“Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
Luke 24:32
On the very same day that Jesus rose from the dead, two from the larger group of followers were walking the seven miles from Jerusalem to Emmaus (Luke 24:13–35). One of the two was named Cleopas. (Keep in mind that there were many other followers of Jesus besides the 12 Disciples.) Presumably, this was a public road they were walking along, and so it was common that others would be traveling by foot as well. There would also likely be many pilgrims leaving Jerusalem after the Passover.
Jesus came up alongside them and supernaturally prevented them from recognizing Him, just as He did with Mary Magdalene. He was going to work on them a good bit first. Christ asked the two men what they were talking about. They were so distraught that they stopped in their tracks and recounted the details of Jesus’ life, death, and apparent resurrection. They called Jesus a prophet, as He was (Matthew 21:11). And yet, they didn’t proclaim Him as the long-awaited Messiah, even though they had been told that Jesus was alive.
Jesus responded with a rebuke; they had not taken the Word of God to heart. Moses and the Prophets of Old had explained all that the Messiah had to go through, and Jesus Himself even warned them of what was coming. Now, here it was the third day, about which He had prophesied, and seemingly nothing had happened. The moment their faith should have been at its strongest, they were weak.
As their journey to Emmaus was coming to an end, the two men offered Jesus not just a meal, but lodging for the night, as was customary. Then, as Jesus broke the bread at dinner (a task normally delegated to the head of the household, not their visitor) their eyes were supernaturally opened. Jesus was indeed alive! Jesus then disappeared in that moment, but their faith was invigorated. Cleopas and the other follower immediately headed back to Jerusalem to tell the others.
We could focus on this story as a metaphor for our lives, how Jesus comes alongside us and leads us along the path of truth through His Word. We could focus on how He brings joy to our hearts when we’re downcast. This is all very true and applicable. However, there is an aspect to this story that serves as a reminder of the importance of believing and knowing God’s Word.
So many Western Christians go through life with very little personal knowledge of the Bible. Many are spoon-fed on Sunday mornings and given quick anecdotal lessons from a daily devotional. Very little time is spent in personal and substantive Bible study.
How can we live in joy and victory in the present when we don’t know and believe what the Bible says about our future? How can we defend our faith to skeptics if we don’t know His Word? How can we share His love with the lost and hurting if we can’t quote the verses that would minister to them at that moment?
Know His Word. Embrace His Word. Share His Word.
