Jesus Takes a Road Trip

James Tissot, detail from 

"Pilgrims on the Road to Emmaus" (1884-1896), 

watercolor on gray wove paper, Brooklyn Museum.

Luke 24:13-35

Two followers of Jesus were heading to a village called Emmaus.  It was about 7.5 miles from Jerusalem.  The average person could do that in a couple hours.  These two guys are talking about all that has gone on.  They were trying to make sense of all that happened.  Jesus was supposed to be the one who redeemed Israel but then there was the trial, the beating, His death…and now the report that He was no longer in the grave.  You get a sense in this passage that these guys were confused, disappointed and discouraged.  They were caught up in all that was going on. This was probably not a fun road trip for them.

In the midst of their conversation, Jesus drew near and began to walk with them.  Not recognizing Him, He asked what they were discussing that caused them such sadness.  The traveler named Cleopas basically asked where Jesus had been not to know what has been happening the last few days.  They unload their thoughts and feelings on Jesus.  Again, they were so caught up in what was going on, they did not recognize that Jesus was right there in their midst.

Jesus points out their lack of understanding and begins to unpack the Scriptures from Moses through the prophets.  All the verses that talk about Jesus, He himself explained to these two weary travelers.

As it was getting late, they begged Him to come in and rest with them.  As they shared a meal, Jesus broke bread, blessed it and gave it to them.  They’re eyes were opened and Jesus vanished before their eyes.

They admitted that their hearts burned within them as Jesus expounded on the Word.  These two then made a beeline right back to Jerusalem to tell the apostles all that had happened.

I love this passage of Scripture.  So much Jesus could have done but one of the first things he did was go talk to these two discouraged followers.  I believe He had compassion and love for them.  Today, we also experience times of discouragement.  We get overwhelmed by our circumstances and we don’t always see Jesus in our midst. 

The road to Emmaus was filled with confusion, yet Jesus walked with them, unrecognized for a time. He was with them in their darkest hour, taught them, and finally they saw the light!  They had to tell people.

Are you on the road to Emmaus?  Discouraged, confused!  Look up….your redemption draws near.  Jesus is there on the road with you….wanting to show you the Way the Truth and the Life!

That Loving Feeling

Today in church, our guest speaker shared from Matthew 22:36-40.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

This is a passage I have come back to again and again over the last few years.  In fact, I share it quite frequently from the pulpit myself.  I have found this passage to be convicting and challenging on one hand yet very encouraging as well.

It is convicting because Jesus lists these 2 commandments as the ones that ALL the Law and Prophets hang on.  He could have listed anything in response to the question.  The first one makes sense to me.  Love the Lord with every part of your being!  I find that to be very convicting.  Do I love the Lord with all of my heart, all of my soul, all of my mind?  I would love to say YES to that.  Sadly, it is not always true.  I know there are times I put other things before the Lord.  In that I am convicted.

It is challenging because the second commandment he lists is to love our neighbors...as we do ourselves!  Honestly, I am often challenged by that. I want to ask who my neighbor is but I already know the answer to that.  It is everyone I meet from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to bed!  It includes my family, my friends, my co-workers and my enemies.  I find loving my enemies to be the challenging part.  I remember one of our special needs volunteers putting it plainly to me once.  He said if God calls us to love our enemies, that means loving the terrorists as well.  God does not make distinctions when He calls us to love!

It is encouraging because as Lamentations 3:22-23 says, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."  I am guilty of not always loving others as I should. There are times I need to repent when I fail to apply Matthew 22:36-40 to my life.  God is faithful and forgiving, calling me to something more, something better.  

As the speaker this morning shared, as we love God more it becomes easier to love our neighbor and as we do so, it impacts those around us.  I would say our lives are changed as we embrace that loving feeling! 

Eyes to See

"As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. And two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They said to Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.” Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him."  (Matthew 20:29-34)

This was the passage of Scripture I was reading as part of my devotion time this past week.  I had to go back and read it a few times because it really resonated with me.  Though unplanned, it made it's way into my sermon on Sunday. It became an appropriate reference in conversation today with someone needing encouragement.

I think God was trying to get my attention.

