Annie
Scriptures:
Luke 24: 13-35
The road to Emmaus story is not a long story. It doesn't take up much room in our Bibles. But one of the most significant events that is recorded by Dr. Luke was that of Cleopas, and possibly his wife, although we are not specifically told who the other disciple walking with him is, on the road to Emmaus.
The experience that they had, as they made their way home to Emmaus, is meticulously recorded because we need this beacon of Light on our walk.
All hope had gone. They had watched that awful crucifixion. If the other disciple was indeed Mary, sister of our Lord’s mother, wife of Cleopas, she was one of the women who remained at the cross. She had stayed right to the end. She was one of the women who had followed Joseph of Arimathea as he took the body of their beloved Saviour and Lord to the tomb. They watched as the Roman soldiers rolled a huge stone across the entrance, sealing it fast. Their last hope for the future of Israel was gone.
But they had to stay in Jerusalem because of the Sabbaths, the high Sabbath, and the normal weekly Sabbath. For two long days, they waited until, on the first day of the week, they could go home to Emmaus, seven miles away.
Seven weary, sad, heartbreaking miles. Their hearts must have felt dead inside them, hopelessness must have been flooding their souls. They didn’t even know whether to truly believe that He had risen and was alive once more.
And then a stranger appeared alongside them on the dusty road, asking them why they were so sad, so downcast. They weren’t able to hide the disappointment and feelings of desperate loss. He wanted to know what was wrong. So they told him about the trial, the torment of watching all their hopes crumbling as Jesus died on the Roman cross.
He gazed at them as He very gently, very lovingly chided them for not believing all the prophets had foretold about His path. He led them through all of the Scriptures relating to the Messiah pointing out to them that it had been fulfilled in the life of this man that they loved so dearly.
When they reached their destination, He made as if He was going to walk on, but they asked him in to dine with them. And there, in the breaking of bread, their eyes were openedto see Who He was. And He vanished from their sight.
Their next words are very, very significant “Did our hearts not burn within us as He spoke to us of the scriptures concerning Himself?”.
When God reveals to us the Christ who had achieved every detail that was written of Him. That He is the One who had come, not to destroy the law, but to fulfil the law and the prophets. He came to be the fulfilment. And when we begin to see this, not by knowledge, but through revelation from God, do our hearts burn? Do we feel on fire? Feeling that this must be the Messiah, the Christ, the One who was foretold for centuries, the One Israel had waited for during that silence in the heavens for 400 long years,.
As we seek God, as we come before him, with open hearts, with yearning to know him better, to cry out to Him, and say, “Show me yourself”, He will. He delights to reveal more of Himself. Not more show or more demonstration, but more of the person of God, of Christ within us.
Then, when our eyes have been opened, when we begin to see the true Revelation of our Messiah, that He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, we, too, can say “did our hearts not burn within us” as we walked our own road to Emmaus.
Prayer: Father God, as the old hymn says “send Your Fire” into our hearts as we seek to know You more deeply. As You reveal Yourself, set our hearts on fire, to Your Glory and Your Glory alone. Amen