It's A Heart Thing

n Two men were walking on the road to Emmaus discussing all that had happened, and wishing things were different. Jesus shows up and walks and talks with them, but they aren’t aware that it is Him. He breaks bread with them and they realize it is Jesus and then He disappears and they return to the other disciples to tell them the news.

n 3 different heart conditions can be seen in this story.

1. A Heart that is Sad or Broken

• These men were saddened by what had happened to Jesus.

• These men were certain that things were going to be different, and when things didn’t turn out the way they had anticipated, they didn’t know how to deal with the sadness/hurt/pain.

• Even when speaking to Jesus, they were downcast and distraught over the hurt and disappointment.

• A heart that is broken is difficult to mend, but it can be done by the power of God’s Spirit, through the work of His Son.

• Hurt and pain that we feel is not wrong and does not make us a bad person. We must learn to expose the hurt to the Lord to allow healing to come.

2. A Heart that is Slow to Believe

• Jesus calls these men slow of heart, because they had heard the Word of God over and over and had yet to believe it.

• How is it that some hearts are so hardened or slow to believe that the truth doesn’t penetrate regardless of how many times that truth is revealed or spoken?

• Usually, the biggest obstacle to believing is our denial or our stubbornness in refusing to believe.

• It is time that we allow God to replace our hearts of stone, with a heart of flesh that is tender and open to Him and His Word.

3. A Heart that Burns

• The men talked of how their hearts burned with passion as Jesus had spoken to them.

• It is the desire of God for our hearts to burn with a passion for Him and for His Word.

• Those who have a heart that burns for God with passion, need not allow circumstances of life or the input of people to put out that fire.

• There are times in our lives when we need Christ to come and speak to us so that the fire in our hearts will be stoked and will grow.