I was in a meeting yesterday with those going with me to Costa Rica this week when someone mentioned where they are with the Lord right now. They simply said, “I am in a place where I need to listen to what God is saying to me.”
It was like a light bulb went off in my heart saying “That’s where you need to be also.”
Do you ever have times like that when God just opens your eyes to some thought or action that needs to be done in your life? I think all of can relate to this is one way or another.
Our scripture today describes an incident where a couple of people were walking home to the village of Emmaus. The Crucifixion was a few days ago. We don’t know if it was two men or a man and a son or perhaps a man and wife. We do know one was named Cleopas, a man’s name. It tells us they were discussing all that happened, when Jesus joins them. It adds that they were kept from recognizing Jesus.
Have you ever wondered why they were kept from recognizing him? Why would Jesus want to keep his identity from these believers? Perhaps we guess that it was to be a teaching experience. He wanted to teach the scriptures and not have them distracted by that amazing fact that he was alive.
I have a fear that Jesus or an angel or some other divine messenger will come to me and I will fail to recognize them. If I miss it, I hope that the identity was hidden from me and it is not just my lack of vision or closed minded nature that keeps me from noticing.
Jesus asked, what are you discussing? And they stop and look depressed and ask Jesus if he is just passing through and not heard all the news…
What news?
They tell him about Jesus of Nazareth, how great a prophet he was, and how the authorities had arranged his death. They also express that they had thought he was to be the one who redeemed Israel. Then they shared how the women found an empty tomb and others verified it.
Jesus calls them foolish because they don’t understand or expect the descriptions of the messiah to come true in their hearts. And then over the next few miles he explains from Moses through the prophets and how they relate to Jesus the Christ.
Jesus reminds them about the scripture related to the prophecies of the Messiah. If Jesus was recognized or revealed who he was he would have been explaining scriptures with his personal authority. He would have been speaking as the son of God, which would be pretty powerful.
However, he did not let them know who he was.
These two believers were probably not too different from any of us. They were in a time when God did not make sense. They probably wanted to scream questions at the top of their lungs. Why did this happen God? How could you do this to such a good Man? What are we going to do now?
I would say that these people were at one of the lowest points in their lives. Just days ago they were on a mountaintop and now they are in the darkest of valleys.
I thinks it is safe to think that most of us have had questions for God, that we wondered why me, or us? Wondered why this good person suffered so much or died so young.
I imagine there have been times when we gave up and headed the wrong way until something, or someone came alongside to redirect us.
We all are all traveling down life’s road. Depending on where we are sometimes our hopes and dreams are broken and prayers are unanswered. When it seems the worst Jesus comes along and joins us where we are. We walks beside us and encourages us and he never leaves us alone.
I don’t know about you, but I often don’t recognize him and his actions until I have reached the end of my trip.
Our travelers reach their destination and Jesus keeps heading down the road. They invite him to come and stay with them.
Jesus never presumes that he is invited into your life. He does not act as if he expects an invitation; he never hints or asks to be invited. He only enters your life if you freely invite him.
The travelers basically insist that Jesus join them. And he readily agrees. You never have to ask Jesus to enter your life twice for him to respond.
The light meal is quickly prepared and they sit down for dinner.
Vs. 30 says, " When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight."
All this time they had been with Jesus, looking at Him, but never seeing Him. Now suddenly, as they eat together, their eyes were opened and they actually saw Him for who He was.
After He left, it says that they asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"
We sang a song yesterday in church with these lyrics -
“So set a fire down in my soul
That I can't contain and I can't control
I want more of You God, I want more of You God!
There's no place I'd rather be
There's no place I'd rather be
There's no place I'd rather be
Than here in your love, here in your love
I watched as the words resonated with those singing them. We sang the song well and we captured the moment and prayed that God would help us to want more of Him.
I’m sure that for some that their eyes were opened but to be honest - for many, it was just another song.
As I’m pondering about this passage this morning - I have a prayer resonating in my spirit - “I want to know you more.” “I want my eyes to be opened.” “I want to hear God and be one with Him.”
It’s interesting - our church staff met this last week to plan out 2017. Our theme is going to be “EYES WIDE OPEN.” This message has been resonating with me since then and I truly can say that my heart is wide open for whatever God wants to do in and through me.
How about you?
No comments:
Post a Comment