbsp;Nazareth,&nbsp;which&nbsp;was&nbsp;a&nbsp;prophet&nbsp;mighty&nbsp;in&nbsp;deed&nbsp;and&nbsp;word&nbsp;before&nbsp;God&nbsp;and&nbsp;all&nbsp;the&nbsp;people:&nbsp;And&nbsp;how&nbsp;the&nbsp;chief&nbsp;priests&nbsp;and&nbsp;our&nbsp;rulers&nbsp;delivered&nbsp;him&nbsp;to&nbsp;be&nbsp;condemned&nbsp;to&nbsp;death,&nbsp;and&nbsp;have&nbsp;crucified&nbsp;him.&nbsp;But&nbsp;we&nbsp;trusted&nbsp;that&nbsp;it&nbsp;had&nbsp;been&nbsp;he&nbsp;which&nbsp;should&nbsp;have&nbsp;redeemed&nbsp;Israel:&nbsp;and&nbsp;beside&nbsp;all&nbsp;this,&nbsp;to&nbsp;day&nbsp;is&nbsp;the&nbsp;third&nbsp;day&nbsp;since&nbsp;these&nbsp;things&nbsp;were&nbsp;done.&nbsp;Yea,&nbsp;and&nbsp;certain&nbsp;women&nbsp;also&nbsp;of&nbsp;our&nbsp;company&nbsp;made&nbsp;us&nbsp;astonished,&nbsp;which&nbsp;were&nbsp;early&nbsp;at&nbsp;the&nbsp;sepulchre;&nbsp;And&nbsp;when&nbsp;they&nbsp;found&nbsp;not&nbsp;his&nbsp;body,&nbsp;they&nbsp;came,&nbsp;saying,&nbsp;that&nbsp;they&nbsp;had&nbsp;also&nbsp;seen&nbsp;a&nbsp;vision&nbsp;of&nbsp;angels,&nbsp;which&nbsp;said&nbsp;that&nbsp;he&nbsp;was&nbsp;alive.&nbsp;And&nbsp;certain&nbsp;of&nbsp;them&nbsp;which&nbsp;were&nbsp;with&nbsp;us&nbsp;went&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;sepulchre,&nbsp;and&nbsp;found&nbsp;it&nbsp;even&nbsp;so&nbsp;as&nbsp;the&nbsp;women&nbsp;had&nbsp;said:&nbsp;but&nbsp;him&nbsp;they&nbsp;saw&nbsp;not.&nbsp;In&nbsp;searching&nbsp;out&nbsp;their&nbsp;knowledge,&nbsp;Christ&nbsp;found&nbsp;their&nbsp;facts&nbsp;to&nbsp;be&nbsp;accurate,&nbsp;but&nbsp;they&nbsp;themselves,&nbsp;discouraged.&nbsp;They&nbsp;had&nbsp;their&nbsp;facts&nbsp;straight,&nbsp;but&nbsp;they&nbsp;were&nbsp;unsure&nbsp;how&nbsp;those&nbsp;facts&nbsp;were&nbsp;to&nbsp;be&nbsp;interpreted.&nbsp;They&nbsp;exposed&nbsp;their&nbsp;doubts&nbsp;when&nbsp;they&nbsp;confessed,&nbsp;“…we&nbsp;trusted&nbsp;that&nbsp;it&nbsp;had&nbsp;been&nbsp;he&nbsp;which&nbsp;should&nbsp;have&nbsp;redeemed&nbsp;Israel!”&nbsp;Their&nbsp;voices&nbsp;trailed&nbsp;into&nbsp;mumbles&nbsp;that&nbsp;could&nbsp;be&nbsp;read&nbsp;clearly&nbsp;as,&nbsp;“…but&nbsp;alas,&nbsp;it&nbsp;was&nbsp;not&nbsp;to&nbsp;be.”&nbsp;Christ&nbsp;saw&nbsp;that&nbsp;they&nbsp;were&nbsp;feeling&nbsp;defeated&nbsp;in&nbsp;their&nbsp;hearts&nbsp;for&nbsp;they&nbsp;thought&nbsp;Christ,&nbsp;the&nbsp;“great&nbsp;and&nbsp;mighty&nbsp;Prophet,”&nbsp;was&nbsp;dead.&nbsp;It&nbsp;was&nbsp;as&nbsp;if&nbsp;they&nbsp;were&nbsp;apologizing&nbsp;for&nbsp;the&nbsp;fact&nbsp;that&nbsp;He&nbsp;was&nbsp;unaccounted&nbsp;among&nbsp;them.&nbsp;“…And&nbsp;beside&nbsp;all&nbsp;this,&nbsp;today&nbsp;is&nbsp;the&nbsp;third&nbsp;day&nbsp;since&nbsp;these&nbsp;things&nbsp;were&nbsp;done.”These&nbsp;words&nbsp;showed&nbsp;that&nbsp;they&nbsp;had&nbsp;discussed&nbsp;the&nbsp;prophetic&nbsp;sign&nbsp;of&nbsp;Jonah&nbsp;that&nbsp;Jesus&nbsp;had&nbsp;spoken&nbsp;of&nbsp;in&nbsp;earlier&nbsp;days.&nbsp;He&nbsp;had&nbsp;promised&nbsp;that&nbsp;in&nbsp;three&nbsp;days&nbsp;He&nbsp;would&nbsp;rise&nbsp;from&nbsp;the&nbsp;dead.&nbsp;Then,&nbsp;as&nbsp;if&nbsp;to&nbsp;lend&nbsp;some&nbsp;credibility&nbsp;to&nbsp;Christ,&nbsp;they&nbsp;added,&nbsp;“Yes&nbsp;well,&nbsp;women&nbsp;of&nbsp;our&nbsp;company,&nbsp;which&nbsp;were&nbsp;early&nbsp;at&nbsp;the&nbsp;sepulchre,&nbsp;told&nbsp;us&nbsp;an&nbsp;amazing&nbsp;story&nbsp;when&nbsp;they&nbsp;did&nbsp;not&nbsp;find&nbsp;his&nbsp;body,&nbsp;they&nbsp;came&nbsp;saying&nbsp;that&nbsp;he&nbsp;was&nbsp;alive.”&nbsp;But&nbsp;then&nbsp;he&nbsp;adds&nbsp;sadly&nbsp;and&nbsp;reluctantly,&nbsp;“…but&nbsp;we&nbsp;went&nbsp;there&nbsp;and&nbsp;were&nbsp;not&nbsp;able&nbsp;to&nbsp;confirm&nbsp;their&nbsp;story.”<p...