This week, I'd like for us to take a look at something that God spoke concerning the way in which His people could find forgiveness and healing. It is found in 2 Chronicles 7:14...
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
Let us first notice that there are three distinct steps that we must take, and three specific actions that God will take in response. First, we must humble ourselves. Secondly, we must pray and seek God. Then, we must turn from our wickedness. In return, God will hear from heaven, He will forgive our sins, and He will heal our land. These are steps that are not only imperative for America, but for the whole of humanity, as the problem of sin is a worldwide epidemic. In order for us to come to a full understanding of the scope and magnitude of this verse, as well as how it applies to us, we'll break it down into its individual parts and take an in-depth look at it.
"If my people..." The nation of Israel were God's chosen people, although they had proven their disloyalty many times. Today, we, as Christians, are God's chosen people, a "spiritual Israel". No higher honor could be given than to be bestowed with the title of "God's people". However, we show disloyalty many times, as well, and this is really the aim of the verse, to give a person, or a nation, a blueprint for returning to God.
"...which are called by my name..." America was founded upon the principles of God, and our laws and statutes were established in order to promote godliness. The Declaration of Independence credits our Creator with endowing each of us with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Since 1864, "In God We Trust" has appeared on all US coins, and in 1956 it became the official motto of the United States. May we, as a nation, never forget the Source of our blessings, and the morals and ethics upon which this country was founded. If this country is to be turned around, it will be God's people who will have to lead the charge.
"...shall humble themselves..." It is no coincidence that the first directive given by God here is to humble ourselves. Without humility, we cannot see our desperate need for reconciliation to God. We are told in James 4:10..."Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.", and in 1 Peter 5:6..."Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time." Jesus tells us in Matthew 23:12..."And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." The underlying concept of humility is one of submission to God. This is what makes humility such a paradox. We must let go of all that would build us up, that would make us appear greater than we are, in order to actually be built up, and become all that we are meant to be. It consists of the acknowledgement of our inability to make it without God, of our dependence upon His provision, His love, His mercy, and His grace.
"...and pray, and seek my face..." Prayer is our point of contact. When a humble heart reaches out to God, and seeks to connect with Him, He is more than willing to meet us halfway. He will even help us to pray, when we do not know what we should pray for, as we read in Romans 8:26-27..."Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God." It is our willingness to humble ourselves, and to admit our faults, that God recognizes. When we open ourselves up to the leading of the Spirit, and seek to align our lives with the will of God, we bridge the gap. The Spirit can then intercede on our behalf, and bring us into a closer relationship with God.
"...and turn from their wicked ways;..." This is the sticking point for many of us. The breaching of our own will in deference to God's will is a very difficult transition to make. There are times when it seems almost impossible, and we may break one bad habit only to find that another, more insidious, compulsion takes its place. Our sin may be hidden from the eyes of others, but it is never hidden from the eyes of God. We read in Proverbs 28:13..."He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." We must be willing to acknowledge our sin before God. 1 John 1:9 tells us..."If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." It is only through the voluntary emptying of one's self and the pursuit of clarity and purification that only God can provide that we will see real and lasting change. It is only God who can truly transform us. No self help book, no psychiatrist, no guru or life coach can make the changes that God can make. Only by His Spirit can we be renewed, and revitalized, and only the precious blood of Jesus can reshape us into the new creation that He would have us to be, as we read in 2 Corinthians 5:17..."Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
"...then will I hear from heaven..." God is patiently waiting to hear from us. He is longsuffering in His mercy, and He longs for the day that we will return to Him. Jesus tells us in Luke 15:7..."I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance." Jesus also relayed in the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:20, as the son comes to himself, and resigns himself to the fact that he is no longer worthy to be called a son, but will rather go to his father and ask to become a hired servant, that "when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." God knows all, He sees all, He hears all, and He is listening for us to cry out to Him. He is waiting for an opportunity to run to us.
"...and will forgive their sin..." Forgiveness is the single most important need that we have. Above even food, water, and shelter, forgiveness takes preeminence because without it, we cannot be assured of a home in heaven. We may have all that we need in this life, and much more, but without forgiveness of our sins, we have nothing. As Jesus tells us in Matthew 16:26..."For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" We must first recognize our need for forgiveness, however, and this realization is discouraged in today's society. People are told today that they are ok just the way that they are, that they have no need for vindication, nothing to be sorry for. The truth is, there is no one who does not need the forgiveness of God. We read in Romans 3:23-24..."For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."
