Articles
Slow Hearts Set on Fire
Reading: Luke 24:1-35
On the Sunday when Jesus was raised from the dead, two of his disciples traveled to the village of Emmaus. They talked about the suffering and death of their teacher (v. 14), and during this time Jesus approached them and joined their journey—but “their eyes were kept from recognizing him” (16). He asked about their conversation, and the discussion that came from this offers a first-hand perspective of what a disciple at that time thought of Jesus: he was a mighty prophet (19) whom they had hoped would be the one to redeem Israel (21).
Cleopas’s perspective wasn’t unique; many of those who followed Jesus envisioned an earthly kingdom (see Matt. 20:21-22) that Jesus would rule in an earthly way (John 6:15). So when this man died, their short-sighted hope died with him. No wonder they were still and sad as they reflected on this tragedy (v. 17). But into this despair, Jesus spoke life and truth: without knowing the Christ Himself was telling them these things, He interpreted the prophecies and opened the Scriptures to them (vv. 27, 32). At last, sitting down at the evening meal, the two men recognized Jesus as he broke the bread (30, 35)—before he promptly vanished from their sight. They immediately returned to Jerusalem to proclaim their newfound hope in a resurrected Savior!
The transformation that took place in Cleopas and his fellow disciple in such a short time is one that we too must make as we seek to follow Christ today. After first hearing their take on his death, Jesus calls them “slow of heart” (v. 25). Even after choosing to follow the Lord, our hearts can be slow to believe. We may bring hopes, expectations, or limited views into our walk with Christ that actually hamper our spiritual growth and development. We must allow the word of God to literally change the way we think about God, others, ourselves, and life (Romans 12:2). By the time Jesus left them, these men confessed that now their hearts burned because of Jesus’s teaching (32). When you and I have hearts that are slow to believe, we too must stoke the flame of faith in the power of God’s revealed truth.
