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From Fools To Evangelists Series
Contributed by Charles Mallory on Apr 22, 2023 (message contributor)
Summary: In regards to our faith, we must take head knowledge and make it heart knowledge. We must live what we believe. The road to Emmaus helps us to avoid be foolish and slow of heart in order to live and share our faith.
THE JOY OF THE EASTER STORY IS, ABOVE ALL ELSE, WHEN JESUS AROSE FROM THE DEAD. IN ADDITION TO THAT TRIUMPHANT VICTORY, JESUS MADE APPEARANCES NOT ONLY TO THE REMAINING DISCIPLES, BUT, ACCORDING TO 1 CORINTHIANS 15:6, TO 500 OTHER BELIEVERS WHO WITNESSED HIM ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
TUCKED IN BETWEEN ALL THESE WONDERFUL MOMENTS WITH JESUS IS ONE OF THE MOST BELOVED ACCOUNTS OUTSIDE THE EMPTY TOMB. THE ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS ON THE ROAD FROM JERUSALEM TO THE PLACE CALLED EMMAUS (IMMAH-OOSE).
ONLY THREE DAYS HAD PASSED SINCE THE CRUCIFIXION AS IT WAS THE GREATEST SPECTACLE OF ROMAN AUTHORITY IN SOME TIME. THE WHOLE WORLD SEEMED ABLAZE WITH CONVERSATION AT WHAT HAS TAKEN PLACE WITH THIS MAN NAMED âJESUS.â
THE STORY NOW FOCUSES ON A MAN NAMED CLEOPAS (CLAY-AH-POSS) WHO APPEARS TO BE DOWNCAST AND CONFUSED. HE AND ANOTHER COMPANION ARE MAKING THEIR WAY DOWN THE ROAD, UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE THINGS THAT HAVE OCCURRED TO THEIR HOPEFUL âREDEEMER OF ISRAELâ WHO WAS EXECUTED YET, SEEN ALIVE AGAIN, BY THE WORD OF WOMEN AND TALK OF ANGELS.
THEY ARE SO BEWILDERED BY THE CONFUSING NEWS STORIES THAT THEY CANâT EVEN RECOGNIZE JESUS AS HE DRAWS NEAR TO WALK WITH THEM. HE SEEMS LIKE JUST ANOTHER FOREIGNER VISITING JERUSALEM FOR THE PASSOVER. WHY DIDNâT THEY NOTICE?
ACTUALLY, THIS WAS BY GODâS DESIGN IN PREPARING THEM FOR A SPIRITUAL ENCOUNTER THAT WAS TO COME. FOR NOW, THEY WERE BROKEN FROM THE NEWS ABOUT THE DEATH OF JESUS, BUT SOON JESUS WOULD REVEAL HIMSELF AND IT WOULD CHANGE THEIR LIVES.
THE FASCINATING PART OF THIS JOURNEY IS THEY OBVIOUSLY HAD THE âHEAD KNOWLEDGEâ AS TO ANSWER JESUS ABOUT âTHE THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO JESUS, THE MAN FROM NAZARETHâŚ.â
THEY GO ON IN VERSES 19-24, WITH EVERYTHING FROM IDENTIFYING JESUS, HIS CRUCIFIXION, AND THE ANGELS DECLARING JESUS WAS ALIVE. THERE WAS JUST ONE PROBLEM! IT WAS IN THEIR HEADS, BUT NOT VERY DEEPLY IN THEIR HEARTS. THEY DIDNâT REALLY BELIEVE IT NOR FULLY COMPREHEND IT.
JESUS HAD ONLY ONE RESPONSE! VERSE 25, âO FOOLISH ONES, AND SLOW OF HEART TO BELIEVEâŚ.â HE CALLED THEM FOOLS AND SAID THEY WERE SLOW! THE GOOD NEWS IS THIS IS NOT AN INSULT! THE BAD NEWS IS THAT IT IS NOT A COMPLIMENT, EITHER!
