HEARTS SET ON FIRE (2)

SEE LUKE 24:13-35

Luke 24:32 NASB 2020

32 They said to one another, “Were our hearts not burning within us when He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?”

INTRODUCTION

As Luke comes to the end of his account of the gospel of Jesus Christ, He remains true to his purpose of writing: To help convince his readers of the truthfulness of what they had been taught (See Luke 1:1-4).

Luke 1:1–4 NASB 2020

1 Since many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3 it seemed fitting to me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in an orderly sequence, most excellent Theophilus; 4 so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.

He accomplishes his task by being the consummate historian presenting his case

a. From Eyewitness Traditions.

b. The Proof from Prophecy.

c. The Proof From Miracles.

d. The Proof From The Growth of the Church (The Book of Acts).

Stein, Robert H. 1992. Luke. Vol. 24. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

The issue at hand today is that although Christians know these things, it does not seem to move them. A.W. Tozer has stated: “Religious complacency is encountered almost everywhere among Christians these days, and its presence is a sign and a prophecy. For every Christian will become at last what their desires have made them. We are all the sum total of our hungers.2”

HOPELESSNESS (See Luke 24:13-21)

Luke 24:13–21 NASB 2020

13 And behold, on that very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, which was sixty stadia from Jerusalem. 14 And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him. 17 And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they came to a stop, looking sad.18 One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You possibly the only one living near Jerusalem who does not know about the things that happened here in these days?” 19 And He said to them, “What sort of things?” And they said to Him, “Those about Jesus the Nazarene, who proved to be a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people,20 and how the chief priests and our rulers handed Him over to be sentenced to death, and crucified Him. 21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.

This narrative is about an episode that happened on the same day of the resurrection of Jesus. Luke tells of two men who are traveling from Jerusalem to a village named Emmaus. The distance of the journey is given at sixty stadia from Jerusalem (which would be equivalent to 7 miles or a 2 hour journey). As the two men walked along together, they were talking with each other about the things which had taken place. They were discussing the current events and recent news. You know, just like we do when talk about the the Trump indictment, or latest debate on gun violence and gun control.

While they were walking and talking, Jesus approached them and began to walk with them. In was in their company, but they did not know it because according to the text “their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.” The Handbook of the Gospel of Luke states: “their eyes were kept from, implying that, though their eyes perceived a person, their minds were not able to recognise who he was, and that this was not their own doing but because of some outside agent, ultimately God. Luke says that as Jesus walks with them, He catches them off guard with “a halting question.” The question was “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?”

The question took the travelers by surprise, and they stopped in their tracks with sad faces. Without saying anything, their faces had a language of its own. Nehemiah was confronted by Xerxes because his face told on him, David in Psalm 42, 43 was wearing his feeling on his face. Let me park parenthetically to say that how you feel is written all over your face; you don;t have to say a word! Jesus knows when something is wrong. After the non-verbal communication the traveler named Cleophas is reported to have said “you must be the only one who lives near here that does not know what has been going on around here in recent days.”

Jesus seeks clarity with his question “what sort of things?” To this came the reply “Those about Jesus the Nazarene, who proved to be a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people,and how the chief priests and our rulers handed Him over to be sentenced to death, and crucified Him.

They went on to state that their hope for the future of Israel was tied up in him, and their hope was killed with him. They were experiencing the pain of hopelessness related to his being taken away through death. They said these things happened the day before yesterday (or, 3 days ago).

In his book, Be Patient, Warren W. Wiersbe comments: “pain makes us forget the joys of the past; instead, we concentrate on the hopelessness of the future.”

BEWILDERMENT (LUKE 24:22-24)

Luke 24:22–24 NASB 2020

22 But also some women among us left us bewildered. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. 24 And so some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.”

As we read further, we discover that they are not only suffering from the hopelessness of his being taken away through death but they are also suffering from the bewilderment of his missing body. Verse number 22 says but to add to this or in addition to this or in spite of this (i.e, his crucifixion, death, and burial), Some of the women of our group left us bewildered (literally drove out our senses from us : confused, astounded,bewildered) postmodern vernacular might say “left us messed up”. The issue originated with the experience that they reported having early in the morning. They had gone to the tomb where the body of Jesus was laid and had seen an empty tomb and a vision of angels. They heard the angels saying that he is alive. The women reported the experience to the disciples and others, but they were not believed .

Luke records some of the disciples going to the tomb and verifying that the tomb was empty, yet they too refused to believe the report. The women were eyewitnesses; they did not come with what they heard through the grapevine. Their testimony was not based on what they picked up from the gossip line or rumor mill. They had only spoken what they saw and heard. And so, these two traveling disciples were bewildered because they did not know what to believe. They were as Harry A Ironside described:

Groping like the blind, bewildered as one with no eyes, he stumbles over the plainest truths of Scripture and in the full noontide blaze of a Divine revelation tells you he is seeking for light, while refusing the testimony of God.