Jesus certainly got the attention of the 2 blind men.

These guys were not about to let Jesus pass by without making some noise.  I can just picture a large crowd, the normal crowd noise, and 2 guys shouting to be heard!  "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"

They were obviously loud because the crowd told them to shush!

Obviously they were not to be deterred because they cried out all the more.  They had no way of knowing if Jesus heard them but they were going to give it their best shot.

Jesus stops and asks what they want Him to do for them.  I like what they ask for....they asked for their eyes to be opened.  Think about that for a moment.  Let it sink in.  They asked for their eyes to be opened and Jesus touched their eyes.

It says they regained their site AND followed Him.

I believe their eyes were opened literally and also spiritually.  They saw Jesus and they SAW Jesus.  Jesus healed people but not everyone followed Him.  However these 2 guys FOLLOWED Jesus.  They had eyes to see, not just the world around them, but the King of Kings. 

I want to see what God wants me to see, who He wants me to see and how He wants me to see!

After reading this passage, my prayer is Lord, I want my eyes to be opened!

Faith Matters

Life is filled with incredible highs and discouraging lows.  One moment we seem to be having the best day ever, but the next minute we can come crashing down to earth.  The ups and downs of life are enough to give us emotional whiplash.

This, to me, is why faith matters.  I personally need the steadying influence that only Jesus Christ can offer.  Jesus has this to say in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me, all who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest.”

Who doesn’t crave rest?  We run around to and fro, trying to get more and more done each day, yet it seems we never catch up.  In fact, we seem to slip further behind.  Everyone seems tired and exhausted and a day “off” seems to be more of a myth than a reality.

In Psalm 46:10 we are encouraged  to  be still and know that He is God.  How can we be still?

Well, if we look at the example of Jesus in the New Testament, we see that He would go away to the mountains.  He would go off by Himself to pray and rest. 

I believe we need to intentionally retreat at times.  It might mean going for a hike, a walk or a bike ride.  We might need a stroll by the river, or just to lay down on the couch and veg!  It is possible to prioritize rest. 

The second part of that Scripture  is to know that He is God!  To know something is to understand it with clarity and certainty.  How do we know God?  Scripture says,  “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.” (Psalm 34:8)

Why not stop for a moment, read the Bible and pray to the Lord?  Maybe you too will see that faith matters.

Just A Thought #8

FEAR NOT!

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind." 2 Tim. 1:7

I wish I would remember this Scripture more often. Fear is insidious, like a little worm that has burrowed its way deep down into an apple without our knowing it. Of course if we'd been looking we might have seen the hole the worm crawled into and would have cut the affected part out before taking a bite. I look at fear, insecurity and doubt as major weapons in the enemies attack on believers. I believe fear is a weapon that cripples the body of Christ.

We all know that fear, insecurity and doubt are sins. I have also come to see it, in my life at least, as calling God a liar! Now, none of us in our right mind would do that. Yet every time I doubt God or let fear run rampant I am saying that God's word is not true. In effect, calling Him a liar. If I doubt my finances will be provided for, that He cares for my needs, etc..., I am saying He does not tell the truth. Harsh? What is doubt then? If God says He will watch over us and meet our every need and we worry about our needs, then we are saying God cannot do what He says.

For me the fear has been health related. I have had some trouble breathing of late (indigestion) and am working on changing my diet. Yet, when this happened I let fear get in to the point I ended up in the hospital. I felt I couldn't breathe but the issue went deeper then that. I realized I have been letting every health or perceived health issue take my focus away from God. I then began to worry about each issue instead of keeping my focus on Him and His promises. Yes, we all go through health issues. It is a part of life. However, I have let fear of the "unknown" possibilities take my eyes off of God in this area. I have repented and am praying through these issues even now.

We all have things we struggle with. I believe we should be praying for and encouraging each other in our walk with God. That has been the purpose of these thoughts. To encourage us all to go deeper with the Lord. I could use your prayers. I would also like to pray for you. If you are struggling with fear, doubt or insecurity please let mew know so we can lift each other up before the throne. As I read in Mark 9 this week: "I do believe, help my unbelief" (V. 24)