JESUS WAS NOT SPEAKING OF THE ENGLISH UNDERSTANDING OF âFOOL/FOOLISHâ THAT MEANS âDUPED, UNWISE, SILLY OR LACKING SENSE OR JUDGMENT.âTHE WORD LUKE USES HERE MEANS âLACKING IN UNDERSTANDINGâ OR EVEN âHOW DULL CAN YOU BE?â
JESUS IS CHIDING THEM FOR MISUNDERSTANDING ALL THE SCRIPTURES AND PROPHETâS PREDICTIONS CONCERNING THE MESSIAH. THEY FAILED TO PUT âTWO AND TWO TOGETHERâ SO IN THEIR LACK OF COMPREHENSION, THEY DIDNâT MATCH ALL THE EVENTS UP WITH PROHPHECY AND SCRIPTURE. THEY MISSED IT!!
THEN, JESUS CALLED THEM âSLOW OF HEARTâ WHICH LITERALLY IMPLIES THEY LACKED A DEEPER AND MORE INTENSE DEVOTION TO GOD AND THE TRUTH. THEIR UNWILLINGNESS TO FULLY BELIEVE IN THEIR HEART LED THEM TO THEIR FAILURE OF UNDERSTANDING.
JESUS IS NOT ACCUSING THEM OF LACK OF INTELLIGENCE, BUT HELPING THEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY WERE TYRING TO PUT GOD IN A BOX AND MOLD JESUS INTO WHAT THEY WANTED HIM TO BE.
JESUS IS CALLING OUT THEIR STUBBORNESS FOR NOT ALLOWING THE TRUTH TO TAKE ROOT IN THE HEART TO PURSUADE THEM INTO BELIEVING. THEIR SHALLOWNESS OF HEART LEADS THEM TO DOUBT.
THE JOURNEY COMES TO AN END AS THE WEARY TRAVELERS ARE HOME, SO JESUS BIDS THEM A âGOOD NIGHTâ AND APPEARS AS IF HE WILL JUST BE MOVING ON FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD.
WHAT SEEMED TO BE A TURNDOWN ACTUALLY WAS A âPUT ON.â LOOKING AT THE WORDS JESUS USED HERE INDICATES THAT JESUS WAS SIMPLY âTESTINGâ THEM TO SEE HOW THEY WOULD RESPOND.
VERSE 28 SAYS, ââŚHE INDICATED THAT HE WOULD HAVE GONE FARTHER.â THE WORD INDICATED MEANS âACTED AS IFâ HE WAS GOING TO JOURNEY ONWARD.
IN OTHER WORDS, JESUS WAS NOT GOING TO FORCE THE CONVERSATION, NOR WAS HE GOING TO FORCE HIMSELF ON THEM. JESUS WAITED TO BE INVITED. WOULD THEY? YES! IN FACT, THEY INSISTED UPON JESUS STAYING OVERNIGHT.
VERSE 29, SAYS, âTHEY CONSTRAINED HIM SAYING âABIDE WITH USâŚ.ââ THE WORD âCONSTRAINEDâ MEANS TO âURGE STRONGLY.â THEY LITERALLY FORCED JESUS TO STAY!
JESUS WOULD HAVE GONE ON HAD THEY NOT URGED HIM TO STAY. THE LESSON OF THIS ENCOUNTER IS THAT GOD SEEKS ALL TO COME TO SALVATION, BUT HE WILL NEVER FORCE HIMSELF ON ANYONE. HE CREATED US WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY AND BLESSING OF HAVING OUR OWN FREE WILL.
JESUS SIMPLY KNOCKS; WE MUST CHOOSE TO OPEN OUR LIVES TO HIM. REVELATION 3:20, âLOOK! I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK. IF YOU HEAR MY VOICE AND OPEN THE DOOR, I WILL COME IN, AND WE WILL SHARE A MEAL TOGETHER AS FRIENDS.â
JESUS WAITED FOR THE INVITATION TO COME IN! WE CAN EITHER INVITE JESUS INTO OUR LIVES OR ALLOW HIM TO TRAVEL ON HIS WAY. THE CHOICE OF WHAT TO DO WITH JESUS IS STRICTLY UP TO US. JESUS NEVER FORCES HIMSELF ON ANYONE!