"...and will heal their land."... The healing of our nation, as well as all of the nations of the world, needs to be our highest priority. Countless thousands are dying in sin every day, and we must do all within our power to stem this tide of destruction. Change begins with each one of us. As we, as individuals, humble ourselves, and begin to pray, and seek for God to forgive us and change us into what He would have us to be, we become a part of the solution rather than the problem. Let us work toward humility, and pray that God would forgive our iniquities and heal our land, that our nation would return to God and to the principles upon which it was founded, and once again become a great nation.
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and will turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
This week, I'd like for us to take a look at a very interesting event that occurred in the early days of the church. Soon after the Day of Pentecost, as the church was in its formative state, the disciples who gathered together were all of the same mind, and many of them chose to sell their possessions in order to distribute among the believers as the apostles saw fit. It was at this time that a man named Ananias, along with his wife, Sapphira, made a fatal error in judgment. We'll read Acts 5:1-11, and then take a closer look at what occurred, and the reasoning behind it...
"But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then she fell down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things."
First, a little background on what may have motivated Ananias and Sapphira to do what they did...we read in Acts, chapter 4, verses 32-37..."And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul; neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet." The disciples had decided amongst themselves, Ananias and Sapphira included, that they would sell their possessions in order to have a common source of income, that is, to allow the apostles to distribute among the believers according to their needs. This was a very noble undertaking on the part of the disciples, but as we see, hypocrisy can infect even the most pious and generous of exploits. Even the early church, though full of zeal, was not immune to the damaging effects of jealousy, greed, and hypocrisy. Because there were those among the disciples who had sold their possessions, and actually given the entire amount of the proceeds directly to the apostles, Ananias and Sapphira became envious of the praises that these selfless acts had generated. A plan was then devised between the two of them, that they would sell their land, but hold back some of the money. After all, who would know? Certainly the apostles would not be aware of it, nor would the other disciples, and how bountifully benevolent and charitable they would appear to be!
Their deceitful plan is revealed in verse 3 as Peter confronts Ananias..."But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God." The first thing that we notice here is that Peter questions Ananias as to why he has allowed Satan to fill his heart. Satan has no power over us, except we give it to him. He cannot force us to do anything, he can only coerce. He can tempt, seduce, and persuade, but he cannot overpower our will. It is only when we allow his enticements to overtake us that we are defeated.
Let us next take note of the fact that these disciples were not under any obligation to sell their land, nor to give any or all of the money for the common good of the church. We know this because Peter eludes to the fact that the land, as well as the proceeds from it, was in Ananias' own power. The selling of their possessions, as well as the giving of the money, was entirely voluntary. This scheme was contrived as a result of envy because the Spirit had led some of the disciples to sell their land, or their homes, and to give the money to the church. Ananias and Sapphira became jealous of the attention that was given to the sacrifice made by these disciples. Their motivation in selling their land was not to further the kingdom, but rather to garner esteem and commendations. Their actions also reveal an alarming lack of faith, because they trusted in money rather than in the provision of God. It would seem that, as disciples, Ananias and Sapphira would have been aware of the fact that God is omniscient, that He knows all, and sees all. However, in this instance, they coveted the praises of men rather than transparency and fellowship with God.
We now come to the sentence passed down upon Ananias in verses 5 and 6..."And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him." Notice that Peter did not pronounce judgment upon Ananias on his own behalf. Peter had himself denied Jesus three times not very long before this incident occurred. It would seem that Peter, having been forgiven for his own trespass, would have had compassion upon Ananias. This leads us to conclude that it was not Peter who passed sentence upon Ananias, but that it was an act of the Spirit of God. After all, it was the Holy Ghost that had been lied to, and it was the Spirit that took the life of Ananias.
With verses 7-11, we find Sapphira meeting her doom in the same manner as her husband, and the reaction of the people to these events..."And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then she fell straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things." Sapphira came in about three hours later, fully expecting to be received with praise and commendation for her selfless act of charity. Peter even gives her the opportunity to set things right, in order to avoid the terrible fate that had befallen her husband. However, she maintains the lie originally told by Ananias, thereby sealing her fate. With a chilling final disclosure, Peter tells her that the men who buried her husband are at the door, and will carry her out. What horror she must have felt at the realization that not only had their lie been found out, but also that her husband was dead, and the Spirit of God had pronounced judgment upon them both, and now she would meet the same demise! We read that great fear came upon the church, as well as all those who heard about this event. Certainly, this sudden and severe punishment would have been quite shocking, and definitely would have instilled fear into all those who became aware of it.
So, what can we learn from the account of Ananias and Sapphira? It is much more than simply a cautionary tale, it is an actual firsthand account of what can happen when we lie to God. We must never allow pride, or greed, or jealousy, to cloud our judgment. God knows all, and He sees all. Paul tells us in Hebrews 4:12-13..."For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." May we strive for transparency with God, because He already knows all that there is to know about us. There is no point in trying to conceal anything from God. He knows our deepest thoughts, He understands our emotional state, and He calms our darkest fears. We are His creation, the work of His hands, and He loves us in spite of our shortcomings. May our intimacy with God grow deeper as we are led by His Spirit to become all that He would have us to be.
