The Emmaus Road
I have begun a new Bible Study with the women at my church on the Spiritual Disciplines. The first of these disciplines we cover is Bible intake, which is arguably where we get all the other disciplines from. Well, the first evening of the study, I got to share the devotion and the Lord graciously gave me insight into Luke 24:13-35, where Jesus walks with the disciples on the Road to Emmaus. Here are a few insights into these verses.
First, notice that the disciples were walking and talking and Jesus joined them. He came to them. Stop and consider that for a moment. Don’t let verse 15 just pass you by-“….Jesus Himself drew near and went with them.” Do you need that reminder today?
Secondly, notice how the conversation with Jesus goes. He lets them talk. He lets them bring up the things most important to them. He does not immediately rush in and “fix their thinking”. He doesn’t immediately reveal Himself and correct their confusion. God can handle your doubts and questions, if you honestly want to know and understand Him; bring Him your questions and let Him show you Himself.
The third point relates to the second, Jesus keeps them in their questions for awhile. His answer is not immediate to their reasoning and conversation. They are concerned with Jesus and where He is NOW, not what the prophets said about Messiah years before.
Ladies, this is a hard thing to write, but sometimes God does not answer our questions and confusion in the way we would prefer. He doesn’t come rushing in and save the day like we think He should. But He always does what is BEST for us and sometimes that means our understanding isn’t enlightened until AFTER He has worked.
Instead of immediately dealing with their questions, Jesus lets them talk and then what does He do? Verse 27-And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
He elevates the Word of God. He brings them back to it. They wanted a tangible person, and He, knowing He was departing, pointed them to His Word that would remain. He knew the best thing for these disciples was to understand the Word and in that they would be comforted.
Yes, Jesus could have shown them Himself. There are times when I wish He would just tangibly appear and reveal Himself. In those times of doubt and hurt, the desire for a physically present Jesus wells up within me. But He has given us something so much better, and He knew that. When we turn to His Word and take it in, when we choose to fight against our feelings and force our hands to open up our Bible, that’s when we do see the tangible Jesus. When we dig into His Word and seek Him, we get Him at the end of it.
If you want to find Jesus, He has told us where to go. If being in the Word has become a chore and boring, ask Him to reveal Himself through it. He claims that the Scriptures testify of Him (John 5:39), have you found Him in it?
