Text: Luke 24:13-49
Event(s): The road to Emmaus; Jesus appears to the disciples and opens the Scriptures
Luke 24:17 “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?” Again, Jesus asks why the sadness. The NASB translation continues, “And they stood still, looking sad.” Jesus’ question apparently so shocked these two disciples that they stopped walking. It opened a wound in their hearts and renewed their sorrow. But He met them right where they were and drew it out of them so that He could reveal the truth to them. When we are discouraged, we can be so real and open and vulnerable with God. He always leads us to truth but we have to be honest about where we’re at.
Luke 24:25 “Oh foolish ones and slow of heart to believe…” The word used for foolish here means not understanding, or unintelligible. There’s clearly a connection between lack of revelation and unbelief. Unbelief is what causes lack of understanding. I’ve sometimes spoken with believers who say they do not hear from God, or they don’t get anything out of the Bible when they sit down to read it. But if we dig a little deeper, we usually find this can be traced back to unbelief.
Luke 24:28 “He indicated that He would have gone farther.” Jesus did not force these disciples to believe or to entertain Him. He didn’t impose Himself, but instead would have kept on going. In the same way, whenever we’re dealing with issues of the heart or wrestling with something we can’t get clarity on, Jesus will meet us there, He’ll walk with us, but will never force Himself upon us. But the great news is He will do as deep of a work as we will allow Him to.
Luke 24:32 “Did not our hearts burn within us…” Some of my favorite words in the whole Bible. The word of God is not just heard, it’s experienced. The words of the Lord are Spirit and they are life.
Luke 24:49 “until you are endued with power from on high.” The word endued means to sink into, to put on, to clothe oneself. The Promise was coming, but there were specific instructions given. Wait in Jerusalem, and expect power. There was no hint given about what exactly would happen, but they had to be obedient and they had to be patient enough to wait for it. Even today, God may give us a promise, but we must exercise obedience and patience to receive it.
Today’s Takeaway: The disciples on the road to Emmaus had the facts. But the facts alone had led to discouragement. They needed heavenly perspective – revelation – to reenergize them and get them back on track. From this story, I’ve learned that whenever I feel like this, whenever I’m going through moments of discouragement, or have lost my energy, there’s a truth I need to reignite me and if I’ll just get in His presence, He’ll lead me to all truth.
Additional (optional) reading: Some parallel accounts of today’s events may be found in Mark 16:12-13
Linda G Riddle 