This week, I'd like for us to take a look at the concept and meaning of sanctification. Admittedly, if I was asked to define sanctification before undertaking this study, I would not have been able to give a proper definition. Although I have heard the term all my life, and felt that I understood the concept, it really goes much deeper than I had imagined. Webster's dictionary defines the word "sanctify" as "to make sacred or holy, or to set apart, or make free from sin." These are all acceptable definitions, but considering the fact that sanctification is a biblical concept, I believe that we should allow the bible to define it for us. Therefore, we'll take a look at some instances of sanctification throughout the bible and delve into the deeper meaning of what it is to be sanctified.
The first mention of sanctification in the bible is found in Exodus, chapter 13, verse 2, as God instructs Moses that he is to sanctify all of the firstborn of Israel, both man and beast, because they belong to Him. In this instance, sanctification is defined as the setting apart for use by God. Later on in Exodus, God gives instruction through Moses for the building of the tabernacle, and for the sanctifying of the instruments of worship. So we see, not only people and animals can be sanctified, but inanimate objects, as well. Anything that God makes holy, or sets apart for His use, is said to be sanctified. How does this differ from sanctification as it relates to our salvation?
In the original Greek, which is the language that the New Testament is written in, the word "sanctification" is "hagiasmos", which is literally translated as "holiness." We know that only God is holy, and no person or thing shares the holy nature of God, so, how does anything become sanctified? Only God can sanctify a person, an animal, or an object, to make it holy, and set it apart for His intended purpose. We are told that we are to be holy, as we read in 1 Peter 1:15-16..."But as he which called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." However, this holiness is not something that we can ever hope to achieve on our own. Only through the blood of Jesus, and our belief in His supreme sacrifice, can we be made holy. Human beings cannot sanctify themselves.
God created man in His image, perfect from the beginning, and all was flawless and complete until the lies of Satan beguiled Adam and Eve, and the fall of mankind was the result. We were thrust into a state of separation from God, and only He Himself could bridge the gap that sin had created. We read in Genesis 3:8-9..."And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?" There can be no doubt that God knew exactly where Adam and Eve were, as well as what they had done. Still, He came seeking after them, because the redemption of humanity is the goal of our Father in Heaven. Original sin, committed by Adam and Eve, had driven a terrible wedge between not only themselves and God, but between all of humanity and God as well, which could ultimately only be removed by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. For thousands of years, the sacrifice of bulls and goats was to be the only atonement for sin, but even this was only a temporary measure. The sacrifices were continual, and the people were at the mercy of their high priest, and depending upon whether their high priest was pure or not, the people would be either blessed or cursed. Since the resurrection of Jesus, we live under the New Covenant, and we are blessed to have a high priest who lives forever, and continually makes intercession on our behalf before God.
So, how can we, as sinful human beings, ever hope to be sanctified? Our answer is found in Hebrews, chapter 10, verses 1-14..."For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."
So, we see that it is ultimately the blood of Jesus which sanctifies us, but we must understand that we have a vital role to play in the process, as well. We must strive to live as He would have us to live, and to be led by His Spirit, and proclaim His Word. 1 John 1:5-7 tells us..."This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." May we be a willing participant in the sanctifying work of Jesus in our life, allowing His precious blood to cleanse and purify us, that we would walk in the light, as He is in the light.
This week, I'd like for us to take a look at a very interesting event which occurred immediately following the resurrection of Jesus. Two disciples of Jesus, one of whom was named Cleopas, the other unnamed, were traversing the road to a village called Emmaus, which was approximately seven and a half miles from Jerusalem. This event is recorded in Luke, chapter 24, verses 13-32...