REVELATION ON THE ROAD (Luke 24:25-31)

Luke 24:25–31 (NASB 2020)

25 And then He said to them, “You foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to come into His glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the Prophets, He explained to them the things written about Himself in all the Scriptures. 28 And they approached the village where they were going, and He gave the impression that He was going farther. 29 And so they strongly urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them. 30 And it came about, when He had reclined at the table with them, that He took the bread and blessed it, and He broke it and began giving it to them. 31 And then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.

As he always does Jesus speaks in the midst of hopelessness and bewilderment. He, however does not linger on them, but helps these travelers see that they are suffering from a lack of understanding. His words you foolish men and slow to heart cry out for explanation. By foolish he means lacking understanding, and by slow of heart he is alluding to their mind as in Mark 2: 6.

Mark 2:6 NASB 2020

6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and thinking it over in their hearts,

He says to them and their hopelessness and bewilderment that it had to happen just the way it happened. Can I preach that to someone today that the things that has happened in your life had to happen. So many people wish that certain things had not happened to them however if it had not happened you would not know what you know, you would not have grown how you’ve grown, and you would not have learned what you have learned. In fact if Jesus had not died for us, we would all still be dead in trespasses and in sin. Jesus said it had to happen.

Verse 27 says that the Lord unpacks the truth of that statement by pointing to Moses and all the prophets. He wanted his traveling companions to know that it was no haphazardly thing nor was it a secondary scheme, but it was the plan of the Lord to redeem. As they approached their destination, that is, the village of Emmaus these disciples got ready to turn in for the evening, but Jesus acted as if he would journey on. The asked him to stay with them because it was already late and they were being hospitable as was the expectation of a Jewish person. Hebrews 13:2

Hebrews 13:2 NASB 2020

2 Do not neglect hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

When I see these words “ stay with us” I am reminded of the old hymn “Sweet Holy Spirit.” The hymnologist beckons the sentiment present: stay right here with us filling us with your love.

Jesus had been teaching and explaining the scriptures to these brothers on the road; He was literally enlightening them with revelation. When they asked him to come in he gave them another revelation because when they reclined at the table Jesus was the one breaking the bread,,and he was the one blessing the bread, and then it became clear to his traveling companions who he was.

The text says that they recognized him and he vanished from there site. If they had not let him in what are the chances that they would have experienced this special revelation? This leads me to say to somebody today you ought to let him come in! Many people look at the wording in this verse and ascribe its meaning to the Eucharist based on the breaking and blessing of bread ; however the meaning behind these words is that Jesus the guest became Jesus the host . It is as he said spoke to the Church of Laodicea and said behold I stand at the door and knock if anyone here my voice and led me in I will come in to him and Sup with him and he with me. Why won’t you let him come in?

HEARTS SET ON FIRE Luke 24:32-35

Luke 24:32–35 NASB 2020

32 They said to one another, “Were our hearts not burning within us when He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” 33 And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, 34 saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon!” 35 They began to relate their experiences on the road, and how He was recognized by them at the breaking of the bread.

When they recognized that it was Jesus who had appeared to them, they had emerged from hopelessness, gotten clarity for their bewilderment, and recieved revelation on the road that ignited them internally - The text says that they said to one another, “were not our hearts burning within us as He was speaking to us on the road…

The Greek word kardia (heart) is seen here as the seat of emotions, while kaiomenē (burning) is used metaphorically and indicates both enthusiasm and expectation. These brothers say to one another “did you feel what I felt?”

Brothers and Sister i contend that our hearts are set on fire when He speaks to us. He speaks to us through the Scriptures

If we come to Scripture with our minds made up, expecting to hear from it only an echo of our own thoughts and never the thunderclap of God’s, then indeed he will not speak to us and we shall only be confirmed in our own prejudices. We must allow the Word of God to confront us, to disturb our security, to undermine our complacency and to overthrow our patterns of thought and behavior. John Stott

When hearts are set on fire, there is no hesitation, but believers move with determined expediency to tell what they have seen, heard, and felt. The text says “and they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, saying, the Lord is really risen and has appeared to Simon! They begin to relate their experiences on the road, and how He was recognized by them at the breaking of the bread. I believe that this text says to us that we too have explaining to do as it relates to how we know that we have had contact with the Christ. The Songwriter may have said it best when he wrote: “It’s in my heart!”

CONCLUSION

Well, In closing, I want to leave a word of encouragement for the hopeless, the bewildered, and the complacent whose fire may have been douched with hoses of life’s experience, God can set your heart on fire again as you spend time with him on your road, Let him into your abode (not as a guest, but as Lord), and let him speak to you. Has your heart been rekindled with fire from above?