Emmaus Devotional - Team Meeting (5-13-23)

Scripture

Luke 24:28-32 - They came to the edge of the village where they were headed. Jesus acted as if he was going on but they urged him, “Stay with us. It’s nearly night and the day is done.” So, he went in and stayed with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. At that moment, their eyes opened and they recognized him, but he then vanished from their sight. They said to one another, “Didn’t we feel alive as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened the Scriptures for us?”

Engage

Seven years ago or so, I was visiting a church members ranch in the Carlsbad area. I was scouting for a place to do some river baptisms. I drove down 87 highway, then to a windy, dusty, dry caliche road. Driving on such a road kicks up all sorts of dusts, you have to watch for rattle snakes, you might have to worry about your undercarriage setting the brush on fire, etc. It’s kind of grievous, causing burden or grief. Then I got to a gate. The gate had a four number combination. I called the rancher to get the code…Try this, he said. Nope. How about this? No. Hmm, maybe this…nope. I think on the fourth or fifth try, the lock opened. It didn’t just open itself, I had to call on the owner for the combination…Once I got through the gate and down the road just a bit farther, I found this pristine setting on the concho river. Beauty, water, joy, peace. We ended up having numerous people baptized in that spot.

Encounter

Friends, the reversal from grieving to glowing on that road went through a gate. And the universal truth is that, The reversal from grieving to glowing hinges on THE gate John 10:7-9

“7 So Jesus spoke again, “I assure you that I am the gate of the sheep. 8 All who came before me were thieves and outlaws, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture.”

These men walking on the road to Emmaus discover this truth. Their reversal from grievous to great hinges on THE gate, Jesus. Open your Bibles to Luke 24 beginning in verse 13 to see the whole context.

So they’re traveling to Emmaus, about a seven mile journey or so from Jerusalem. Scholars aren’t sure where the Emmaus of the 1st century is located modern day, but not far. Why are they going there? We’re not positive, but it seems likely that’s home for them. As they travel, their grieving, sad, disheartened, downtrodden. Why? Maybe There are a couple likely factors…likely some combination of these results in their condition.

They’re confused, perplexed. As I’ve said before, confusion never brings anyone joy. What they envisioned happening didn’t happen. Perhaps they’d looked forward to Israel being restored as the ruling party of the promised land…GRIEVED BECAUSE OF AN UNEXPECTED DETOUR

They’re also grieved because of the death of Jesus. They may not have been foremost among the disciples but it seems they knew him, followed him, etc. They may also be grieved by what seems to be shattered careers. GRIEVED BECAUSE OF REAL DEATH

If indeed they envisioned Israel restored, it’s likely they had dreamed of living out there lives in some sort of roles of power…not major power, perhaps, but power nonetheless. Power that would provide food, shelter, purpose, and posterity. Now, they see all those dreams having died on the cross. GRIEVED BECAUSE OF A PERCEIVED DEMOTION

As they’re grieving, a traveler we later learn is Jesus joins with them. He jars them a bit, to wake them up, calling them foolish and dull. THEN, he explains the Scriptures to them. He’ll do the same for us! As they’re experiencing this, as they say later, they’re ALIVE. Their hearts are on fire, they’re experiencing the presence of God though they don’t know it yet. THEY’VE GONE FROM GRIEF TO GLOWING

They arrive and they INVITE him to stay…He honors the request until he’s revealed, then poof, he’s gone.

The pilgrims of this Emmaus walk are likely all going to come grieving in one way another…over detours, death, demotions, divorces, what have you. Our job as the team is to show them to the gate! To give them some of the keys that’ll help them find the gate for themselves…prayer, study, disciplines, fellowship, confession, etc...AND to show them imperfect glimpses of a glowing life looks like in our faces and our actions AND to lead them to invite, or re-invite, Jesus back into their lives in full.

If we, and they, truly desire Christ to abide with us, he’ll never leave. I told the story not too long ago about the wife of Dr. Matthew Sleeth, who was Jewish. Dr. Sleeth had converted to Christianity and she was struggling. Christ came to her while she was hiking and said precisely that very thing, “If you choose me, I’ll never leave you.” Praise Jesus!

Cleopus and his friend are so excited by what has just happened that they set out, at night or nearly night, to go 7 miles back to Jerusalem! No waiting until morning! This is dangerous, but they couldn’t stand to wait. They’ve gone from grieving to glowing…have you ever been bursting with such news that you just can’t contain it? There’s a great SNL skit featuring Kristen Wiig about that…they simply can’t wait to go tell the other disciples…now they walked a lot more than we do…but 14 miles in a day? With old school sandals? On uneven terrain? At night? Wow...

The reversal from grieving to glowing hinges on THE gate, Jesus.

Empower

One of my brothers in white named David has a story of reversal. He’ll admit he was one of the worst of the worst gang members. He knew little to nothing of religion. He got interested in a woman, while incarcerated, who spoke of Jesus and Scripture. Out of pursuit of the woman, and not necessarily of Jesus, he began opening a Bible in his cell. One day, while he had the Bible open and he was facing the back wall of his cell, he sensed and felt a bright light behind him, almost as if the sun was rising directly behind him. He felt the presence of Jesus and felt Jesus encourage him that he was on the right path. Then, Jesus was gone. But, I’ll promise you, David went from grieving to glowing through that encounter with the risen, reigning, eternal Christ, Jesus of Nazareth.

Pray