"And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people. And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre. And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him, and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
The first thing that we notice is that these two disciples left from Jerusalem, and walked the road to Emmaus, approximately a two hour walk. We are not told why they were going to Emmaus, but from the context, it would seem that they were leaving Jerusalem, possibly returning home, disappointed and saddened by the things which had happened to Jesus. It seems as though, perhaps, that their faith had been seriously shaken, and though they had been told that Jesus had risen from the dead, they were unsure of what to believe. We are told in verses 14 and 15 that "they talked together of all these things which had happened", and that "they communed together and reasoned", which leads us to believe that they were trying to make sense of it all, to come to terms with things, and to figure out where to go from there. Suddenly, "Jesus himself drew near and went with them", just as He does with us any time that we are confused or downtrodden. Verse 16 tells us that "their eyes were holden that they should not know him", and whether Jesus took on another form, or whether their physical eyes were restrained from discerning who He was, we are not told. Either way, they did not realize that it was Jesus who walked with them. Jesus then asks them, "What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?" Notice here that Jesus took note of their sadness, and so it must have been apparent, which is another clue to their mental state. Their sadness eludes to the fact that they were unsure whether or not to believe in His resurrection, because if their faith had been solid, and they had believed that He was raised from the dead, they would have no reason for sadness, and most likely would have stayed in Jerusalem with the rest of the disciples, waiting for Jesus to return. Jesus felt their sadness, and He sought to ease their pain, just as He does with us, as Paul tells us in Hebrews 4:15..."For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities..." Jesus has true empathy for us, He knows our pain, and our sadness, and it is only through Him that our situations will improve. With verse 18, we see Cleopas answering Jesus, seemingly surprised that the stranger is unaware of the events of the past few days, and as Jesus inquires further, Cleopas explains the circumstances surrounding the condemnation and crucifixion of Jesus. Interestingly, in verse 21 Cleopas says..."But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel...", which further explains the sadness and confusion that these two disciples must have been feeling. There was a general sense among the people in Jerusalem that Jesus was sent to free the Jews from the oppression of Rome, to overthrow their empire, and to set things right again. But Jesus had come for a much greater purpose. It was the freeing of mankind from the clutches of Satan that Jesus came and died for. The Jews were under the control of Rome, and could not accept the fact that the Messiah would come without freeing them from their oppressors, thus they rejected Him, which ultimately led to His crucifixion. Of course, all of these things were foreknown, planned from the beginning, and all had to occur just as it did in order for us to receive the atonement. Only through His death, burial, and resurrection can we have the forgiveness of our sins. However, this gives us an interesting insight into the mindset of these two disciples. They could not see beyond their present situation to realize that it WAS He who had redeemed Israel, not necessarily from the oppression of Rome, but from a much more powerful enemy. He had redeemed them from their sins, and brought them eternal life. He not only redeemed Israel, but all of humanity who would from that point forward believe on Him.
It is at this point that Jesus reproves the disciples for the weakness of their faith, and their narrow mindedness. "O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?" He then begins with Moses and the prophets, and draws out the parallels and the foreshadowings of Himself, and how it was foretold that the Messiah would suffer and die and be raised again the third day. The Old Testament is filled with glimpses of Jesus, and with prophecies concerning His life, as well as His death and His resurrection, but sometimes these are hard to see, and difficult to discern. We have a good example of this in Acts 8:30-35, as Philip sheds light on the prophecies of Jesus to the Ethiopian eunuch..."And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus." And so, these two disciples were blessed to have Jesus Himself to guide them, to explain the prophecies and parallels firsthand to them, which had a very profound effect on these men.
With verses 28 and 29, we see the disciples approach the village of Emmaus, and we are told that Jesus "made as though he would have gone further", in other words, it seemed to the disciples that this was not the intended destination of their new acquaintance, that he was traveling further. "But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them." Take note here, that Jesus had no intentions of going any further, He simply wanted to be constrained by the disciples. This is what He desires from us, as well. He wants us to invite Him in. Jesus wants to hear us say, "Abide with me." We need His precious Presence, because it IS toward evening, and the day IS far spent. We need to recognize the eternal importance of clinging to Jesus, of inviting Him in to tarry with us, as our society continues to crumble, and the morals, ethics and values that we hold dear are systematically abandoned. Jesus is our only Hope in these last days.
We read in verses 30 and 31..."And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight." As the disciples sit down to eat, Jesus takes over as the Master of the feast, blessing and breaking the bread, and giving it to them, at which point the veil was lifted, and their eyes were opened. Likewise, our eyes are opened as we break the bread of life, in the reading and studying of God's word. Jesus then "vanished out of their sight", giving these disciples just enough of a glimpse of Himself as to confirm that it was indeed He who had eased their minds on the road to Emmaus. He had opened their spiritual eyes to the truth of the gospel before He opened their physical eyes as to His true identity.
We conclude with verse 32, and the reaction of the two disciples to the revealing of Jesus..."And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?" The original Greek text reads, "kardia kaiomene", literally, "heart burning", denoting the intensity with which the words of Jesus had affected these disciples. A fire had been rekindled and stoked in these men, insomuch that there was no longer any doubt as to the resurrection of their Lord. He had reaffirmed their faith, while at the same time, relighting the fire in them that was barely flickering at the beginning of their journey. May the words of Jesus burn within our hearts, and light a fire, just as they did in the hearts of these two disciples. Jesus changed their lives on the road to Emmaus, just as He can change our lives no matter what road we may be on.
