They came to the edge of the village where they were headed. He acted as if he were going on but they pressed him: 'Stay and have supper with us. It's nearly evening; the day is done.' So he went in with them. And here is what happened: He sat down at the table with them. Taking the bread, he blessed and broke and gave it to them. At that moment, open-eyed, wide-eyed, they recognized him. And then he disappeared. (24:28-31)Many of us are familiar with this scriptural scene, often called the walk to Emmaus, only recorded by Luke. It has become connected with the spiritual retreats of the same name, that provide great encouragement and challenge to many believers. In some ways, I've allowed it to become too familiar and missed the amazing moment that happened in the lives of these two men. Just as I often miss Jesus and the moments that He's calling me to recognize Him with newly opened eyes.
Today, I began wondering about how those men's lives were forever changed because of this simple moment. Their eyes were opened to Jesus. They encountered Him like they hadn't before. It must have been one of those experiences that causes your whole worldview to shift. That lifts your eyes from self to Him. That satisfies the soul and makes it hungry at the same time. Oh, to meet Him again. But then he disappeared.
"We can meet Jesus. It's happened before. And the hope of that encounter far surpasses the hope of a better life in this world. That's the first thing we must know.
"And living for a better life in this world with more energy than we pursue a deeper relationship with Christ is evil. That's the second thing we must know. It's an insult to God. He gives us the best heaven can offer, and we ask for something else....
"One of Christ's choice followers, Augustine, said the same thing. Augustine knew what it was to live for a better life. He also knew the emptiness of a soul that could be satisfied with nothing and no other than God.... Only when he had an encounter with Jesus and began pursuing the Better Hope of Intimacy with God did he discover a joy he preferred [to his addiction]....Jesus' desire is for me to experience Him, just as He was fully recognized on the road to Emmaus. He's calling me to satisfy myself with only Him. Even when He feels absent, even when it seems that He has disappeared. He's calling me to pursue Him with more energy than I pursue any solution or relief.
"[Jesus] guarantees to all His followers: the opportunity to draw near to Him, to put every egg in the basket of His presence with us even when His absence is all we feel, to depend on Him to be doing a good work in us even when everything that happens seems bad." (Larry Crabb, The Pressure's Off)
As we finish Luke, what is God opening your eyes to?
1 comment:
I can't believe we're three-quarters of the way through the gospels. It's all going so quickly.
There are plenty of things that stand out to me in Luke, but overall, I'd say that God is opening my eyes to how much He wants me to persevere in faith, especially when life feels hard. And that perseverance isn't going to be through my own effort; it must be through the Spirit, in God's power.
There are no guarantees that life is going to turn out the way I expect, but that's no excuse for me to hold back. God wants me to surrender everything to Him and to not let fear paralyze me or cause me to choose a safer option. What 'everything' includes for me is marriage, children, ministry, reputation, financial security, worldly success, and my "rights' to the life I want.
Risk your life and get more than you ever dreamed of. Play it safe and end up holding the bag. (20:26)
That's what God is impressing on me as we wrap up the book of Luke. Thanks for asking, Staci! :-)
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